Estepona
| Estepona | ||
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 Location of Estepona |
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| Municipality | Málaga | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | José María García Urbano | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 137 km2 (53 sq mi) | |
| • Land | 137 km2 (53 sq mi) | |
| • Water | 0.00 km2 (0.00 sq mi) | |
| Population (2006) | ||
| • Total | 58,603 | |
| • Density | 399/km2 (1,030/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Website | http://www.estepona.es/ | |
Estepona is a town and municipality in the comarca of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its district covers an area of 137 square kilometers in a fertile valley crossed by small streams and a mountainous areas dominated by the Sierra Bermeja, which reaches an elevation of 1,449 m at the peak of Los Reales.
Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline. It is a popular resort and holiday destination.
Due to its natural environment, surrounded by the sea and the mountains, Estepona has a micro-climate with over 325 days of sunshine per year.
Estepona is a popular year-round holiday destination; it has two EC Blue Flag beaches, a modern sports marina with many tapas bars and restaurants. The white-walled town centre has many shops and picturesque squares. In the early 1990s, the Walt Disney Company chose Estepona as the original site for its Eurodisney project, but Paris, France was later awarded the installation.
The area has been occupied since prehistoric times; stone-age tools and dolmens have been discovered. Romans occupied the area, but a seaquake destroyed their town or villa in the 4th century. Archeologists have unearthed some foundations and ceramics, although the disaster's effects (together with massive redevelopment in the 1960s) make further finds unlikely. References to 'Salduba' or 'Silniana' as an important natural port in old documents may refer to this town, or possibly Marbella's San Pedro Alcantara district.
The name 'Estepona' probably comes from the Moorish Astabbuna or Al-extebunna. In 1342, the Battle of Estepona took place in the Bay of Estepona between the fleet of the Kingdom of Aragon and that of the Marinid Dynasty, with the victorious Aragonese fleet subsequently destroyed near Gibraltar, but Christian forces ultimately winning the Siege of Algeciras. Aben al Jhatib, writing in the late 14th century, mentioned the town as being in a state of decay, living on its reputation for culinary delicacies, with its monuments deteriorated. Henry IV of Castile captured the town from the Moors in 1457. A church was built over what had been the town mosque, and a town grew around it, although it too was subsequently destroyed and all that remains is the old clock tower (and the nearby Simon Fernandez school). San Luis castle was built for coastal defense against Berber pirates.
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Wikipedia