San Pedro de Alcántara is one of the coastal towns in the province of Málaga and belongs to the municipality of Marbella, just 15 kilometres away. In addition, it can be defined as a small urban centre belonging to the well-known city of Málaga that has nothing to do with the way of life of this city.
In the past, this town was heavily dependent on agriculture, with sugar cane as its main crop. Today, residents benefit from many sources of income. With approximately 37,000 inhabitants, San Pedro de Alcántara borders the municipalities of Estepona and Benahavís and the district of Nueva Andalucía. In addition, it is highly urbanized and has a high level of occupation, especially during the summer season, which is distributed throughout the neighborhoods of El Ingenio and El Salto del Agua and by popular urbanizations such as Nueva Alcántara, Las Petunias and Guadalmina.
Climate of San Pedro de Alcántara
San Pedro de Alcántara has a typical Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot, sunny summers. The average annual temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius.
During the winter months (December, January and February), average daytime temperatures range from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius, while nights can be cool, with average temperatures around 8 degrees Celsius. In spring and autumn, temperatures are mild and pleasant, with an average daytime temperature of between 20 and 25 degrees.
During the summer months (June, July, August and September), average daytime temperatures range between 28 and 32 degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees.
In general, San Pedro de Alcántara enjoys a mild and sunny climate all year round, with warm summers and mild winters, making it a popular destination for those seeking pleasant weather.
Beaches in San Pedro de Alcántara
The coastal towns of Malaga are well known for their attractive beaches. In fact, many tourists come to this part of southern Spain to enjoy the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
San Pedro de Alcántara and its surroundings are home to quite a few fantastic beaches. Some of them are:
San Pedro Alcántara Beach
This 1,400-metre long and 35-metre wide beach runs along the coastal part of the city and is one of the most visited in the region. It is mainly made up of a mix of dark gravel and sand. This beach is located in the city centre, so you will find it if you walk through the centre.
In addition, it has free parking, a cafeteria, a restaurant, and access for the disabled, among other tourist services that have earned it the most coveted awards, such as the Blue Flag. The beach of San Pedro de Alcántara is bordered by a pleasant promenade with palm trees and beach bars, inviting you to enjoy a relaxing stroll. However, during the summer season the level of occupancy of the area is high and there are many families who enjoy this beach for its safety and services.
Linda Vista Beach
It is located less than 1 kilometer from Playa San Pedro de Alcántara, and is relatively short, stretching to just 650 meters. There are fewer visitors here compared to the first one we mentioned. This beach is not accessible from a promenade and has no provisions for disabled visitors. However, there are plenty of water sports activities such as windsurfing, cycling, and jet skiing, to name a few.
Nueva Andalucía Beach / El Duque
This 1km long beach is located in the highly commercialised area of Marbella. Unlike the other two beaches mentioned above, this one is mainly made up of dark sand. Like Playa de San Pedro de Alcántara, this place has a high population of visitors.
Other beaches close to this town are Casasola in Estepona, Rio Verde Playa in Marbella and Estepona Playa El Saladillo. We also recommend visiting Funny Beach, a popular theme park in Marbella that is ideal for families.
Gastronomy of San Pedro de Alcántara
Spain offers an incredible combination of flavours, textures and culinary influences. However, in the case of the south, Marbella stands out as one of the epicentres of Andalusian gastronomy. Below, we name its best dishes: ajoblanco, sardine skewers, fried fish, prawns pil pil, anchovies, gazpacho, Malaga salad, among others.
Monuments and places to visit in San Pedro de Alcántara
The local government has done a great job in preserving a good number of monuments and museums in San Pedro Alcántara. The conditions of the historical monuments here are much better compared to those in other coastal towns of Malaga, which have succumbed to the lure of rapid commercialization.
Many coastal towns in the province have experienced rapid economic growth as a result of the increasing popularity of their beaches, which attract tides of visitors each year. Unfortunately, this has also deprived the historic sites of these towns of much-needed attention.
Despite the presence of luxurious districts nearby, such as Marbella, Puerto Banús and the Guadalmina golf course, there are still many historical sites. Here are some of them:
- The Roman Baths of Las Bóvedas: These remnants of ancient Roman baths are located near the Guadalmina River, about 500 meters from the Basílica de Vega del Mar and just 50 meters from an ancient watchtower. The basilica, the watchtower and these baths are substantial evidence that the Romans occupied this region in the past.
- Early Christian Basilica of Vega del Mar: This archaeological find was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century while workers were planting eucalyptus trees. It is one of the oldest basilicas belonging to the first Christians in the area. A necropolis consisting of around 200 tombs was also found in the surrounding area.
- El Trapiche de Guadaiza: widely recognized as the first industrial project in the city of San Pedro Alcántara, this facility used to be a sugar mill.
