Casares Costa
A residential coast on Spain's western Costa del Sol, between Estepona and Sotogrande, beneath the white village of Casares.
For buyers who've spent time looking along this coastline, Casares Costa often arrives as a different kind of place. It sits in the stretch of Andalusia where the Costa del Sol begins to open out, past the urban density of Estepona and before the marina concentration of Manilva and the polish of Sotogrande further west. The result is a coast that feels residential rather than commercial, with one of Andalucia's pueblos blancos on the hills above keeping older Spain within easy reach.
This page is our practical guide to what Casares Costa actually offers: the place itself, the lifestyle, the market, and how it compares to the better-known names nearby. From our office in La Duquesa just along the coast, we've watched Casares Costa quietly come into its own.
Coast & Village
Casares Costa is built along its beachfront. Chiringuitos and seasonal restaurants line the shore, opening directly onto the sand and forming the social spine of what's otherwise a residential coastline. It's where mornings start and evenings wind down.
A paved promenade runs along the coast, east toward Estepona and west toward La Duquesa. Playa Ancha is the main beach: over a kilometre long, noticeably wider than the beaches further east, with golden fine sand and a sea quiet enough for paddleboards and kayaks. On a clear day you can see Gibraltar to the south, and the Moroccan coast beyond it.
Inland, the coastal strip climbs into the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja. Above the strip, the white village of Casares clings to its hilltop, one of Andalucia's most photographed pueblos blancos and the historical centre of the municipality. Many of the residential developments sit on the slopes between the coast and the village, giving long views over the sea and the bay.
Climate & Setting
Three hundred and twenty days of sun a year is the headline figure, and it holds up. Summers are warm but moderated by the proximity to the Strait — temperatures rarely match the inland highs you see in Málaga or Seville. Winters are mild enough that the golf courses stay busy year-round and the promenade is in use every day.
The wider setting matters. The Sierra Bermeja rises immediately behind the town, with forest and walking trails accessible within minutes. The vineyards of the Manilva DO are five minutes inland — one of the few wine-producing areas on the Costa del Sol, with several bodegas open to visitors. To the south, the open countryside of the Campo de Gibraltar gives way to the white villages of Cádiz province.
Lifestyle & Amenities
Set between the white village of Casares and the sea, Casares Costa offers the calm of a residential coastline alongside the infrastructure of a mature resort destination.
-
Casares Costa's dining splits cleanly into two tiers. Along the beachfront, chiringuitos and seasonal restaurants serve standard Costa del Sol coast cooking: espetos (sardine skewers), paella, fresh fish at lunchtime, and cold beer or sangria with sand underfoot. At the upper end, the Finca Cortesin estate anchors a higher tier, with the hotel and beach club restaurants drawing diners from across the western Costa del Sol. For everyday Spanish dining, the centres of Estepona and La Duquesa are ten to fifteen minutes either side, with substantially more variety.
-
Cultural life splits between the coast and the village above. The coastal strip has the seasonal rhythm of beachfront concerts, fairs and the annual Casares municipality fiestas. Inland, the white village of Casares hosts cultural events year-round in its historic centre, including flamenco evenings, religious processions in Holy Week, and the village's own festival in early August. Estepona's substantial cultural infrastructure (the Auditorio Felipe VI for theatre and ballet, the mural programme, the old town gallery scene) is fifteen minutes east. For larger international cultural events, Marbella is forty minutes.
-
Casares Costa sits in one of the densest golf zones on the Costa del Sol. Finca Cortesin (host of the 2023 Solheim Cup) is the headline course, with a championship layout, five-star hotel and beach club within the same estate. Doña Julia and Casares Costa Golf are both within the municipality. La Duquesa Golf is five minutes west, Estepona Golf and Valle Romano are ten minutes east, and Atalaya and El Paraíso are within twenty minutes. Six full championship courses sit within a twenty-minute drive, with another seven or eight within thirty.
-
Playa Ancha is the main beach: over a kilometre long, golden sand, noticeably wider than the beaches further east. The water is gentle and there's room to spread out even in August. Playa de la Sal sits at the eastern end with Playa Piedra Paloma just beyond, the latter being one of Andalusia's only officially recognised dog beaches. The continuous paved promenade links the whole stretch and provides easy walking the full length of the coast.
