His family was originally from Valencia, his mother was born in Alicante and married Hipólito Casiano Antonio Estala on 10 February 1754.
The paternal grandfather, Joseph Estala Valero, was also Valencia and married La Mancha Maria Josefa Lozano Ruiz de Valdelomar, who was born in Daimiel and was of noble origin; hence Estala often replaced his second surname to Valdelomar.
Estala was probably educated in a school of Escolapios of Madrid.
In 1778 he entered as a professor at the College of San Fernando neighborhood of Lavapiés, where he taught humanities until 1788, when he was appointed professor of rhetoric and Greek in the Council Seminary of San Carlos in Salamanca, during the golden age of Order the Pious Schools, recently restored by Felipe Scio de San Miguel so that the study of classical languages be promoted to replace the expelled Jesuit order in this field.
Contrary to the assertions of Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, claiming there is no evidence that Estala studied philosophy and theology at Salamanca.