San Pedro de Alcántara, which locals simply call San Pedro, is one of the Costa del Sol’s great success stories. Just over two decades ago, this Spanish town was very much smaller than it is today and was separated from the beach by the N340 coastal road and a long stretch of uninhabited ground.
Today it is one of the most popular residential areas of the Marbella municipality, with an array of chic restaurants, bars and boutiques. The N340 (now called the A-7) has disappeared beneath an elegantly designed boulevard with a distinctive landmark – the wavy bridge, as well as play areas for younger children, an open-air amphitheatre for live performances and a selection of gastro bars that are always bustling with customers.
Residential Nueva Alcántara
The land that stretches from the boulevard to the beach is a highly desirable residential area called Nueva Alcántara with a range of property types, from contemporary apartments to townhouses and villas. Amongst this seaside community, you’ll find a number of restaurants that attract visitors from far and wide, including the longstanding favourite of many that is Albert & Simon’s. In the midst of Nueva Alcántara there is an excellent tennis and padel tennis club with a gym. Its bar is an excellent spot from which to watch the various games in play or meet friends for morning coffee. There are two international schools in this zone as well.
The paseo marítimo
The paseo marítimo, or beachside promenade, is one of the coast’s most attractive, and both locals and visitors flock to it for its chiringuitos and restaurants. Guayaba Beach is one of its most popular bars during the summer season and is renowned for its chilled, jazz and Latin American vibe as well as its excellent espetos of grilled sardines. At the other end of the beach there is an amazing choice of restaurants and bars, including the newly opened Marabierta, Nueva Reina and Kala Kahlua, where you can sit right on the edge of the sea and admire the views across the bay.
Eating in town
Central San Pedro, which is the oldest part of the town, has seen many a new bar, bistro, café and restaurant open in recent years. El Vecino and El Marques offer Dutch and Indonesian cuisine, whilst El Almacen provides a delicious selection of modern tapas. Flankers bar is Spanish-owned and a great place to watch football and, of course, rugby. Together with The Hogan Stand, these are two of the best bars for sports enthusiasts, and both serve excellent food as well.
Shopping in San Pedro
San Pedro has all the general shops you could need, including a large post office, several supermarkets, hardware stores, banks and newsagents. There are also chic boutiques on its main thoroughfare Marques del Duero, including Benetton and Ciruela, as well as some excellent shoe shops adding to children’s and baby’s clothes and equipment shops. Besides this, San Pedro also has a number of interior decoration establishments, plus high-end beauty salons and hairdressers.
Overall, San Pedro Alcántara has just about everything you could wish for, including a great weekly market. It is vibrant and cosmopolitan, and a great place to live whatever your age. Take a look at our property portfolio and discover what San Pedro and its residential surroundings have to offer you.