2010 is proving to be a good year for the tourism industry in Estepona. According to the latest figures, from Spain’s National Statistics Institute, hotel occupancy for July increased by 10.12% over the same period last year. Year on year, the number of overnight stays in July, has increased from 115,035 to 124,401 . Interestingly, the majority of the hotel occupancies in Estepona have been foreigners at 70,113 compared to Spanish nationals at 54,284. The number of foreign visitors is in line with the figures of 2005, prompting the Mayor, David Valadez, to say that the initial prospects for this year “have been confirmed.”

Estepona Property Prices Have Fallen 50 percent in the last Two Years. A recent report by Banco Santander has highlighted the fact that property prices in Spain have fallen by over 30% in Spanish cities and over 50% on the Spanish Costas, since their peek to late 2007.

The report will come as no surprise to those living on the Costas. The price drop, especially in Estepona, has been dramatic. The lower Estepona Property prices have already kick-started a wave of new investment within the property market. Long may this continue.

On arrival today, Estepona Town Hall authorized the closure of 45 meters of coastline which faces Hotel Villa Padierna’s beach club for the First Lady and her entourage. Michelle Obama has already stated that it is her intention to fully enjoy the sun and beaches of Estepona.

Many people lined up to meet the First Lady today at the Beach Club Villa Padierna. Although, when the entourage finally arrived it was accompanied by heavy security, making it quite difficult for the some 300 waiting people to get a good view of the first lady.

Costalita beach in Estepona is the nearest beach to the very luxury hotel of Villa Padierna. It is this very hotel that Michelle Obama, the US first lady, will be staying with one of her daughters during her stay on the Costa del Sol. So it is very poor indeed that Estepona Town Hall has decided to start a number of works on the beach at the very same time that Michelle Obama will be staying. Creating a bad image during, what has to be, a very historic and proud event for the town of Estepona.

La Federación de Consumidores y Usuarios Independientes (The Federation of Independent Consumers and Users) has given, for the second time, the Green Flag to Estepona. The Green Flag is awarded based on a number of criteria such as the environmental, consumption and sustainability of waste collection and cleaning, energy consumption and pollution, public participation, water management and environmental commitment.

The President of the Court of Malaga, Francisco Javier Arroyo has admitted that, after looking at the current crime statistics in Estepona, the town would need a total of nine courts to handle the volume of criminal cases that are currently pending in the Estepona judicial district.

According to Arroyo, the high crime level within the Estepona judicial district, has led to “a situation close to chaos,” despite the “efforts of all members of these courts.”

Estepona currently has just five courts and last year they handled 4,800 criminal cases and 16,000 civil penalties.

The incident occurred the night of April 29, when the Servicio Integral de Vigilancia Exterior (SIVE) detected a suspicious boat heading towards the Dos Hermanas beach.

Two tons of hashish were seized and three people arrested by the Guardia Civil.

After observing how the alleged drug traffickers began unloading the packages from the boat and transferring them to a van that was parked nearby, officers decided to intervene and stopped three individuals - two Spanish and one Ukrainian. A total weight of 2010 kilos of hashish was seized.