Estepona opens one of the longest promenades in the whole of Spain

Estepona has officially opened one of the longest promenades in the whole of Spain after works to build a new-look seafront esplanade were recently completed.

Work involved remodelling of the town's old main artery, the former N-340 road, which was closed to traffic for two years, and now allows for the total opening of the town to the Mediterranean in its urban centre. The coastal strip, which stretches for more than a kilometre and a half, is one of the longest promenades in the country.

The works, carried out in different phases, transformed an area of 37,435 square metres and 1,565 metres in length. The area developed is between Avenida de Andalucía and Calle Terraza; from here to Avenida Juan Carlos I, where the new council headquarters are also located; and, finally, from the latter to Calle Delfín until reaching the lighthouse and the Cofradía de Pescadores (Fishermen's Guild).

Estepona, the first municipality in Malaga province to create a low emission zone, anticipated European regulations which obliges municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to introduce traffic restriction measures. With the pedestrianisation and renovation of 130 of its streets over the past decade, the heart of Estepona has been revitalised, thanks also to a network of public car parks that cost one euro a day, with a total of 2,000 spaces. New businesses and hotels have also successfully joined the buoyant local economy. Estepona is the second town in Spain with the second highest percentage growth in population in 2023 and its overall unemployment rate now stands at 2006 figures.

For its inauguration, a programme of entertainment was organised, ranging from parades to food and drink tastings and musical performances. The opening ceremony started with the cutting of a ribbon, which took place at the junction of Avenida de España and Avenida de Andalucía.

A free tasting of churros with chocolate was held in the Plaza García Caparrós, and from 9-10pm, happy hour was launched with promotions in bars and eateries along Avenida de España, Plazoleta Ortiz and Plaza García Caparros.