Estacar de la Duquesa Off The Beaten Path Tips by Ekaterinburg

El Castillo

El Castillo, the little village with the big name, is situated immediately to the south of Duquesa. It gets its name from the nearby Castillo de Duquesa and also has some Roman remains nearby.
Though nearly entirely engulfed now by the apartment complexes on either side the village still retains its unique and sort of frontier-like quality. At lunchtime on a sunny day, when there's no sign of life other than scrawny cats foraging round the bins, Castillo always reminds me of a village in the wild west. Despite its tiny size it has a church, several restaurants and pubs and a little village square. A nice place to dawdle in, perhaps sit in the square and read your book.

Website: http://www.duquesaguide.com

The White Village of Casares

Andalucia's Pueblos Blancos are justifiably famous and it would be a real pity to leave this area without seeing at least one. Ronda , becuase of its famous gorge, is the visit of choice for most people when it comes to Pueblos Blancos but a stay in Duquesa /Sabinillas gives you a perfect opportunity to visit Casares, approximately 18 km inland. Casares, for my money anyway is far more interesting and picturesque than Ronda and is not overrun with tourists. In fact if you visit in the off season, chances are you will not come across a single tourist other than yourself.
Buses from Estepona to Casares are supposed to run via Sabinillas but you need to check with the tourist office. If you want to take a taxi it will cost you EUR 25 each way, including tip but for the sheer pleasure and thrill of visiting such a spectacular location, it is well worth while.

Website: http://www.casares.es

San Luis de Sabinillas - the beach

The beach at Duquesa runs right into the beach at Sabinillas and you can enjoy every inch of it. One part is covered with small fishing boats which land their catch here every morning but despite my best intentions I'm afraid I have yet to see this happen. The rest is laid out in children's play areas, the occasional beach bar and little boardwalks down to the water's edge. It's probably crowded in high season but for the rest of the time it's a glorious expanse of open sand with white-tipped waves making a break from the blue/green surge of ocean tailing off into the horizon. If you don't want to swim, paddle or walk on the beach, you can still get your quota of iodine-laden breezes just from strolling on the paseo or lounging around there with a beer or coffee. At intervals along the beach are these blue and white striped huts/toilets, which I absolutely loved. I never actually used one of their facilities but I couldn' t stop taking photographs of them All told, this is a wonderful place to chill out and relax with none of the bustle or razzmatazz of the larger resorts.

Website: http://www.duquesaguide.com

San Luis de Sabinillas- the town

San Luis de Sabinillas is Duquesa's nearest neigbour on the Estepona side. Originally a fishing village, it's now a growing town with a busy centre and fabulous promenade. It's possible to bypass the entire town by staying on the Paseo Maritim but this would be a shame. It's a really Spanish town where you can watch little children playing in the park with their parents and grandparents and peer over the walls of the Colonia Infantil as you pass by. The central square is where the taxi rank is and this seems to be a mecca for posturing young males who stand around chatting and checking out their hair,all the while keeping time to loud music blaring their cars. Between this square and the beach the streets are smaller and the architecture much more that of a small fishing community. The red-brick church of Santa Ana is also small and if you sit on one of the seats in the plaza outside on Friday evening you will probably hear the very lively choir practice going on inside. This part of town is perfect for wandering in and you will stop continuallyto admire details on the small but beautifully decorated houses.

Website: http://www.duquesaguide.com