San Pedro de Alcantara Holidays

San Pedro de Alcantara is a small, relaxed town on Spain’s Costa del Sol. It’s the kind of place where you can hang out with the locals on the church square, wander the narrow streets to check out the shops, bars and restaurants, then pop down to the sandy beach. As for location, you’re close to the glamorous buzz of Puerto Banus and Marbella, but equally near the natural parks of the Sierra de Ronda mountains – a popular spot for hikers and birdwatchers in Andalucia.

The Blue Flag waves proudly along San Pedro’s coastline. There’s a choice of beaches here, all with spotless sands and watersports ranging from pedalos to jet-skis. They’re all linked together by a tree-shaded promenade filled with bars and restaurants. A 10-minute drive gets you to Puerto Banus with its chic beach clubs, while in 20 minutes you can be on Estepona’s Playa del Cristo – the west-facing cove pulls in fantastic sunsets.

You can be in one of Ernest Hemingway’s favourite cities, Ronda, in less than an hour. Coming upon it is a dramatic sight, as it’s split in two by the vertical drop of the El Tajo gorge. One side holds the oldest bullring in Spain, the other is an architectural tapestry of Moorish history – the Arab Baths and Mondragon Palace are must-sees.

There are loads of daytripping options from San Pedro. Within an hour you can be craning your neck at Gibraltar’s rock, padding around Mijas – a button-cute pueblo blanco – or touring the historical town of Ronda. And if you’re up for venturing a bit further afield, Seville, Granada and Morocco are all in reach.