Estepona is giving away 350 kilos of sardines at a huge free beach feast

Estepona is getting ready for a special taste of Malaga tradition, with hundreds of kilos of sardines being cooked over wood fires and handed out free this Saturday, September 5.

Free sardines at Estepona fishing port

La Gran Espetada will begin at 8pm at the explanada de los cuartos de armadores beside the breakwater at Estepona Fishing Port. Around 350 kilos of sardines will be prepared traditionally by four award-winning espetero chefs from Malaga province.

Miguel Leon, Alfonso Marin, Miguel Saint and Nicolas Joaquin Gavin have all won prizes in competitions dedicated to the uniquely Malaga art of making espetos. They will skewer the sardines and cook them over firewood on the beach, giving visitors the chance to enjoy one of the Costa del Sol’s best-known culinary traditions without paying a penny.

Estepona Town Hall says the event is intended to recognise the cultural importance of the espeto, a cooking method passed down through generations along the Malaga coast. Sardine espetos are widely regarded as a classic part of Malaga’s coastal food culture, with the fish traditionally threaded onto canes before being grilled over hot coals.

Food, music and a charitable bar

Visitors will not just be turning up for the free sardines. A charity bar offering drinks and other refreshments at popular prices will be run by the Hermandad de Nuestra Señora del Carmen Coronada.

Music will also be part of the evening, with a DJ providing entertainment while the espeteros get through their mountain of sardines.

Anyone hoping to enjoy the free food should bear in mind that supplies are limited to the 350 kilos being prepared for the event.

Estepona’s Gran Espetada is part of the town’s summer cultural programme and offers residents and visitors a chance to enjoy a traditional Malaga food experience beside the fishing port.

For anyone who loves the smell of sardines cooking over an open fire, Saturday night could be one for the diary.