IT’S easy to speak warmly about a wonderful place like Estepona – a genuine town with all year round vegetable markets and ham festivals, solemn processions and spirited parades.

Its cultural life is vibrant with outdoor concerts and arty murals.

The beaches are long, wide and invite you to play, flirt or exercise while the popular boardwalk is always active with people rollerblading, walking the dog or just sitting and watching the world go by.

You can enjoy strolling between the town’s cafés and the beach’s chiringuitos, or the simple restaurants that offer little more than deliciously grilled fish on the spit.

You are rarely dressed up, the line between the beach and the city flows together and gives life that relaxed feel.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the quality of restaurants is remarkably good, with the food market soon to make its culinary contribution.

Estepona was once a slumbering fishing village, but today the city has spread along the coast and up the mountains while consciously keeping its low skyline.

So even though it has ‘grown up’, now home to more than 70,000 people, it has managed to maintain its ‘Spanish- ness’ and its openness towards us foreigners who are curious and want to be involved, understand and participate.

Estepona is a natural and less well-groomed little sister to Marbella, less ‘bling bling’ and more genuine and cool – and that’s why Estepona ‘es mejor’!