The old agricultural and fishing town of Estepona was one of the first resorts on this coast to attract tourists, yet it is considered to have best retained its Spanish character of all the towns west of Malaga. Although it has all the trappings of tourism, with plenty of hotels, restaurants, shops and leisure facilities, the town retains its local character and its bustling historic quarter sees its 37,000 inhabitants clamber up and down steep cobbled streets to the many tapas bars and cafes serving traditional Spanish delicacies.
The Costa del Sol runs from Malaga west to Sotogrande, passing on the way the resorts of Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas Costa, Marbella, Puerto Banus and San Pedro de Alcantará. Running parallel to the sea is the N340 which links all towns along the coast. The flat coastal terrain soon becomes green and mountainous a short way inland, leading to hilltop towns such as Mijas and, further west, you cross the mountains to get to the likes of Ojén, Monda and Coín. Marbella is evocative of California, with its straight wide boulevard cutting through the middle, lined with palm trees, designer shops and furniture outlets. The most exclusive developments are hidden in tree-lined avenues or behind walls leading to the beach. You are only ever a short distance from the sea or the mountains here which means that no matter how much development takes place the landscape remains stunningly beautiful.
Estepona is in an area which enjoys the best weather in Spain. It has a mild microclimate for ten months of the year with a mean annual temperature of 18.7 ºC. The following table illustrates the mean temperatures according to season: Spring 21 ºC Summer 25 ºC Autumn 16 ºC Winter 14 ºC The mean annual temperature of the sea is 18 ºC. The sun shines for more than 325 days a year. The prevaling winds are westerlies and easterlies.