Are you planning a trip from Estepona to Malaga, or the other way round?
Here is a short practical travel guide to help you plan your trip.
Where is Estepona?
While you might be familiar with Malaga, many people don’t know where Estepona is.
Estepona is located on Costa del Sol in Andalusia, about 90 kilometers south of Malaga. It’s conveniently located along the Mediterranean highway, so it’s very easy to get there by car in just around one hour.
Below are the travel options for your trip from Malaga to Estepona, also offering options for those who do not want to rent a car during their holiday.
Estepona Malaga: Transport Options
Fastest: by car, just over an hour traveling on the highway.
Most convenient: definitely by car, if you can bear the city traffic in Malaga.
Cheapest: I’m not sure about the petrol costs, but the car would be probably the cheapest way to get from Estepona to Malaga, followed by a bus. When traveling by bus, you should take time into account too, because as we all know time is money too!
1. Estepona Malaga: By Train
Unfortunately, the train network doesn’t run any further south of Fuengirola, and the only way to get to Estepona from Fuengirola is by car or bus.
2. Estepona Malaga: By Bus
My first and so far the last trip to Estepona was by bus from Fuengirola. The journey was super comfortable and relatively fast, considering the distance between the two cities.
If you’re traveling between Estepona and Malaga by bus, the journey will take approximately 1 hour 15 minutes if you take the faster connection or 2 hrs 10 minutes on the slower bus.
Estepona Malaga Bus Tickets
I found the local timetables to be very unreliable. It’s best to check on online booking sites which will show you the buses available on a particular day, along with the different prices.
Head over to the Avanza website and enter your destination and dates, a few bus options will pop up. You can buy the tickets in a few clicks and just show the QR code from your phone to the bus driver.
Please remember you have to take your ID with you, they will ask to see it along with your ticket.
The tickets start at around 9 euros per person, one way. The prices vary depending on which connection you take and the season.
There are approximately 15 different bus connections available every day (the weekend schedule may vary) and the last buses are around 9pm. The tickets can be purchased directly at avanza website.
Estepona Bus Station
Estepona has a very small bus station at the beginning of the town, it’s quite far off from the centre alongside a long stretch of the highway. I would imagine it’s probably 15 – 20 minutes walk if you want to go there on foot.
Just behind the bus station is a taxi rank, almost hidden behind the bushes, where you can get a local taxi to your hotel or the old town.
The taxi to the old town would cost around 5-7 euros, and the journey to my hotel which was on the other side of the town (practically outside of Estepona), was nearly 12 euros (8km journey on the highway).
There is no Uber service in Estepona.
The terminal building is small, but there are toilets, ticket machines and a small vending machine.
Malaga Bus Station
All buses leave from the main terminal next to Maria Zambrano station. You can walk across the road from the station to get there, they’re almost connected.
The station has limited facilities, no restaurants, and limited shops, so if you want to buy something ahead of the trip, you should do so at the train station next to it.
The train station has a selection of restaurants (most opening after 1 pm) and a big Mercadona supermarket. There is also a kiosk with books, newspapers, and a few souvenir shops.
The Malaga bus station looks like it could use a little TLC, but has very good connections to the big cities around Malaga, not just Estepona. I’ve previously taken trips from there to Nerja and also Granada.
3. Estepona Malaga: By Car
There are two route options to get to Estepona, one involves the paid toll highway option via AP-7 (one toll gate where you have to pay), and the second option is travelling via A-7 which is the route the local bus takes and it does not have tolls (also nice views of the coastline).
The AP-7 takes just under an hour to reach Malaga, depending on your final destination and the traffic situation in Malaga. It’s an easy ride, but navigating through the city traffic in Malaga can be a bit of a hassle.
The road provides beautiful views of the sea, so it’s definitely an enjoyable ride.
4. Estepona Malaga: By Taxi
If you’re travelling with a group of friends and want a hassle-free commute, taking a taxi might be one of the options you would consider.
The journey would cost between 70 to 130 euros, depending on the season, type of car and the number of people travelling.
If you’re planning to use a taxi, it’s best to book it in advance to negotiate a better rate, and get a few quotes for the trip online.
5. Malaga Airport to Estepona
Malaga airport does not have the same travel connections as Malaga town, but it’s still fairly easy to get to Estepona from there.
Malaga airport to Estepona by car: simply follow the AP-7 highway from the airport south towards Cadiz direction. You should arrive in Estepona after just under an hour’s journey.
Malaga airport to Estepona by taxi: taxi from the airport to Estepona would be between 70 to 90 euros, depending on the size of the car, the number of people traveling, and the season.
Malaga airport to Estepona by train/bus: as far as I know there is no direct bus connection between Estepona and Malaga airport. There a few connecting travel options, either taking the bus from airport to Marbella and changing at the bus station there, or taking a train from the airport to Fuengirola, and taking a local distance bus to Estepona. To check the best travel connections for you, check the avanza bus website and renfe train website.
Malaga: Most Popular Activities & Tickets
- Sunset Catamaran Trip with a Glass of Cava Included – enjoy beautiful views of the Malaga coastline on board of a luxury catamaran, and watch the sunset while sipping on the complimentary glass of cava.
- Alcazaba and Roman Theatre Guided Tour With Entry – enjoy a guided visit to Malaga’s most important monuments – skip the line tickets with a tour guide in English.
- Entrance to Picasso Museum with Audio Guide – you can’t leave Malaga without visiting a museum dedicated to its most famous artist!
- Flamenco Show at Tablao Alegría – enjoy an authentic Flamenco performance in one of the local restaurants in Malaga. Entry ticket included in price, no food or drinks.
- Caminito del Rey Guided Tour with Malaga pick up – enjoy a guided walk on the most spectacular natural sight in Malaga, the ‘King’s Pathway’ offering breathtaking views of the El Chorro gorge.
- Private Full-Day Bus Trip to Ronda and Setenil with Malaga pick up – marvel at the beauty of Ronda, an ancient city with one of the oldest bullrings in the country, loved by writers like Hemingway.
- Granada Full-Day Trip with Alhambra – it would be a shame to leave Andalusia without seeing the most important sight of all – the ancient palace complex of Alhambra.
Frequent Questions
How far is Malaga airport from Estepona?
Malaga airport is approximately 82 kilometers away from Estepona.
How much is a taxi from Malaga airport to Estepona?
The taxi would be 70 euros for 4 person car and 90 euros for a bigger car like a minivan. The prices will vary depending on the season, pick-up time and the company uses.
How to get from Malaga airport to Estepona?
There are three options to get from Malaga airport to Estepona – by a car (approximately 1 hour journey), by a taxi (around 70 euros) and by train/bus – taking a train to Fuengirola or Malaga and taking a bus towards Estepona from there.
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