It will involve the creation of two high-end hotel complexes with complementary leisure facilities as part of one of the largest tourism projects currently underway in Andalusia.
The mayor stressed that the municipal effort to reposition the city’s tourist brand and create a quality destination is complemented by important private initiatives that contribute to the economic and social revitalization of the city.
The Mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, today presented to FITUR the sustainable urban development project that will allow the creation of two large luxury tourist complexes, which will involve an investment of 630 million euros in the city by the tourism company Globalia and will generate more than a thousand jobs.
It is one of the largest tourism projects currently underway in Andalusia and that the Andalusian administration has included in its Project Acceleration Unit. This project acceleration unit includes initiatives which, due to their importance or nature, contribute to the creation of stable and quality jobs in all production sectors, as well as to the use and enhancement of natural and economic resources according to the principle of sustainability.
The mayor highlighted the impetus given by the city council over the past decade to promote a model of a sustainable city and quality of life. In this way, municipal action for the development of public initiatives that have contributed to the repositioning of the city’s tourist brand and the creation of a quality destination, has been complemented by important private initiatives that contribute to economic and social revitalization.
Specifically, the first of the tourism company’s projects will be developed in the Guadalobón area, located 800 meters from the city center, on an area of 63 hectares. A hotel complex comprising luxury apartments and villas will be created there, according to the model of the “full life leisure resort”, complemented by a wide range of leisure and catering facilities. In addition, socio-cultural equipment with a university campus and the creation of a large river and sports park, which will be connected to the coastal corridor, are also envisaged.
The second project will be carried out in the area of Arroyo Vaquero, in an area of more than 60 hectares. Another high-end tourist complex will be built there, with apartments and low-density buildings. All this will be combined with a large sports facility, with spaces for sports medicine, as well as other cultural and leisure facilities.
Both projects include the urban development of these areas with the corresponding provision of infrastructure, equipment, green spaces and public services for the city.
Overall, the mayor referred to the ability Estepona has shown to attract investment, generate employment and wealth; all this favored by the seriousness, legal security and administrative speed offered by the local administration.
A complement to the urban transformation “Estepona, garden of the Costa del Sol”.
The mayor stressed that this private activity is a complement to the important municipal tourism initiatives. He recalled that in the last ten years the city has undergone an important process of transformation and modernization in which the sustainable urban development project “Estepona, garden of the Costa del Sol”, in addition to the complete renovation of the infrastructure of almost the entire city centre, has managed to create a segment of urban tourism, generating a valuable center of attraction for visitors attracted by this renovation and by this new concept of a city open to pedestrians, as well as by the gastronomic, commercial and hotel offer that appeared as a complement and as a result of this municipal initiative.
This municipal project has been complemented by other initiatives such as the unique Botanical Park-Orchidarium, the creation of an open-air museum with more than 60 works of art and an open-air library with a Route of the Poetry that brings culture closer to pedestrians, as well as the commitment to the beautification and maintenance of public green spaces, transforming Estepona into “the city of millions of flowers” throughout the year.
García Urbano highlighted the enormous economic and social impact of these municipal actions, creating a model of a sustainable city that has revitalized local economic activity. In this regard, he recalled that “Estepona, garden of the Costa del Sol” has already enabled the creation of 16 “boutique” hotel projects in this revitalized area of the city center and has given a boost to the trade and services.
The “balcony over the Mediterranean”
He also referred to the fact that this municipal commitment to a sustainable city is complemented by another important project – in progress since last September – aimed at creating a Balcony on the Mediterranean, generating another new pole of tourist attraction in the area surrounding the city’s port.
This development, which bears the mark of the architect and town planner of Malaga Salvador Moreno Peralta, will create a new pedestrian zone open to the public, by the sea, which will develop cultural and leisure services, while providing Estepona with a new tourist landmark with an observation tower that will offer breathtaking views of the city and the sea.
This action will place the municipality at the forefront of sustainable, pedestrian and citizen-accessible cities and will integrate this privileged seaside enclave into the city center, adding value to one of the main axes of the municipality.
Regarding the ability to generate wealth, the mayor recalled that Estepona has attracted significant tourist investment in recent years. Recently, the Ikos Resorts group, with its first all-inclusive luxury hotel in Spain, and the El Pilar Boutique hotel, located in the heart of the city and accompanying the downtown renovation project, have stood out. He also spoke of the commitment of the Mett hotel chain to Estepona, which this year will open a five-star hotel by the sea.