The new buildings
are designed in the traditional style |
Benahavís is one of the most mountainous villages
in the western end of the Costa
del Sol, which accounts for its name, the Moorish origin of which means
³Sons of the Abyss² in English. The municipality extends to 14,575 hectares,
more than seventy percent of this area officially classified as being
of environmental interest. One of the most beautiful parts of the area
is Las Angosturas, rich in wildlife and
vegetation and ideal for rural tourism,
trekking and cycling right through the year. There are, besides, six
golf courses in the municipality, with three more being built, and taking
the large number of sporting facilities in private housing estates in
the area into account, the result is a very
pleasant and entertaining place to spend
a holiday or purchase a second home. The
village itself began life sometime back in the end of the 11th century,
when the Moors established a fortification to
defend themselves against attack on their
western flank. Due to its strategic position, this fortification
played an important role in the different battles between the various
Taifa de Al-Andalus factions. From the castle walls one can see more than
a hundred kilometres of Spanish coastline and the African coastline facing
it. The Christian era began in Benahavís in January of 1485, when Ferdinand
and Isabel entered Marbella to receive Mohammed Abunefa and be given
the keys of the town. Benahavís became independent of Marbella in 1572,
the year King Felipe II awarded it its "Carta Puebla". The castles
of Montemayor and Benahavís played a key
role in the fight against the invading French
in the early 19th century. These days, despite the advent of tourism to
the town, it remains a typical Andalusian mountain village with a rich
historical past.
Places
to be visited
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Torre
de la Reina
La Torre de la Reina (Tower of the Queen) is part of Montemayor
Castle, built in the 10th
century, and still conserves some remains, including an old
well. There are various other towers too in the municipality, all
built for defence. The
best-conserved of these is the Torre de la Leonera, situated
at the access to the Guadalmina river basin. It is believed that
once the main fortification was built,
the defenders established a series of lesser
fortifications all around the town, some of the remains of which
are still visible as sections
of ruined wall close to the urban centre. Another important
tower is the Daidín, named for its cubic shape. It is situated in
the lower part of the Alcuzcuz finca.
In the town itself, of particular architectural
interest is the Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, built
with a single nave and subject to
numerous modifications through the years.
Las Angosturas
This is one of the most beautiful areas around Benahavís, being a
type of narrow canyon carved
out by the centuries of flow from the river Guadalmina. It
has recently been declared a Monument of Natural Interest, having
a great variety of animal and
vegetable wealth. Among the more common animals and birds
to be seen here are rabbits, partridges and other bird species.
One may also see, with luck, a
rare deer species called the Moflón del Atlas in Benahavís,
the only place outside Africa where this animal lives wild. Other
animals here include the deer, fox,
genet and mountain goat. The mountain landscape
is also a perfect habitat for various species of birds of prey.
The region is heavily wooded, with
plenty of oaks, chestnut trees, pines, cork
trees and arbutus, along with the typical Mediterranean herbs like
rock rose, thyme and rosemary.
On the more souther areas of land, closer to the coast,
one can see vineyards, palm trees and cereal plantations. Here too
is the Charca de las Mozas, or
Charca de los Novios, as it is sometimes called, where
the water runs fast and creates whirlpools. Legend has it that a
bride-to-be once bathed here and was
sucked into the whirling waters. Her boyfriend
jumped in to save here and he too was drowned.
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Where
to eat |
Albatros.
Urbanización La Quinta. Tel: 952 783 462.
El Fogón de la Aldea. Urb.La
Aldea. Tel: 952 855 190.
La Cartuja. C/Montemayor. Tel:
952 855 417.
Venta Los Almendros. Ctra. de
Ronda. Tel: 952 786 765.
Los Faroles. Specialising in
meats with pepper. C/Málaga. Tel: 952 855 425.
La Parada. Ctra. Ronda. Tel:
952 787 754.
Rufino. Specialising in meat
and fish. C/Montemayor. Tel: 952 855 262.
Los Abanicos. Specialising in
lamb. C/Málaga. Tel: 952 855 022.
El Mirador. C/Hornos. Tel: 952
855 114.
El Molino. Plaza de la
Iglesia. Tel: 952 855 582.
La Sartén. Avda. de
Andalucía. Tel: 952 855 575.
Alvarez. Cortijo de Torres.
Tel: 952 886 149.
Las Cañas Viejas.
Specialising in lamb and bull¹s tail. Plaza de España. Tel:
952 855 141.
La Escalera. Esp. Specialising
in prawns with tarragon. C/El Almendro. Tel: 952
855 235.
Aquarium. Avda. Andalucía.
Tel: 952 855 267.
Las Cañas de Eugenio. Plaza
de España. Tel: 952 855 261.
El Cepo. C/Málaga. Tel: 952
855 400.
Las Griegas. C/Marbella. Tel:
952 855 427.
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Where
to sleep |
Amanhavis.
C/El Pilar. With a restaurant. Tel: 952 856 026.
Westin La Quinta Golf Resort (5*). Urb.
La Quinta, s/n. Tel: 952 762 000.
Rural
Accommodation in the province of Malaga
(in
Spanish)
|
Internet
Links |
www.benahavis.net.
Page about the municipality in various languages.
|
Parish church in
Benahavís |
FIESTAS
The annual Romería in honour of the
Virgen del Rosario takes place on
October 6th and 7th, when the people of the village accompany the image of
the Virgin along the streets. The festival in honour of the patron saint
takes place in August, beginning with a mass in which various flamenco
groups participate. Another favourite festival in Benahavís is the
Gastronomic Day, celebrated in June and in which the restaurants of the
place offer samples of their best dishes at the entrance to the village.
And
to maintain local culture and tradition, there is a cultural week with
photography, flamenco dancing and singing and other activities and
competitions organised.
GASTRONOY
Benahavís is famous all over the Costa del
Sol for its cuisine, and has a wide
selection of restaurants, some of them among the best in Andalucía. The
selection of food is wide, but the
specialities of the place are pork products,
lamb and game. Steaks are prepared here in many different ways, and
in the local restaurants one can eat a wide variety of meats and fish,
all with one thing in
common: well prepared and well cooked.
SPORT
With six golf courses in the municipality and
three more being built, there is little
doubt about which sport is most popular in this area. Part of the success
of the game of golf in Benahavís is the wonderful landscape surrounding
the courses. The area is also very good for the practice of
trekking and fishing.
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