BOUTIQUE DELIGHT!

Estepona has two new kids on the block - right in the heart of town

ESTEPONA has been rapidly developing a buzzing hotel scene since it became the Garden of the Costa del Sol.

A duo of new boutique hotels have opened over the last few years in the centre, while the coast has seen a string of new four and five star joints.

The best are renovations of charming old buildings in the heart of the town. The Old Town Hotel, on Calle Caridad, one of Estepona’s prettiest streets, opened in 2021 after husband and wife Simone and Giusy undertook

SUPERB VIEWS: at the Old Town Hotel in the heart of Estepona massive renovations on a once crumbling townhouse.

Their hard work certainly paid off. The entire building has been thoughtfully redesigned while keeping original details, including Andalucian geometric tiles and has stunning artworks handpicked by the couple. Modern furnishings, enormous showers, bright white cotton sheets, Nespresso machines and cava in the mini bar all dial up the luxury feel. Another excellent place to stay is the recent- ly-opened Hotel Estepona Plaza, a beautifully reformed building on Plaza Ortiz. One of the old town’s most bustling squares, full of great restaurants, the hotel has been tastefully renovated preserving as much of the original building as possible. This includes the charming hydraulic tiles in the lobby, which are laid out in their original grids. The three-dozen rooms are well appointed and good value, while the highlight has to be the incredible rooftop pool with dreamy views across the town.

Tapas events and trails

Many municipalities, such as Lanjaron in La Alpujarra, have an annual ‘ Ruta de la Tapa ’ event. Visitors are invited to sample the tapa in qualifying bars, and rate it on a marking sheet. The bar with the best tapa usually wins a prize, as do some of the participants. With maybe 20 bars participating, this is an event where you need a designated driver - if you don’t want to consume endless

Tapas hints and tips

● Avoid obvious tourist traps. Instead, seek old man bars (sometimes called the pensionista) and those popular with Spanish workers. Any venue with a busy terrace full of locals is likely to serve decent tapas rounds of alcohol-free drinks. In Granada central, you can find tapas tours with multilingual guides. This could be a good option for tourists who definitely want to eliminate any chance of receiving trotters or crab sticks.

● Don’t turn up too early, before the kitchen is open, or you’re likely to receive crisps with olives rather than hot food. Around 2pm and 9pm are good timeslots.

● Don’t be shy to tell the barman if you have food allergies (sin gluten) or any strong dislikes. Once the prawns have arrived, it’s a bad moment to say you dislike seafood.

● Remember that tapa is a gift – so try not to cause offense by pulling awful faces or criticising the standard of cuisine.

● Don’t openly feed tapas to your dog – it’s more polite to put it in a serviette and take it home for Fido to enjoy later.

● Some bars don’t serve tapas with agua con gas or batidos. Check what qualifies before ordering a round of drinks.