Hotel Don Agustín
Sabinillas (Manilva)
Just to the south west of Estepona, hotel Don Agustín is located directly on the boulevard of the town of Sabinillas.
The hotel is brand-new, features 18 rooms and is certainly not expensive.
We found Hotel Don Agustín to be a comfortable city hotel that is located directly on the beach and apparently that is not a bad formula: two months after it opened it was already fully booked.
It is decorated with beautiful and varying materials, the atmosphere is a combination of classic and trendy.
The rooms have a minimalist design and contain all of the amenities that make life more pleasant; space, freshness, comfortable beds, wi-fi, satellite television.
The hotel does not have its own restaurant, but breakfast is served in restaurant “Azul”, which means blue and lies directly around the corner on the boulevard. Look out from the terrace to the sea and you know why this name has been chosen. Here breakfast is also served; there are worse places on the planet to have your orange juice and toast. Besides that, the restaurant serves rather simple meals. However, you definitely should at least once choose from the huge assortment of Italian ice creams! Furthermore, there are plenty of restaurants in the area.
A fantastic and original hotel, also because at the end of your stay you’ll be happy with the bill.
Cons:
• No swimming pool
• Hotel is located in the middle of the village, so there is street noise
Pros:
• Original formula
• Attractively priced
• Located directly on the beach
• Hotel-owned parking facilities
• Nicely decorated
Hotel Don Agustín
facilities
Hotel
- Hotel has no restaurant. Breakfast (€ 4,50 p.p.) around the corner in restaurant ´Azul´.
- Internet connection in every room (€ 3,-- per day).
- Children are welcome.
- One room with wheelchair access.
- Lift.
- Pets are not welcome.
- The hotel offers a range of different excursions/activities.
- Hotel has its own parking facilities (€ 6,-- per day). Parking is also possible in the street.
- Hotel is situated in the village of Sabinillas, in a street parellel to the beach. Some rooms have seaview.
Rooms
Every room has air conditioning, heating, TV, internet connection and mini-bar.
Fully equiped bathrooms.
The hotel has 18 double rooms.
Hotel Don Agustín
surrounding area
Sabinillas (Manilva)
A Spanish bathing resort with a pretty promenade and beaches.
Active
The hotel can sort out your green fees and golf lessons at several golf courses in the area. There are over 25 golf courses in Marbella and Estepona, and over 40 on the whole Costa del Sol.
Other options include walks, an excursion in a 4x4, treks by bike or on horseback.
Family
A wide choice of beaches makes Sabinillas a suitable destination for families.
Close to Estepona you will find the safari park Selwo Aventura, with about 200 different animal species. Some animals can be seen from a 4x4 safari bus, or you can go on an adventurous walk across the park’s wire bridges (from the higher part of the park down to the bottom).
In Gibraltar (44km; 52min) you can take the cable car from Main Street up to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, where you can mingle with Europe’s last remaining wild monkeys, the tailless Barbary macaques. From Gibraltar you can also take a boat excursion into the bay of Algeciras to spot dolphins.
Nature
Trips by car through the hinterland of the Costa del Sol, to the Pueblos Blancos (white villages), for example, will take you through magnificent landscapes; and apart from that, you can go for walks, bike rides or treks on horseback in the adjacent Sierras.
Beach
There are plenty of wide beaches to choose from for a nice day out.
The following villages/towns in the area are definitely worth a visit:
Estepona (12km; 18min)
Estepona started out as a small fishing village, but has been completely eclipsed by tourism. At first sight, Estepona does not really appeal with its massive coast-hugging hotel blocks and apartment buildings. But behind these temples to mass tourism you will still find everything that makes Spain Spanish: streets lined with orange trees and pretty squares, such as the Plaza Arce and Plaza de las Flores.
Casares (18km; 22min):
Inland, hidden behind the coastal mountain range, there is a white village (pueblo blanco) that is definitely worth a visit: Casares. The drive up to Casares alone (first exit from Estepona), through a beautiful and varied landscape, is already worth it, but Casares’ setting exceeds all expectation. The village was built on top of a spectacular rock formation, surrounded by dramatic gorges. You can park your car at the entrance to the village, and venture into the village, with its narrow and steep streets, by foot. At the village’s highest points sits the old fortress with fine views of the surrounding area. On a clear day you can even see as far as the Rock of Gibraltar and the coast of Morocco.
Castellar de la Frontera (32km; 35min):
Another white village, this time inland from Sotogrande. This mountain village has been a favourite haunt of hippies and artists, and still exudes that atmosphere. Castellar is beautifully situated in the mountains.
Ronda (68km; 1h10min):
Ronda has one of the most spectacular settings in all of Southern Spain. Due to this town’s unassailable location, it was one of the last standing Moorish bastions, which only fell in 1485, when it was conquered by the Christians. The town is split in two by a spectacular gorge, with the southern part being the classic Moorish pueblo blanco with cobblestone streets, small fences in front of the windows and whitewashed walls all around. The new town on the other side of the gorge contains the Plaza de Toros (bull ring), the cradle of bullfighting; it was built in 1785 and is one of Spain’s oldest. The bridge that connects the two parts of Ronda, the Puente Nuevo, spans the 100-metre-deep gorge and has become Ronda’s most famous feature, drawing in millions of visitors every year.
Apart from the Plaza de Toros, the Palacio Mondragón is another important sight; this is a palace decorated with original Moorish mosaics and plastering.
About 15 km outside Ronda you will find caves, the Cueva de la Pileta (near Benaoján), with prehistoric paintings.
And you can, of course, head for one of these world famous cities for a day trip:
Granada (230km; 2h30min):
The Alhambra was the part of town where princes, nobility and court staff dwelled, on the hill right in the middle of Granada. The Alhambra is a huge complex, 720m in length and 220m wide. Clever use of space, light, water and decorative features are the Alhambra’s defining features.
On the hill opposite the Alhambra, the Albayzín quarter, is where Granada’s Moorish past is still most tangible. Stroll through its narrow streets, past villas with Moorish decoration and gardens, up to the Mirador de San Nicolás. This is where you will have the best views, of the roofs of Granada, with the Alhambra behind them, which makes for a stunning view, especially at sunset!
Seville (218km; 2h30min):
The capital of Andalucía is a compact city with a rich past. Most of its major sights are in or near the city centre on the Guadalquivir river’s left bank. And they also know how to party and have a good time in this city of flamenco and tapas.
As you wander through the old Jewish quarter, the Barrio Santa Cruz, through a maze of white streets and patios, you should not forget to take in the imposing cathedral, the Moorish bell tower, La Giralda, and the royal palace Real Alcázar.
You can unwind in the María Luisa park, where you can spend the hottest part of the day under orange trees and palm trees.
The museum Museo de Bellas Artes, one of Spain’s best museums of art, is a real must. And then there are its magnificent palaces and other sights, such as the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza (bull ring); Casa de Pilatos and the Torre del Oro.