Day trip to Estepona

<p>Estepona sits between Gibraltar and Marbella on the Costa del Sol but has managed to avoid the worst excesses of both. No high-rise hotels blocking the seafront, no Puerto Banús-style excess, no particular reason for most tourists to stop here. Which is exactly why locals from Gibraltar rate it as one of the best easy days out on the coast.</p> <p>The old town is excellent, one of the most authentically Andalusian on the entire Costa del Sol. The streets around the Casco Antiguo have been progressively pedestrianised and planted with hundreds of flowers: geranium pots on every window, bougainvillea overhead, orange trees in the squares. It is pretty in a way that feels organic rather than curated for Instagram. The Plaza de las Flores, the Flower Square, lives up to its name.</p> <p>The Paseo Marítimo promenade is four kilometres long and flanked by palm trees. The beach is clean and wide; Playa del Cristo near the old port is the most pleasant stretch. The port itself is the working hub of the town and a good place to eat, several solid seafood restaurants right on the quayside with views across to the mountains and the Strait.</p> <p>Estepona has made a deliberate effort to become an arts town in recent years. There are over 50 murals scattered through the old town streets, large-scale wall paintings commissioned from Spanish and international artists, which gives the whole neighbourhood a surprising creative energy. Pick up a mural map from the tourist office near the port.</p> <p>From Gibraltar it is a 35-minute drive up the A-7. Avanza buses run La Linea,Algeciras,Estepona and the journey takes around an hour. Easy half-day or relaxed full day depending on your pace.</p>