Fancy exploring the Mediterranean seabed without booking a diving lesson? Estepona is putting the finishing touches to a museum makeover that will bring you exactly that.
New immersive room recreates the underwater world
Estepona’s Museum of the Sea, housed inside the old bullring, is completing a full renovation that adds a chamber built to recreate a posidonia meadow, the underwater grasslands, also called Neptune grass, that covers stretches of Mediterranean seabed. Screens and interactive resources will let visitors step into the scene, learning how these marine plants support biodiversity, keep coastal waters clear and shield beaches from erosion.
Celebrating fishing and the sea
Three large display cabinets will now house pieces from the Lopez Mateo Collection, rated among Spain’s finest gatherings of navigation and fishing instruments. Bulkier items have been moved to a more spacious area, making exhibits easier to view and the visitor route easier to follow. New large-format panels covering fishing, marine conservation, riverside carpentry, the canning trade and local traditions add further details for your enjoyment. Three short films, screened on a monitor, focus on the Alboran Sea’s biodiversity, traditional boat-building and the festival of the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of sailors and fishermen.
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Estepona’s coastline shelters one of only four posidonia populations found in Malaga province, making its protection a real local priority. These meadows act as nurseries for countless of mini species, lock away carbon and help keep the coast intact, just some of the reasons conservationists rank them among the Mediterranean’s most valuable habitats.
Museum of the Sea first opened in November 2025, built around fisherman and collector Miguel Lopez Mateo’s haul of navigation instruments, nineteenth-century diving gear and fishing tackle. This latest overhaul pushes it further, turning a visit into a journey through Estepona’s maritime past, present and environmental future. Fore more information you can visit the Estepona Town Hall website.