-
Casares Costa has no major hospital within the immediate strip, but three substantial private options sit within fifteen minutes east in Estepona: Hospiten Estepona, Vithas Xanit Estepona, and Clínica del Río. The state Hospital Costa del Sol in Marbella is the regional referral hospital, around thirty minutes east. To the west, St Bernard's Hospital in Gibraltar is around forty minutes. Most international residents register private cover with one of the Estepona hospitals and find day-to-day needs are well served without leaving the area.
From 2027, the Lanserhof Longevity Resort opens at Finca Cortesin, adding one of Europe's leading preventive medicine and longevity destinations to the immediate vicinity.
-
The Marbella corridor includes some of the most established international schools in Spain. Sotogrande International School (IB, ages 3 to 18) is around fifteen minutes west and is the obvious anchor for families considering Casares Costa. Atalaya College, Mayfair International Academy, San Roque International School and the English International College all sit within thirty minutes. Most teach primarily in English, with Spanish as a second language, and several offer British curriculum routes through to A-level or the IB diploma.
-
The AP-7 toll motorway is accessed within five minutes inland, with the parallel A-7 coastal road running directly through. Málaga Airport is around an hour east, Gibraltar Airport thirty to forty minutes west. The AVE high-speed rail at Antequera-Santa Ana is around ninety minutes north, with services to Madrid in two and a half hours. Most residents drive; long-distance bus services run from Sabinillas and Estepona.
10 Things To Do Here
A guide written for residents rather than visitors — the small routines, weekend habits, and excuses to leave the house that come to define life on this stretch of coast.
-
Most days in Casares Costa start the same way: a walk along the promenade, coffee at a chiringuito before the morning gets busy, the sea catching the sun. It's the closest thing to a town square the coastal strip has.
-
The headline golf experience on the western Costa del Sol. Hosted the Solheim Cup in 2023 and has one of the best-conditioned championship layouts in Spain. Visitor green fees are premium, but most serious golfers in Casares Costa get there several times a year regardless.
-
Ten minutes inland and a different version of Andalusia. White houses stacked into the hillside, a hilltop castle ruin, miradors with views back down to the coast and across to Gibraltar. Worth a Sunday lunch and an afternoon wander.
-
Beachfront, feet near the sand, espetos cooking over the fire, fresh fish from that morning. La Sal is the well-known anchor on Playa Ancha; smaller chiringuitos run along the promenade either side. Best done slowly, with no plans for the afternoon.
-
Walk to the sea before 9am from May through October, into water that's never quite as cold as it looks. The early hour means the beach is empty, the chiringuitos are still setting up, and the rest of the day stays open.
-
Drive up through Casares Pueblo and into the Genal Valley — chestnut woodland, twisting roads, and a network of smaller pueblos blancos. Genalguacil, Algatocín and Gaucín are the best-known. Half a day if you want to do it properly.
-
Fifteen minutes east. Whitewashed plazas, the mural programme on the buildings, the daily Mercado de Abastos as a gastronomic hall, restaurants from casual to refined. Easy parking near the bullring and the old town centre on foot from there.
-
The Manilva DO is one of the few wine-producing areas on the Costa del Sol. Several bodegas are open to visitors a short drive west, with the local Moscatel grape as the speciality. A different rhythm from the coast.
-
The mountains rise directly behind the coast, with cork oak forest, the pinsapo (Spanish fir) reserve, and signposted walking trails accessible within minutes. Best from October to May; high summer is too hot for the longer routes.
-
The defining lifestyle move. A long terrace dinner, a glass of wine after the sun's gone, the sound of the sea and not much else. Most residents discover that they don't actually need to fill every evening with activity.
The Property Market
Casares Costa has been one of the steadier new build markets on the western Costa del Sol over the past decade. Entry-level new build apartments start from around €450,000 with most activity up to the €750,000 range for two and three bedroom apartments and townhouses. The Finca Cortesin estate extends the top of the market — luxury villas there regularly transact above €3 million.
Most current activity sits in modern apartment and townhouse developments — gated communities with shared pools and gardens, positioned either close to the beachfront or on the slopes between the coast and the AP-7. Three-bedroom layouts are the default for international buyers. Larger townhouses and detached villas sit in the next tier up, with the genuine luxury market clustered around Finca Cortesin and the hills above the coast.
The buyer profile mirrors the wider western Costa del Sol: British, Scandinavian, Dutch and German clients account for the majority of recent transactions, with a growing French presence and selective US interest at the upper tier. Casares Costa tends to attract buyers who have considered Marbella and Estepona first and want the same lifestyle without the density or the price ceiling. Prices have risen steadily without the volatility of the more central Costa del Sol.
