Investment Thesis Q4 2025 № 003

The case for Estepona in 2026.

Why the quiet neighbour to Marbella may be the best yield play on the Costa del Sol.

By Manny Harwil
·
February 25, 2026
·
4 min read

Estepona is not Marbella. For a decade, that was a dismissal. Increasingly, it is the investment case.

Price gap, closing

Equivalent beachfront in Estepona trades at roughly 35-40% discount to Marbella equivalents. Five years ago, the gap was closer to 55%. The gap is closing not because Marbella is weakening but because Estepona is genuinely improving — new infrastructure, a renovated boulevard, serious new residential developments.

Why 2026

Three new hotels open this year. A fourth is under construction. The luxury end of Estepona will not stay "undiscovered" much longer.

About the author

Manny Harwil

Twenty-five years in real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and investments. Previously principal broker based out of Orange County, California. Advises family offices and HNW principals on trophy acquisitions.