21 May, 2024 @ 11:49
1 min read

British expats threaten to leave Estepona over string of ‘luxury’ venues that are ‘destroying’ the Costa del Sol town’s ‘charm’ by ‘turning it into Puerto Banus 2.0’

BRITISH expats have claimed they are considering moving away from Estepona following the arrival of a string of new ‘luxury’ venues.

It comes as three new beach clubs are being heavily criticised for ‘appealing to the uber wealthy’ with ‘exorbitant, rip-off prices’.

Expats and locals fear being priced out of the area, while some claim the town, known as ‘the garden of the Costa del Sol’, is ‘losing its charm.’

The latest project to be revealed is the Eva restaurant and beach club, which sits high above the popular Playa del Cristo and is set to open in July.

It follows Beso Beach and Sublim, the latter of which has replaced the former Laguna Village. Both of them have received backlashes online in recent days.

Located on the west-facing Playa del Cristo, Eva offers views of the sunset over the Rock of Gibraltar and the mountains of Morocco – otherwise known as the Pillars of Hercules.

Eva covers 5,500 square metres and includes a ground-floor restaurant with seafood options, an outdoor terrace, a more intimate first-floor dining area, and a beach club with an infinity pool, private rooms, and VIP cabanas.

While visually stunning, the soon-to-be-completed venue has divided opinion online.

Eva Estepona beach club is set to open in July

One British expat wrote on Facebook that he saw the news of the new club and could ‘only despair’.

Another commented: “So glad I sold up, Estepona used to appeal as traditionally spanish, now they want to make it Puerto Banus II….drugs, crime and vice will surely follow.”

One wrote: “I wanted to buy in Seghers (quiet) but now I won’t. Where are 120 covers going to park?”

Another expat said: “We and many people like us did like Estepona. A genuine lovely town. Now with so many changes towards ‘Estebanus’ we might think of moving from here. It hurts.”

One admitted: “I’ve been residing here 50 years but this Estepona is not the place we chose to settle in anymore. Materialism and instant gratification based on money has taken over.”

However others rushed to defend the venue, saying it would bring jobs.

One wrote: “Looking forward to trying this place. Not somewhere I’ll be going every week, but as a treat or for a special occasion definitely!”

Another said: “Looks really nice can’t wait to visit.”

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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