Casares Costa Compared
Versus Marbella.
Marbella sits forty minutes east as the international destination of the Costa del Sol — substantially higher prices, far more density, and the full polish of the established luxury market. Buyers who want concentration of restaurants, shopping and nightlife will find more in Marbella; buyers who want quiet residential living at a lower price point will find more in Casares Costa.
Versus Estepona.
Estepona is ten minutes east, a substantial Spanish town with a working old centre, cultural infrastructure (the Auditorio Felipe VI, the mural programme, year-round restaurants) and entry-level new build pricing around €550,000. Casares Costa is quieter, more residential, and has Estepona's amenities within easy reach without sitting inside the urban density.
For more information on property to buy in Estepona visit our sister-site newbuildestepona.com.
Versus La Duquesa.
La Duquesa sits five minutes west, a walkable marina town with restaurants and bars concentrated around the harbour. Casares Costa is more spread-out and residential, with the pueblo blanco of Casares above and a higher proportion of villas and hillside developments.
For more information on property to buy in La Duquesa visit our sister-site newbuildduquesa.com.
Versus Manilva.
Manilva is ten minutes west, a working coastal municipality covering Sabinillas, the white village of Manilva above, and the vineyards of the Manilva DO between them. Entry-level new build pricing is closer to €280,000 — meaningfully more affordable than Casares Costa. Manilva offers an authentic Spanish working-town character that Casares Costa doesn't have; Casares Costa offers a more residential coastline with Finca Cortesin as its anchor and a buyer profile more aligned with the wider Sotogrande area.
For more information on property to buy in Manilva visit our sister-site newbuildmanilva.com.
Versus Sotogrande.
Sotogrande sits fifteen minutes west, the gated upper-tier residential community of the western Costa del Sol with championship golf, polo, marinas and significantly higher prices throughout. Casares Costa offers a similar quality of surroundings (Finca Cortesin sits within it) without the gated exclusivity or the premium that Sotogrande's name commands.
For more information on property to buy in Sotogrande visit our sister-site newbuildssotogrande.com.
Buyer Profile
Casares Costa tends to attract buyers who've already explored the better-known names along the coast. They're usually mid-career or older, often with grown children or a flexible work setup, looking for somewhere that feels residential rather than touristic. Golf interest is common. Preference for quiet over polish is too. Most are comfortable spending €500,000 to €750,000 on a three-bedroom property with sea views, and want it to be the kind of place they'll actually use throughout the year rather than rent out.
What they're looking for is a coastal home that supports a long life lived well — a beach within walking distance, a golf round when they want one, a village above for Sunday lunches, and access to a working international community without having to live inside it. The pueblo blanco connection matters to many. The Finca Cortesin nameplate matters to some. Walking-distance density matters less than the calm of arriving at a quiet promenade in the morning.
Considering Casares Costa?
KIWII Real Estate has worked extensively in the area since 2021 and maintains a curated selection of the new build developments we consider best-in-class. If you'd like to see what's currently available, view new build properties in Casares Costa. For a conversation about whether Casares Costa is right for you, contact KIWII Real Estate.
Casares Costa, in numbers
Lanserhof is opening in Spain
OPENING IN 2027
The first Lanserhof Longevity Center in Southern Europe will launch on the exclusive grounds of Finca Cortesin. Finca Cortesin is celebrated for its award-winning hospitality and outstanding golf course — a setting that perfectly reflects the Lanserhof philosophy.
A €93 million investment, the state-of-the-art facility spans 23,500 m² and meets the highest sustainability standards. It will feature 71 rooms and suites, premium medical facilities, and cutting-edge technology, delivering Lanserhof's renowned first-class health services to the Costa del Sol.
Key facts at a glance
Site area: 19,800 m²
Building area: 23,500 m²
Number of rooms: 71
Medical facilities area: 2,900 m²
Spa, wellness & movement area: 1,840 m²
Total investment: €93 million
Construction start: Q3 / 2024
Opening: 2027
Begin Your Search
-
Properties
-
Cost Calculator
-
Enquire
The western Costa del Sol, curated by KIWII
KIWII Real Estate curates new build property across the western Costa del Sol — five dedicated microsites for five distinct locations, each chosen and vetted for build quality, licensing transparency, and location. Each a distinct proposition, explore the four other microsites to find your ideal location: