A DOZEN medieval Muslim tombs have been uncovered in Estepona during construction work to revamp the main boulevard.

This discovery shines fresh light on the Costa del Sol’s buried past.

The archeologists found the remains while overseeing redevelopment works in the heart of the town.

Excavations revealed what experts believed to be part of an Islamic necropolis from the late Al-Andalus period, which refers to parts of the Iberian Peninsula under Muslim rule.

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The graves follow Islamic burial rites. That means the bodies were oriented towards Mecca, consistent with medieval Muslim traditions.

Archaeologists say the area was used as a burial ground during Estepona’s medieval past.

Work on the boulevard – which spans the San Lorenzo and Espana avenues – has been adjusted to allow archeologists to document the remains.

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The site had been flagged as archeologically sensitive before construction began, and teams from the City Council’s Historical Heritage Department and the Junta de Andalucia are supervising the works to ensure proper preservation and study.

The discovery adds to evidence from ongoing excavations in Estepona.

Researchers have uncovered the remains of hundreds of individuals from the necropolis of Medina de Estebbuna – Estepona’s name during the period of Muslim rule.

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Estepona’s latest find is part of a wider trend of remarkable archeological discoveries across southern Spain and along the Costa del Sol in recent years.

• In early 2020, up to 90 skeletons were uncovered on the Costa del Sol, believed to be those of Spanish conquistadors, shedding light on the early colonial history of the peninsula.
• That same year, the unearthing of an extensive medieval wall in Malaga during metro works turned into one of Spain’s largest urban archeological projects.
• Excavations have continued to reveal the country’s darker 20th-century history too, with more than a dozen mass graves from the Civil War being opened and studied.
• More ancient still, a Roman necropolis with 54 tombs was found in Antequera, offering rare insight into the region’s Roman past.
• Most recently, in September 2025, archeologists announced the discovery of a 5,000-year-old lost tomb near Teba – one of the biggest archeological finds in Andalusia in decades.

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These and other finds underscore how Spain’s layered history. From ancient Roman and Islamic periods to medieval and modern times, these discoveries continue to resurface beneath town squares, boulevards and rural fields.

Each finding enriches the story of the region and offers residents and visitors new windows into the past.

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