HISTORY

Its history dates back to the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Arabs. The latter, which settled in this region the longest, left us numerous vestiges of which very few have unfortunately been saved (fortifications, watch towers, etc.) In the strictest historical context however, we are obliged to admit that it is not known when the town was founded. This may well fall within the time of the Phoenician settlements, and there are considerable grounds to believe that it might have been during the Roman era. It is therefore assumed that the primitive Estepona existed a good deal earlier than the Arab "Estebbuna" and "Alextebuna".

The town was captured from the Arabs during the hostilities ordered by King Enrique IV of Castilla in the year 1456. It is from this moment on that the history of Estepona as it is known today began with the very same King Enrique ordering the reconstruction of the castle at the request of his intimate friend and advisor, Don Juan Fernandez Pacheco, Marquis of Villena in the absence of the Catholic Kings during the reign of Doña Juana la Loca. During this time Estepona remained under the jurisdiction of Marbella. With some 600 inhabitants, under King Felipe V, Estepona obtained its complete and full independence and it is from there on that its development as urban and administrative centre of a beautiful area begins.

Folklore
Facilities & Places of Interest

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