Sunday at noon, Puerto Banús is wall-to-wall Lamborghinis. The rest of Costa del Sol? Empty if you're not looking in the tourist zones, surprisingly, there are so many pleasantly non-touristy places, if you know the pattern.

Mercadillo — street market — runs Sunday mornings in rotation. The functional ones: Fuengirola's Recinto Ferial (08:00-14:00, parking nightmare), Estepona Port (09:00-14:00, manageable), Marbella's Recinto Ferial (second and fourth Sunday, arrive before 10:00).

Fresh produce at half the supermarket price. Kids occupy themselves at nonsense stalls. You've solved lunch ingredients.

Lunch at 14:00, not 13:00. El Gamonal in Estepona (Avenida Juan Carlos I, €12-18 menú del día, high chairs), or El Lago in Marbella (Elviria Hills, €18-25, Sunday paella).

Beach by 15:00. Tourists clear out post-lunch. You get the space.

Coastal run routes without tourists: Estepona westbound past the port (6km, nobody there at 08:00), Marbella's Río Verde walk (park at Aloha Gardens, 8km loop, actual shade).

Three spots: Federal Café in Puerto Banús (empty pre-14:00 Sundays, €3.50 flat white, decent WiFi), Ananda in Marbella Centro (Calle Ancha, back tables, they won't rush you), or stay home—everyone else is at the market.

Lunch at 15:00 when it's cleared out. La Pesquera in Marbella (Avenida del Mar, seafood without theatre), Bodega La Venencia in Marbella (Av. Miguel Cano, vermouth and montaditos, €2.50 per plate).

The kiosco — newsstand — run happens early. UK dailies at: Estepona's Calle Real (three stock them), Cancelada's La Estación, San Pedro's Kiosco Plaza (opens 08:30 Sundays).

Coffee at the same bar weekly. Where the old men will learn your name. Bar El Estrecho in Marbella (C. San Lázaro, 12, 29601 Marbella, €1.50 cortado), or just any chiringuito in San Pedro, 09:30-11:30.

Vermouth at 13:00. Casa Curro in Estepona (Calle Caridad, €2.80, almonds and olives included), Bodega San Bernabe in Marbella (Calle Carlos Mackintosh, €2.50).

Then everyone disappears until 17:00.

These aren't tourism spots. They're how you stop being alone in a beautiful place.

The professionals working from villas are at Federal at 11:00 or specific chiringuitos Saturday evening. You haven't met them because you're trying Google’s highly rated restaurants, which are full of people leaving in three days.

Your kids' classmates' parents are at the Sunday market. You miss the network, attempting "authentic experiences" instead of showing up where families shop.

The people who'd become friends are reading papers at the same bar every Sunday at 09:30. You can't build that from your villa.

Year one: Try everything. Market overwhelms, restaurants are hit-or-miss.

Year two: Find your pattern. Same market stall (they remember you), same lunch spot (they know sparkling, not still), same evening route.

Year three: People nod hello at the market. The restaurant doesn't ask for your order; it just arrives. Sunday is automatic enough that you can think about other things.

What I figured out in month eight, you can skip if you show up where residents actually are.

¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much? (market negotiation expected)

Una mesa para dos, por favor — Table for two, please

La cuenta, cuando pueda — The bill, when you can (never ahora - rude)

Reply SUNDAY with your actual routine. The best ones get featured next week—the ones that help people figure out where locals are, not the aspirational version.

New and Sundays feel aimless? Try one pattern above this week. Market 09:30, lunch 14:00, beach when empty. Repeat until boring. Boring is the goal.

Enjoy the weekend — A. and the always confident WayPoint Sur team

With Waypoint Sur, you can always expect plain-English guidance to land, settle, and thrive on the Costa del Sol—work, schools, healthcare, visas, taxes, home, and daily life.  
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