Estepona is preparing for the traditional San Isidro festival on Friday. Visitors to Estepona and local residents will be able to enjoy a full day of agricultural heritage and community spirit as Estepona honours its patron saint on Friday, May 15.

Local holiday brings closures across town

On the Costa del Sol, May 15 counts as a public holiday exclusively in Estepona. Banks, schools and many public services, as well as many shops will stay closed for the day so everyone can join the festivities without work pressures.

Procession features decorated floats and traditional attire

Many of the ‘Esteponeros’ will be wearing classic country outfits with checked fabrics and floral details during the main procession. Organisers start this popular event from Iglesia de San José in the old town. Farm vehicles, tractors and ox-drawn carts covered in flowers, leaves and fresh produce tend to fill the streets for around two and a half hours. Crowds line the route to cheer the image of San Isidro Labrador as it passes.

Romería and fairground attractions bring the family fun

Earlier activities included a lively romería in Los Pedregales park with music and shared meals. On the main day families head to the recinto ferial for rides, horse displays and skill competitions. Live performances and dancing will create a full community party atmosphere from afternoon into evening.

Sopa campera and local dishes dominate menus

Food stalls and casetas (marquees) will be serving rustic favourites such as sopa campera, fried fish and fresh bread. Diners should note that restaurants will undoubtedly require reservations for lunch because demand will be peaking on this special day as many extended families come together.

Event draws thousands of revellers to old town centre

Decorations with ferns, palm leaves and flower pots will transform the casco antiguo into a festive rural scene. Gigantes y cabezudos, giant characters with huge heads, will be there to entertain younger visitors at the start of processions. This celebration keeps Estepona’s farming roots alive and offers an authentic experience for those looking for genuine Andalucian traditions.

Scottish author Irvine Welsh broke the ice at Malaga’s 55th Book Fair with a self-deprecating opener, “My Spanish is very bad, sorry!” before launching into a world-premiere presentation of his new novel, Men in Love, the long-awaited sequel to Trainspotting. It was a disarming opening from a writer whose work has never shied away from brutal honesty.

Renton, Spud and Begbie are back now chasing love

Set in the late 1980s during the closing years of Thatcher’s Britain, Men in Love reunites Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie as they leave heroin behind and go their separate ways after a drug deal goes wrong. Welsh described it as focusing on a “transitional” period for the characters in their mid-twenties, a time when men start to become “serious in their quest for romance” and begin to believe in their own mortality for the first time. True to form, Welsh returns to his trademark raw style and street language to show their plunge into early adulthood.

Malaga readers ahead of the rest of Spain

In a genuine coup for book fair attendees, copies of the novel were already available to purchase at the fair before its official release in Spanish bookshops on May 13. Welsh appeared with editor and translator Carlos Pranger at the Eduardo Ocon venue, pulling in a full house eager to hear him speak.

AI, phones and why he wouldn’t want to be 20 again

Welsh did not limit himself to talking about fiction. He described artificial intelligence as “a machine that tells you what to think and say,” arguing that it strips people of context, and made a robust case for reading and study as the route to deeper knowledge. Asked whether he would want to relive his youth in today’s world, his answer was unequivocal. “I wouldn’t want to be 20 again because there’s so little freedom,” he said. 

The biggest edition of the Malaga book fair

Now in its 55th edition, the Malaga Book Fair has grown to 71 stalls,  nearly 10 per cent more than last year, making it the most expansive in its history. 

Men in Love from Irvine Welsh is on sale in Spain from May 13.