Casares Costa beach: Playa Ancha, Torre de la Sal and the coast on your doorstep
From the apartment: on foot, 0 km. Sabinillas 3 km (5 min by car, 30–35 min walk along the beach), La Duquesa marina 4 km.
The apartment sits on Playa Ancha, the long, wide beach of Casares Costa on the western Costa del Sol. Instead of a hotel resort there are a few low-rise residences, a couple of beach bars and a band of scrub-covered dunes at the back, and the coastline runs west to the fishing town of Sabinillas and east to the rocky headland of Torre de la Sal. On a clear day you look across the bay to the Rock of Gibraltar and the mountains of Morocco.
Why guests love it
- Space: the sand is around 50 m wide and more than a kilometre long, so even in August there is room to spread out.
- The water: a gently shelving Mediterranean beach, sheltered from the big Atlantic swell that hits Tarifa.
- Quiet: Casares Costa has no high-rise hotels, so the beach stays calm outside the summer weekends.
- Everything else is close: supermarkets, restaurants and the marina are minutes away by car in Sabinillas and La Duquesa.
What to see and do
Playa Ancha
The main beach runs between the Arroyo de la Parrilla stream and the Río Manilva. It has held the Blue Flag (first awarded in 2019), with lifeguards and showers in season. Morning is the best time for a long walk on firm sand.
Torre de la Sal and Playa de la Sal
At the eastern end a headland carries the Torre de la Sal, a square 16th-century watchtower built against Barbary pirates. Below it, Playa de la Sal is a 300 m mix of sand and rocks: quieter, good for snorkelling around the boulders and for watching the sunset over Gibraltar. The beach bar Chiringuito La Sal moved up onto the headland in 2016 and is open from mid-April to the end of October, with views west to Sabinillas, Gibraltar and the African coast.
Sabinillas and its promenade
Walk west along the sand or drive five minutes and you reach San Luis de Sabinillas, a Spanish town with ordinary everyday life. The paseo marítimo is lined with tapas bars and fish restaurants, the beach is Blue Flag and popular for paddleboarding and kayaking, and the town runs a Friday market (next to the sports centre) and a large Sunday market with easy parking. On 23 June the beach at Sabinillas hosts the San Juan night, the biggest party of the year: thousands of people, music and a giant sculpture, built each year by a local artist, burnt at midnight.
Puerto de la Duquesa
The marina, a few minutes' drive west of the apartment, is built on three levels around the moorings with restaurants from Spanish and Italian to Indian and British, plus bars showing live sport.
Manilva vineyards
Behind Sabinillas the hills of Manilva are covered in Moscatel vines. Bodega Nilva runs guided tours that combine the CIVIMA wine interpretation centre, the small artisan winery and a tasting of three wines with tapas in the Viña del Peñoncillo vineyard, looking out over the sea to Africa (from about €30 per person). The grape harvest festival takes place in early September.
Practical information
| Distance from the apartment | Playa Ancha: on foot · Sabinillas: 3 km · La Duquesa marina: 4 km |
|---|---|
| Facilities | Lifeguards, showers and beach bars in season (roughly April–October) |
| Markets | Sabinillas: Friday and Sunday mornings · Estepona: Wednesday and Sunday (port) |
FAQ
- Is Casares Costa beach sandy?
- Yes: Playa Ancha is fine, dark-golden sand with a gentle slope; Playa de la Sal by the tower has rocks and is better for snorkelling.
- Are there restaurants on the beach?
- Yes, seasonal beach bars on Playa Ancha and Chiringuito La Sal on the headland, plus dozens of restaurants in Sabinillas and La Duquesa marina.
- Can I walk to the shops?
- Sabinillas is about 30–35 minutes on foot along the beach; by car it is five minutes. A supermarket run is easiest by car.