Mayor highlights the attractions of Estepona to visit the city during the Christmas holidays

José María García Urbano points out the more than one hundred decorated pedestrian walkways in the Old Town, the promenade, the Christmas village or the Mirador del Carmen tower as some of the scenarios to enjoy during these dates.

The mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, has highlighted the attractions of the city at this time of year and invited to discover them during the Christmas holidays. “If there is a time of year when Estepona shines especially is during the Christmas season, when the secluded streets of the Old Town, the most commercial streets, the promenade and the most special corners of the suburbs are decorated offering a unique picture that attracts residents and visitors,” he said.

The intense transformation that the city has undergone in recent years, with a firm commitment to pedestrianization, sustainability and quality of life, has opened large spaces for walking, leisure and to host the many events that these days are organized by the City Council of the city.

Terraza Street: shopping epicenter

It is one of the main streets of the city center. With the aim of strengthening commercial activity in the area and its recovery as a pedestrian axis, the City Council remodeled this street a year ago, giving priority to pedestrians and creating a uniform environment that enhances the activity of the various services and facilities it includes.

At this time of the year, the street shows its best side with an exquisite Christmas decoration and ambience, becoming, together with the nearby Plaza Antonia Guerrero, the nerve center of the celebrations in December.

Old Town. 130 streets for pedestrians.

During the last decade the City Council has created a network of more than 130 pedestrianized streets that has represented an important focus of urban revitalization. The municipal initiative ‘Estepona, Garden of the Costa del Sol’ has generated spaces adapted for walking, small streets decorated with care with pots and green spaces. A delight to discover this Christmas. The revitalization of the Old Town in which the local administration has been working has promoted social, commercial, cultural and leisure activities in a previously degraded area, which today is one of the most beautiful corners of the city. Don’t miss the route of ceramics with fragments of poetry scattered along these streets.

Spain Avenue: from road to seafront promenade

It is another of the corners to visit in Estepona. The new pedestrian boulevard that has transformed the Avenida de España for almost two kilometers has created one of the largest promenades in the country. The remodeling of this section of the old N-340 road – which crosses the city from east to west along the coastal strip – has made it possible to gain space for pedestrians and has changed the aesthetics of the environment. This is another sustainable initiative that places Estepona at the forefront of cities that are committed to quality of life, wellbeing, the environment and spaces for pedestrians.

Christmas Village

One of the novelties this year in the extensive program of Christmas activities is the Christmas Park, located on the esplanade outside the Teatro Auditorio Felipe VI. It has an ice rink, Santa Claus’ house, merry-go-round, bumper cars, ice slide, bouncy castles and a restaurant area. It will be open until January 4. The city also offers a wide range of leisure activities with theater, street music and gastronomic fairs. See the complete program at www.estepona.es.

A Torre Mirador as a cultural hub

The Mirador del Carmen Cultural Center, an imposing tower overlooking the sea, has undoubtedly been the most ambitious cultural project of recent years in Estepona, which is why it is a must if you visit the city. It is a multifunctional space with an auditorium for events, an exhibition hall, a Conservatory of Music and an eight-story vertical library, the Library of Contemporary Cultures. This municipal facility, baptized as “the great cultural lighthouse of Estepona”, is crowned by an impressive viewpoint from which to enjoy magnificent views.

Coastal corridor. A walking tour along the coast.

The Coastal Corridor is an important tourist, environmental and sports resource. It is a path that allows you to walk along the coast by the sea enjoying natural areas that have been preserved and where you can walk or play sports while admiring the views of the beach, the sunrise or sunset. The city has almost all of its 23 kilometers of coastline connected by pedestrian paths and wooden bridges. An open-air gymnasium.

The largest collection of orchids in Spain.

The Botanical Orchid Park of Estepona is the place in Europe with the largest area devoted exclusively to orchids. It has the largest collection in Spain and one of the largest on the continent. With an area of more than a thousand square meters, it offers the visual attraction of a subtropical forest with orchids growing on tree trunks, giant-leaved araceae, more than 300 square meters of vertical gardens, a water lily pond and a 15-meter waterfall. With these credentials it is not surprising that the Botanical Orchid Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions not only for visitors to the city, but also for the locals themselves at Christmas time.