La Rada is the Estepona beach: the one facing the town centre, the one locals use, and the one that rounds off the rebuilt promenade that has made this town one of the most pleasant places to walk on the whole Costa del Sol. Almost three kilometres of sand, with the old quarter — its flower-filled streets and its murals — a hundred metres from the water.
Getting there
From the A-7 or AP-7, exits for Estepona centre. There’s an underground car park beside the promenade and metered parking in the centre, plus free areas slightly further out. Intercity buses linking Marbella, San Pedro and La Línea stop at the bus station, ten minutes’ walk away.
Facilities
- ✓ Lifeguard during the bathing season
- ✓ Numerous beach bars on the sand
- ✓ Showers and public toilets
- ✓ Sunbed and parasol hire
- ✓ Adapted access and assisted bathing in season
- ✓ Sports area, beach volleyball and outdoor gym
- ✓ Paid parking nearby
Estepona, the surprise of the west
Over the past decade Estepona has done what almost no other town on this coast managed: pedestrianised its old quarter and filled it with plants. The Mural Route — more than sixty large-format works on building facades — and the Flower Route make the walk from the beach into the centre a destination in itself. To the west lies the marina, with its Sunday market and its fish restaurants.
What the beach is like
Dark, coarse sand, wide, with a gradual entry into the water and gentle waves. It’s well maintained and has facilities to spare. Occupancy runs high in July and August in the central sections, but being so long there’s always room if you walk a little.
When to go
For swimming, June to September. For everything else, any time of year: the Estepona promenade is one of the best places in the province for a winter walk.
