El Saladillo - Estepona districts
By Sinéad Mangan-Mc Hale
Saladillo is one of Estepona's easternmost districts. With convenient access to the A-7, it offers easy connections to Estepona's town centre, Puerto Banús, and Marbella. On the beachside, the district borders Costalita to the west and Benamara to the east. A predominantly quiet residential area, Saladillo extends on the west from Calle Sotavento, which borders Costalita, up to on the east, the Arroyo del Saladillo. The name Saladillo, meaning salt, comes from the district’s proximity to ancient salt mines.
Beaches
Visitors can enjoy Playa de Saladillo (Saladillo Beach), which is over three kilometres long and 35 metres wide. It is a nice, dark, sandy family beach with good amenities, including free parking, toilets, and showers, and it is accessible to people with disabilities. The beach is popular with locals and tourists, particularly as there are several beach bars and restaurants close by. It is a good location for snorkelling, scuba diving, and fishing.
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Residential Areas
The Saladillo district is mainly a residential district with privately owned villas, and town houses. There are two urbanisations within the area including Urbanisation El Saladillo and Saladillo Benamara
Places of interest
The Torre de Saladillo, or Saladillo Watchtower, is one of seven towers along the Estepona coastline. Built in the late 15th and 16th centuries to protect against invasions and pirate incursions, the tower stands proudly near Saladillo Beach, accessible from Calle Sotavento. Its conical shape rises to 11 metres, and it is in good condition, showcasing an inner hall, fireplace, brick vault, staircase, and terrace. Whilst it is not open to the public, it is a beautiful landmark to visit while walking the Estepona Senda Litoral and is perfect for photographs. More>
Hotels
While there are no hotels or resorts in this district, many privately owned apartments or villas are available for rent for short—and long-term periods. Several hotels are located in districts alongside Saladillo in both directions.
Restaurants and Beach Bars
Along the coastline, beach bars are popular with locals and tourists. Pepe's Beach Chringuito is located right on Saladillo Beach, just off Calle Sotavento. The restaurant offers refreshments and meals and regularly has live music. In addition, conveniently located just off the A-7 on Avenue Jábega is Restaurant Pancho Villa, a Mexican restaurant. Across the avenue, visitors can enjoy the 3 Monkeys Bar, a gastro-sports bar. There is also Grill Chambao, a steak house within a short distance.
Services
Known for its friendly service, Tienda Supermarket is a small family-owned supermarket that offers a wide range of products and fresh bread. The shop is located mid-way on Avenue Jábega.
There is also a 24-hour petrol station, Gasolinera El Saladillo, just off the A-7 by Calle Traíña, with an Amazon hub counter close by.
Matas Verdes
Matas Verdes, also known as El Saladillo–Matas Verdes, is a protected natural area on the Costa del Sol, renowned for its green landscapes, coastal dunes, and ecological diversity. The ecosystem stretches from Arroyo de la Cabra in the Benamara district, across a mosaic of dunes and green spaces, to the Rio Guadalmina (Guadalmina River) on the eastern edge of Isdabe and Atalaya.
It’s remarkable biodiversity stems from its proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, where Atlantic influences shape dune systems within a Mediterranean setting. Along this stretch, visitors can witness a striking ecological transition: coastal dune vegetation gradually gives way to quejigos (gall oaks), lush cork oak groves, and Mediterranean scrubland, creating a rare and valuable ecological corridor.
Due to urban pressure along Estepona’s coastline, the dune system is fragmented into three sections:
- Eastern sector (Matas Verdes/Casasola dunes): relatively well preserved.
- Western sector (Punta del Saladillo dunes): moderately conserved.
- Central sector (Saladillo beach dunes): the most degraded and threatened.
Despite this fragmentation, the area remains under environmental protection for its distinctive habitats and rare plant species. It sustains a remarkable variety of wildlife, from migratory birds to small mammals and reptiles. Offshore, meadows of marine phanerogams (seagrasses) provide breeding grounds for fish and cephalopods (molluscs with tentacles around the head) such as octopus and cuttlefish, while seabirds and shorebirds (limícolas) thrive along the coast.
This richness of flora and fauna is the reason the European Union designated Matas Verdes as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within its Natura 2000 network, recognising it as an essential refuge for Mediterranean biodiversity.
Neighbouring Districts
The neighbouring district to the west (Estepona) is Costalita
The neighbouring district to the east (Marbella) is Bemamara