- El Ingenio Azucarero: known then as El Ingenio, it was a project by the Marquis of Duero to save on the costs of having to transport sugar cane to the mills in Malaga. It opened its doors in 1870 and later included a winery known for producing high-quality muscatel wines.
- The Church: This church was also one of the projects of the Marquis of Duero, and served as the parish church of the city at the time. It was built in 1866 and can be found facing a sprawling city square.
Transport in San Pedro de Alcántara
If you want to come to San Pedro de Alcántara by sea, then the options are Malaga or Cadiz. There is also the nearest marina in Marbella.
If you are taking a flight, the nearest airport would be Malaga. There are also a lot of buses, which will connect you to the main cities in the country, so basically, transportation to our place will not be a hassle.
It is worth noting that the distance to Malaga-Costa del Sol airport is approximately 61 km, and can be reached via the AP-7 toll motorway or the A-7 coastal road. Gibraltar airport is 66 km away.
Infrastructure and houses in San Pedro de Alcántara
There is a public health centre in San Pedro Alcántara and the Costa del Sol General Hospital is 10 minutes away. La Clínica del Río is a private clinic located in the centre of San Pedro Alcántara and works with most insurance companies.
In addition, the town has a good selection of food shops, supermarkets, restaurants, fashion stores, pharmacies, banks, etc. The food market is open every day to offer fresh and seasonal products. The weekly market on Thursdays has a great selection of stalls selling a wide variety of items, from fruit and vegetables to bags and shoes. On the other hand, the Guadalmina Shopping Centre is a local shopping centre offering a wide range of services.
If we talk about housing, buying one in this area will depend on its location, the type of housing and the views it has. Therefore, we will detail the price and the cheapest and cheapest areas by type of housing:
Villas in San Pedro Alcántara
Without a doubt, the most prestigious and charming urbanisation in San Pedro Alcántara is Guadalmina. Located to the west of the town, on the border with the municipality of Estepona, its main attraction and the reason it is so well known are its two 18-hole golf courses.
Prices in Guadalmina Baja start at €2,000,000 for a 5-bedroom villa on a 1,000 m² plot and exceed €11,000,000 for a 6-bedroom villa on a 4,500 m² plot. On the other hand, prices in Guadalmina Alta are significantly lower: the price of a 4-bedroom villa on a 700 m² plot is around €1,200,000. Properties with similar prices to those in Guadalmina Alta can also be found in the Valle del Sol.
At the eastern end of San Pedro lies Cortijo Blanco, an old urbanisation which has seen increasing interest from investors in recent years, leading to a big shift towards modern style villas with high quality construction. The price for a 5 bedroom villa on a plot of 850 m² is €1,500,000. The top price is around €5,500,000 for a 6 bedroom villa on a plot of around 1,000 m².
Close to the centre of San Pedro are Linda Vista Baja and Alta Vista, whose prices are around 1,500,000 euros for a 5-bedroom villa on a plot of almost 600 m².
Contemporary villas have been built between the Boulevard de San Pedro and the beach, with prices ranging from 1,800,000 euros on a 500 m² plot to 2,500,000 euros.
Apartments in San Pedro Alcántara
If you are interested in buying a beachfront apartment in San Pedro, keep in mind that there are not many to choose from, and it is also difficult to find one for sale.
The most affordable apartments are located in the city centre, usually without a garage or communal gardens, and prices reach a maximum of 500,000 euros for a 3-bedroom apartment.
The area between San Pedro Boulevard and the beach has seen a great deal of development, in the form of apartment complexes, some with large, well-kept Andalusian-style gardens and others completely modern. A single-storey 3-bedroom penthouse can be purchased for 465,000 euros or a 7-bedroom triplex on the beachfront for 5,000,000 euros.
Near the beach there is also the possibility of buying a fully renovated 3-bedroom apartment in Cortijo Blanco for €695,000. It is increasingly difficult to find a property for sale in Guadalmina Baja, especially on the beachfront. But you can still buy a 6-bedroom duplex penthouse on 160 m² plus terrace for €485,000.
On the other hand, Guadalmina Alta offers more options. For example, in Campos de Guadalmina, a 3-bedroom penthouse on 215m² plus terrace is priced at €390,000; or in Guadalcantara, a 3-bedroom penthouse with 148m² plus terrace is priced at €425,000 or up to €1,350,000 for a 3-bedroom penthouse with a private pool in an apartment complex.
Semi-detached houses in San Pedro Alcántara
There are several townhouse complexes in San Pedro, some of them well located near the beach such as Los Magnolios, Guadalvillas in San Pedro beach, Las Petunias and Castiglione in San Pedro Este or Guadalmina 23, in Guadalmina Baja.
There are also complexes above the San Pedro boulevard at prices exceeding 600,000 euros. Starting prices are similar in the other areas, although in Guadalmina Baja they can reach up to 2,000,000 euros.
