Old town, markets and murals

Estepona’s old town is flat, whitewashed and covered in murals, over seventy of them, turning the streets into an open-air gallery you can walk in an afternoon.

The experience

Start at Plaza de las Flores, the old town’s main square and the site of the tourist office, where a free map marks every stop on the mural route. Orange trees and a fountain make it the natural place for a first coffee before setting off.

The best known mural, Día de Pesca, spans six building facades on Calle Isabel Manoja and is said to be the largest mural in Spain. Beyond the mural route, the town council has also laid out a poetry route and a sculpture route through the same streets, so the walk changes character depending on which you follow.

The whole route is flat and pedestrian, easy on foot without a car. Give it 90 minutes for the highlights, closer to three hours if you want to see it all and stop for coffee or tapas along the way.

Close to the old town, the Orchidarium houses over 5,000 plant species across three glass domes, the tallest 17 metres high, with an indoor waterfall running through the central dome. A useful stop if the afternoon heat pushes you indoors for an hour.

Not for everyone

Midday heat sits heavy in the narrow lanes. Go before 11am or after 6pm, both for the light and to avoid the afternoon crowds arriving from Marbella.

Good to know

• Pick up the free mural map at Plaza de las Flores
• Old town is pedestrian, park at the edge and walk in
• Best light and fewest crowds before 11am or after 6pm
• Orchidarium entry from around 3.50 euros, closed Mondays

Free. The mural, poetry and sculpture routes cost nothing, cafés, shops and the Orchidarium are separate.

While you’re here

The heart of Estepona itself, worth a full afternoon on its own. Combine it with the Orchid House, a few minutes’ walk away, or end the day at the marina, a ten minute walk from the old town.