Beaches
The area boasts many beautiful sandy Blue Flag beaches.
There are two beautiful beaches either side of La Duquesa port. The water is quite calm and suitable for swimming. The beaches are clean and uncommercialised, situated just eight minutes' walk from the apartment. Sabinillas has a beautiful beach, promenade and children's play area. Estepona beach and promenade is a 15 minute drive away. There is a children's play area and trampoline park.
Other main beaches are Marbella and San Pedro. The seaside resort of Tarife is located on the Atlantic coast to the east of Gibralta and is suitable for more serious swimmers. The strong Atlantic waves makes this one of Europe's surfing and wind surfing capitals. The European Windsurfing Championships took place in Tarife in 1998. Ferry trips to Morocco depart daily from Tarife.
Bars & Restaurants
Puerto de La Duquesa offers a large selection of bars and restaurants close at hand providing a varied selection of very good food to suit most pallets. Just 8 minutes' walk from the apartment, the marina terraces abound with bars and restaurants. There are two Chinese restaurants, three Italian restaurants, a French restaurant, an Indian and numerous Spanish restaurants. The bars are lively and often offer live entertainment. The port is a hive of activity every night of the week. There are no night-clubs or disco's in La Duquesa.
A few recommended restaurants at the Port:-
- Browns - set menus, very reasonable, carvery type menus. Quiz night Thursdays
- Passage to India - lovely food, complimentary poppadums and sauces
- The Jolly Sailor - great food and good value. Live music on Sundays
- La Capitano - recommended Italian. Must visit.
- Bar Duquesa - really swanky bar
- La Terraza - overlooks the village of Casares. Open only lunchtimes, closed Monday
Monte Duquesa itself is also quiet at night, which makes the location ideal for family holidays. Rory's Irish Tavern, located on the main motorway at the entrance to Duquesa Port just five minutes' walk from the apartment is without a doubt the best spot for top class food, drink and live music.
The nearby village of Sabinillas and El Castillo have a number of tapas bars plus superb seafood restaurants at very reasonable prices. The hottest night-spots on the coast are located in Puerto Banus and Marbella but there are Clubs along the main motorway heading East from the apartment. Nightlife in Spain doesn't start until after midnight and lasts all night long. Large Casino's can be found in Marbella and Gibraltar.
Shopping
La Duquesa has small shops and a bank and convenience stores (8 minute walk from the apartment).
Las Sabinillas, a small Spanish village next to La Duquesa, has a large supermarket and many small stores (3 minute drive from apartment). The Supersol supermarket is the best place for grocery shopping. There is also a local tobacconist where you can purchase cigarettes at less than one third of the cost in the UK or Ireland (also sells postage stamps). The village also holds an Open air market and car boot sale every Sunday morning .
Estepona has plenty of shops and boutiques. The town boasts the very large Carrefour Supermarket (15 minute drive from the apartment) on the East Side of the town. This Hypermarket is the best place to purchase your groceries, hardware, wine and alcohol, all at reasonable prices. Estepona town holds a very large open air street market every Wednesday morning which you can obtain great bargains in clothing, footwear, leather, pottery, fruit and vegetables, watches and jewellery.
Estepona Port, a 10 minute drive from the apartment, holds an open air street market every Sunday morning. This is a fun market with lots of souvenirs and traditional goods available. Great value for leather goods, pottery, paintings, handicrafts, designer wear, sunglasses, t-shirts, rugs etc. A nice way to spend Sunday morning is to visit this market after the Sabinillas market. Please note the markets are open from 8am to 1pm.
Puerto Banus, a 30 minute drive from the apartment, is famous for its upmarket boutiques and department stores. El Corte Englais and Hipercore are the two main department stores in which you can "shop till you drop"! Puerto Banus also holds and open air market on Saturday mornings, also from 8am to 1pm, in the streets surrounding the bullring. This is a great market with plenty of bargains.