Estepona doubles the Spanish average in square meters of public green area per inhabitant

The surface area of parks and gardens has grown by 57% in the last decade.

In 2024 the quality standards in the conservation of these spaces have been increased thanks to the rational use of water and the introduction of plant species adapted to the climate.

Estepona, January 07, 2025.- The Estepona City Council reports that the city doubles the Spanish average in square meters of public green space per capita. The evolution of the municipality, thanks to the serious and determined commitment of the government team to improve the quality of life of citizens, has resulted in a significant increase in public green areas, which are at 11.64 square meters per inhabitant, compared to the 4.5 square meters that is recorded on average in Spain as a whole.

As of today, and this is reflected in the new contract for the Parks, Gardens and Beaches maintenance service, the city has 781,000 square meters of public green space, whose maintenance and upkeep is the responsibility of the City Council. In addition to this, there is also ornamental gardening distributed throughout the different streets. This figure represents an increase of up to 57% with respect to the target area of care recorded a decade ago.

This growth, together with the new spaces created both in the city center and in the outskirts, has forced the City Council to increase the number of operators in charge of the maintenance service and to make a greater investment in machinery and the expansion of the fleet of vehicles.

In 2024 the quality standards established in the project ‘Estepona garden of the Costa del Sol’ were maintained in terms of the treatment and conservation of public green areas, despite the scarcity of rainfall and the entry into force of the Drought Decree of the Junta de Andalucía. These circumstances have required that the Municipal External Control Services have had to modify the management plans for the conservation of green areas, planting and ornamental elements of the city. The improvement actions in the streets, pedestrian walkways and the development of new parks and landscaping have also had to be adapted to the needs of the weather.

Rational use of water

In this regard, the deputy mayor for Services and External Control, Blas Ruzafa, highlights some of the most important measures that were introduced during the past year. With regard to water control, the investments made to be able to have in the municipality of a network not suitable for human consumption that can be used for irrigation of large avenues and pedestrianized areas have been completed during 2024 with the connection of the existing ones in Avenida del Carmen, Avenida de España, Ronda Litoral and Avenida Juan Carlos I, all of them being joined together.

In this way it has been made possible that the water supply can be made from the catchments located in Guadalobón, Monterroso and La Cala to the entire mesh (with the possibility of not using any of them if the characteristics of the water worsen due to increased salinity). Most of the flower beds so characteristic of the city are located in these avenues, and the availability of this canalization has made it possible not to use drinking water for irrigation at any time of the year.

Irrigation of ornamental elements such as metal planters, aerial planters, clay pots, flower towers and flower boxes has been carried out by means of tanker vehicles adapted with water from these catchments, as well as the planters in the old town, incorporating the necessary units to maintain the vegetation.

The choice of plant species has also been adapted to the weather conditions, ensuring that the type selected guarantees success in the formation of flower beds and flower beds with the lowest consumption. For the ornamental elements and flower beds, new semi-hardy plants resistant to saline winds and of high ornamental value have been introduced.

In the particular case of Terraza Street, the landscaping complements the quality of the materials used in the civil works and generates large walkable spaces together with diaphanous areas such as the Plaza del Rocío. For the landscaping in the planters at ground level, innovative plantings have been made, mixed with medium-sized elements along with other medium-sized and varied species at a lower level, resulting aesthetically very striking and integrated into the environment. Similar criteria have been maintained in the remodeling of San Antonio, de los Reyes and Bermudez streets.

The irrigation facilities of the new parks, having accessible semi-buried storage tanks, can be refilled with water from subway water catchments that are not suitable for human consumption and with reclaimed water. During the year 2024, the number of irrigations has also decreased considerably thanks to the use of moisture retaining polymers and the use of biostimulants added to the planting substrate and in the irrigation cisterns, both in planters and in flower and shrub beds.

Recently Estepona has been awarded, for the fifth year, by AMJA (Multidisciplinary Association of Gardening of Andalusia) with the highest award of the ‘Andalusia in bloom’ awards for the efforts maintained over time to achieve a city full of life for its inhabitants and visitors.