Trick or Treat on the Costa
Signal: Estepona's family boom shows its hand
If you live west of Marbella, this week's numbers tell the story—two new private-school wings opened near Jardín de Estepona, and a third campus is already mapped for 2027.
Why it matters: Long-stay remote families are replacing short-term renters. Schools, cafés, and sports clubs are adapting fast.
What's next: The education department projects a 14% increase in enrollment by spring. Parents can preregister interest at estepona.es/education.
Lunch worth taking the afternoon off for
La Bodega Del Cantinero, San Pedro, C. Andalucía, 10, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga, Spain — corner table calm, €12-15 menú del día, and a wine list that doesn't need explaining. The lunch crowd skews local: gestores on their break, shopkeepers, the occasional lawyer.
Go around 14:00 if you want to be quiet. By 14:30, it fills with regulars who've been coming for years.
Order this: Whatever the daily special is—the kitchen runs traditional Andalusian, the portions are serious, and the postre — dessert — is usually homemade flan or tarta de queso — cheesecake. Ask for the house red if you're staying; it's better than it needs to be.
Worth knowing: Closed Sundays. Cash preferred, but cards accepted. Parking tight—try the side streets off Avenida del Mediterráneo..
Quick Hits
Benahavís bypass: Lane closures Friday 9–12 a.m.; alternate via A-7175 if heading inland.
La Cala zoning: Mixed-use permits now cover rooftop terraces—useful if you're watching café expansions or considering commercial property.
Water watch: Desalination output up 8% since October rains. Pool refills resume next week across most urbanizaciones.
Weekend plan: Ojén's Fiesta de la Castaña — chestnut festival — music, roasted chestnuts, mountain wine. Sunset around 7 p.m., parking tight after 6:30.
Halloween logistics: International schools treat this like a national holiday—costume parades, pumpkin carving, and parent volunteers were needed by Tuesday. Spanish neighbors will politely pretend it's not happening. Mercadona candy aisles were empty by Monday afternoon. Other expat parents know the drill.
Spanish-lite 🇪🇸
This week: Sobremesa — the long conversation after a meal when nobody's in a hurry to leave
The reason Spanish lunch reservations run past 4 p.m. Factor it in when booking your afternoon.
The Black Book 📓
We're curating our next batch of vetted locals—builders, gestores, visa lawyers, bilingual tutors, gardeners who show up.
Your input: If you've found someone you'd actually recommend to a friend, reply with their name, town, and what they do well. Featured providers will be dropping soon in our Insider List.
What we verify: Licensing, insurance, references, and responsiveness. No kickbacks, no pay-to-play. Just signal.
A Quick Note: After eight years splitting time between the US and the Costa, I got tired of watching capable people waste months on bad advice and expensive mistakes. WaypointSur is the vetted intelligence I wish existed when I moved—built for professionals who value their time over free Facebook groups. We're in the early days, but we're building something better.
Reply with your neighbourhood and we’ll prioritize it next week.
Plain‑English guidance to land, settle, and thrive on Spain’s Costa del Sol—homes, schools, healthcare, visas, taxes, work, and daily life.💛
As always, see you on the paseo,
- A. and the slightly sober WayPoint Sur Team
Made Mostly Under the Costa Del Sol Sun.
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