Things To Do in San Pedro de Alcantara

The town of Estepona is only 20 minutes’ drive along the coast. Among the steep, cobbled streets are the flower-filled Plaza de las Flores and the sandstone Neustra Senora de los Remedios church. You can also walk up the hill to see a pretty little 19^th-century chapel. The modern bullring houses a couple of museums. And do stay for dinner at the marina, where the late-night discos will just be warming up.

Market day is Thursday, when you can join the locals buying up their fruit and veg while you hunt for souvenirs. There’s plenty of browsing opportunities in the town’s narrow streets too, where gift shops line up alongside stores selling clothes and shoes – just remember that it’s half-day closing on Saturday. If it’s designer names you want, though, head for nearby Puerto Banus and Marbella.

Fish fans should make a beeline for San Pedro de Alcantara’s prom – between the palms, you’ll find a handful of chiringuitos that deal in freshly caught seafood. Away from the seafront, the town centre – especially Avenida Andalucia, Avenida Las Palmeras and the main church square – is the place to go for tapas and traditional Spanish dishes.

San Pedro has some classy joints serving up lobster salad and foie gras, and there are lots of international restaurants along the promenade. You get more of a Spanish vibe up in the town, where places are filled with the chatter of locals ordering tapas along with plates of paella and suckling pig. There’s a lively buzz around the church square, or you can just wander the streets for hidden tapas bars.

San Pedro’s yearly town festival takes place the week of 19^th October, with the action spread over 4 days. The festivities include everything from flamenco shows and live music to fireworks and tortilla-making contests, and stalls pop up in the fairground and Plaza de la Iglesia selling wine and tapas.

At San Pedro de Alcantara’s street market, you’ll find everything from fruit and veg, to clothes, to souvenir flamenco fans piled on stall holders’ tables. The ceramic plates and olive oil bottles make great gifts, as do the hand-embroidered table clothes and hankies. It’s held in the fairground in the centre of town every Thursday, from 10am until around 2pm.

Less than an hour’s drive will land you across the border in tiny, Brit-owned Gibraltar. Head up the Rock to meet its most famous residents – cheeky Barbary Apes – then hit the shops to snap up a few duty-free bargains.

Playa San Pedro is a long belt of blonde sand, running alongside a palm-lined prom. It’s really family-friendly – the safe sands and clean water have nabbed it a Blue Flag – and there are plenty of sand-side cafés and restaurants for lunches.

San Pedro’s main beach gives you a 1-kilometre stretch to play with. There are plenty of sunbeds on the Blue Flag sands, which skirt the inviting warm waters of the Med – though the beach club here has a pool if you prefer. And refreshments are easy to come by in the bars and restaurants sprinkled along the modern promenade.

When the sun starts to set over San Pedro, the promenade bars come alive with the cocktail crowd. It’s all fairly relaxed here, with just a couple of salsa clubs and the Bora Bora beach club if you want to up the pace. For a fix of champagne and celebrity-spotting, there’s always Puerto Banus, just 10 minutes’ drive away. Anything goes there, from chilled-out piano bars to all-night clubbing.