Villacana - Estepona districts

Villacana - Estepona districts

By Sinéad Mangan-Mc Hale

Villacana is situated on Estepona’s eastern coastline, between Estepona (14km) and Marbella (19km), directly off the A-7 coast road. The district extends from the Macdonald Villacana Club on the Calle de la Luz to the west of the stream known as Arroyo Taraje.

Beaches

Visitors to this district have easy access to the Playa de Sol Villacana (Sun Beach of Villacana), an extension of the Playa de Guadalmansa. It is a tranquil but appealing beach with greyish-pebbled sand. See also Estepona Beach Bar Guide.

URBANISATIONS - Housing complexes

The main urbanisation in the Villacana district is Comunidad Villacana (Villacana Community). It is a long-established beachside urbanisation of some 340 privately owned properties. All the properties are located within a secure, gated perimeter and under the owners' direct control. The original development comprised two separate areas – Villacana North (nearest the main road (the A-7) and Villacana South (located on the beach). The development was designed in the 1960s by Miguel Oliver, following the style of a typical Andalusian "white town," or pueblo blanco, for a Canadian development company. The community has two restaurants, a hair and beauty salon, an estate agent and a self-service laundry.

In addition to some stand-alone properties, another community, the Albayalde urbanisation, comprises townhouses and apartments, swimming pools, community gardens, and tennis courts.

Resorts

Originally part of the Comunidad Villacana, Macdonald Villacana is now a self-catering resort managed by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts. The resort offers a range of fully equipped self-catering accommodation, from one-bedroom studio apartments to three-bedroom apartments. In addition to easy access to the beach, the resort offers three swimming pools, tennis courts, and a well-equipped gymnasium. There is free parking and electric car charging facilities.

Some privately owned houses and apartments in the district are available for holiday lets. Visitors can contact local inmobiliares (estate agents), international rental companies such as Airbnb or Bookings.com or speak with Villacana Holidays or SPCA Homes at Villacana, locally based vacation home rental agencies for further information.

Holiday rentals in Villacana district

Hotels in Costalita district

Restaurants

Visitors to the Villacana district can enjoy the restaurants in the Villacana Community – 90 Miles and Bistro Enriques. They can also dine or enjoy refreshments at Gregorio Restaurant, located within the camper park in the Park Beach district, which runs alongside Villacana. In addition, there is a kebab restaurant, Kebab Puente Sun Beach, located in the Costalita Pueblo Andaluz, which opens in the evenings.

Coastal Path

The Senda Litoral (Coastal Path) extends along the district, allowing visitors to walk along the eastern coastline line towards Estepona town and western districts. The path is very popular with locals and visitors; many use it as a hiking, running or cycling trail.

Bus Service

There is a public bus service to and from Estepona to Marbella. The coast side bus stops for buses heading towards Marbella are located along the A-7, with the first bus stop, Venta Los Niños (4105) by Villacana Club and the second stop further along the road, Gran Hotel Playabella (4104) bus stop, near Calle de la Luna.

For buses heading towards Estepona, visitors must use the pedestrian bridge near the coast side of the Gran Hotel Playabella bus stop to cross over the A-7 towards the mountain side of the Gran Hotel Playabella bus stop.

These stops serve the bus route for the L-79 Estepona - Marbella to and from Marbella town, La Cañada Shopping centre and Marbella Bus Station. There is also the E-3 Microbus (only four services a day) to and from Estepona town. Timetable and live wait times.

Car Hire, Taxi and Transfers

In addition to hiring a car in Estepona, Malaga Airport, or Gibraltar Airport, Estepona taxis and several firms offer private transfers by minibus car or limousine to and from the airport and the surrounding areas. Bolt and Uber Apps also work within the district.

For those who want to enjoy more of the sights of Andalucía, the district is situated close to the A-7 coastal highway and within a short distance of the AP-7 toll road. This road is typically quieter, but there are toll booths at Manilva, San Pedro and Calahonda in both directions – tolls can be paid in cash, by credit card, or VIA-T (non-stopping) so visitors can easily access destinations on either side of Estepona. Along the coast to the west, these include Sotogrande, Gibraltar, Tarifa and the golden sand beaches of Costa de la Luz. Along the coast to the east, these include Marbella and Malaga. They can also explore the inland villages of Casares and Gaucin on the road to Ronda. Not forgetting the magnificent cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

NEIGHBOURING DISTRICTS

The neighbouring district to the west (Estepona) is Park Beach.
The neighbouring district to the east (Marbella) is Costalita.