Estepona museum where you can swim through a seagrass meadow without getting your feet wet

Estepona’s Museum of the Sea is set to undergo a transformation, offering visitors a unique experience of swimming through a posidonia meadow without ever getting their feet wet. Located in the former bullring, the museum is completing its renovation to include a chamber designed to replicate these underwater grasslands, also known as Neptune grass.

Screens and interactive resources will transport visitors into this underwater world, educating them on the vital role these marine plants play in supporting biodiversity, maintaining clear coastal waters, and protecting beaches from erosion. Three large display cabinets will showcase items from the esteemed Lopez Mateo Collection, recognized among Spain’s finest assemblages of navigation and fishing tools.

Bigger exhibits have been relocated to a more spacious area, making them easier to view and the visitor journey more seamless. New large-format panels delve into topics such as fishing, marine conservation, riverside carpentry, the canning trade, and local traditions. Three short films screened on a monitor focus on the Alboran Sea’s biodiversity, traditional boat-building, and the Virgen del Carmen festival, a patron saint of sailors and fishermen.

Estepona’s coastline protects one of only four posidonia populations in the Malaga province, underscoring the local priority for their conservation. These underwater meadows serve as nurseries for numerous marine species, sequester carbon, and help maintain the coastline’s integrity, making their protection a priority for conservationists.

The Museum of the Sea opened in November 2025, originally built around the collection of navigation instruments, nineteenth-century diving gear, and fishing tackle amassed by fisherman and collector Miguel Lopez Mateo. This latest renovation enhances the museum, allowing visitors to embark on a journey through Estepona’s maritime history, present, and environmental future.

For further details, visitors can check the Estepona Town Hall website. Local news writer Lucy Ramnought, a UK-based expat living in Costa Del Sol for over four years, brings her expertise in content writing and social media to provide accurate, engaging, and reliable stories for Euro Weekly News readers.