Casa de las Tejerinas — Attraction in Estepona

A beautiful 18th-century house in the main square of Estepona - the one with the elephant statue outside. An unexpected treat to find somewhere like this in what has been just a fishing village.

The house of the Tejerinas is named after two sisters who were born, lived and died (but never married) in this house. It is what the Spanish call a "palacete". Not actually a palace, rather a large smart residence. The sisters - Francisca (Paca) and Carmen, were born in the mid 19th century, 100 years after the house in its present form was built, taking in a much older building.

At that time the Plaza de las Flores (then called the Plaza de la Constitución), was not only the physical centre of the little town of Estepona, but the centre of its social life with the daily market installed in part of it, bullfights held here, and elegant parties hosted by the Tejerina sisters.

On the death of the surviving sister, Paca, the house was willed for use as a hospital, run by nuns. It was subsequently taken over by the Town Council and has been an Adult Training Centre and a Cultural Centre.

Currently it is the Tourist Office - they are very helpful and has good stocks of maps and leaflets - and an excellent art gallery. The exhibitions change regularly, and it's worth checking back on a second visit as it may well be something new.

But another very good reason to go to the Casa de las Tejerinas is for the building itself. Like the Casa del Aljibe (now housing the Museo Arqueológico - go and see it), it is a typical example of a gentleman's residence in the 18th-19th century. You start with a large entrance porch, called a Zaguan. Traditionally these have been considered part of the street rather than the house, and so in the past beggars or vendors might set up there, and people had no compunction about sheltering inside out of the occasional winter rainstorm.

The Zaguan always leads to a central patio, here we have a very beautiful example, with arches both at ground level and on the first floor balcony.

This balcony is in fact the corridor giving access to the rooms at that level; a handsome staircase leads up to them.

Do go in and see this lovely building, whether or not you have time to visit the art exhibition or the...

Typical rich man's house of the 19th century. The poor people lived in what are nowadays the pretty flower-decked streets of Estepona, so it is interesting to see the equivalent of the Squire's manor house here, with its attractive central patio. You can walk in to have a look at the architecture and visit the rotating art exhibition at the same time. Also the...

La Casa de las Tejerinas es un edificio histórico fascinante situado en pleno corazón de Estepona. Su fachada tradicional andaluza y su arquitectura bien conservada reflejan la rica historia del municipio. El interior alberga una oficina de turismo muy útil donde se puede obtener información sobre la ciudad, mapas y folletos informativos. El personal es amable y ofrece recomendaciones valiosas para los visitantes. También funciona como puesto de la Policía Local, lo que le da un carácter único. La ubicación en la Plaza de las Flores es ideal para comenzar un recorrido turístico por el casco antiguo. Es una visita recomendable para conocer más...