Manilva

Manilva Villa Costa del Sol, Andalucia Spain  © Michelle Chaplow
The white village of Manilva has beautiful scenery, vineyards, beaches and lots of interesting corners to discover.

Manilva

One of the most charming aspects of Manilva is that, despite its prime location on the coast, there is a refreshing lack of anonymous sky-scraper construction. Therefore, although tourists are just starting to discover the village (with good reason), it remains intrinsically Spanish. The majority of residents live in the commercial centre which covers just two square kilometers.

Main Sights in Manilva

Within the municipality of Manilva there are several communities. The white village of Manilva itself is located a few kilometers inland from the little fishing village on the coast known as San Luis de Sabinillas or just Sabinillas for short. To the west of Sabinillas there is a quiet yachting marina called Puerto Duquesa with its surrounding residential area and golf course. To the west again is another small fishing hamlet called Castillo de la Duquesa after the castle still found there. West along the coast there are various housing developments as far as Punta Chullera.

The municipality covers an area of 35 square kilometers. There are about 17,000 full time residents and a further 14,000 who reside here on a temporary basis or have holiday homes. The economy of Manilva is based on agriculture and fishing and, more recently, tourism.

The area's agriculture mainly consists of crops grown near the river bed and valleys. The river Manilva is the eastern boundary of the municipality. Grapes consist of a large proportion of the crop - used for the well-known locally produced sweet wines. Some of the finest, grapes, red peppers and garlics are all home grown in this quaint village and are often for sale in roadside stalls, direct from the farmers.

History of Manilva

The town has a fascinating history which dates back to Roman times and still today there are some remarkably well-preserved Roman Sulphur baths and an Aqueduct. The Moors who favoured this location left and the town gradually faded away. In the 16th century the towns of Malaga, Marbella and Ronda were concerned that the coastline to the south of them was unprotected so they offered free land to poorer peasants in the north of Spain. There had to be a catch, indeed there was. Their area was still subject to raids from Moorish and Turkish pirates. To give the new arrivals a fighting chance of surviving a village was sited on a small hill 3km inland.

Directions to Manilva

Because it is simple and unpretentious, Manilva is often overlooked. Although a healthy growing village tourists tend to give it a miss as they rush south on the coast road which does not pass through the village.

To reach the village turn off the A7 (N340) at km 145 on to the A377 in the village of San Luis de Sabinillas. Only 300m on the left hand side notice the municipal tourist office is located in the quaint Villa Matilde, (Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 15.00) and flanked with tall palm trees.

There are many opportunities in the Autumn to buy grapes or raisins by the roadside. On any day you can stop on the bend up to the village to buy some of the best fresh vegetables in the area from the local co-operatives. Look out for the sign "Verduras Pascual".

When you reach the village at the top of the hill park the car and saunter on into the pedestrianised main street, Calle Mar and visit the recently reformed Plaza de la Vendimia where the blessed grapes are trodden as part of the annual festival the first week in September. 

If you approach from the Toll Motorway junction or Gaucin to the north, your entrance is dilapidated to say the least. Keep one eye on the road and the other on the magnificent view whilst you skirt round the village to park you car on the far side.

If the summer sun is too hot sit down on a bench in the shade and watch the world go by. Otherwise pass the Town Hall on the left hand side and turn left down Calle Inglesia. Pass the Casa de la Cultura which may feature an exhibition. Continue to the parish church of Santa Ana.

There are several festivals throughout the year in Manilva. ©Michelle Chaplow
There are several festivals throughout the year in Manilva.


See Sabinillas Festivals page.

Festivals

CAR HIRE

Hire a car is best way to get around! Travel with ease and enjoy the beautiful views! Consult our general Car Hire page for the best deals within Andalucia. 

The Church of Santa Ana

The most conspicuous feature of the village is the church and its adjoining cemetery. The parish church is old, but not ancient, having been build in the 18th century. There is nothing particularly distinctive about it, and it has little of interest in the way of adornment or decoration. It is simply a good solid place of communal worship, functional without being flamboyant. It has three naves separated by arches, and having said that all but a Tolstoy has exhausted the well of description. Immediately alongside is a typical Spanish cemetery, with rows of clean, well kept, above-ground tombs. Even the oldest is comparatively recent - dating only from 1877 - and apart from a couple more from the 1890s, they seem exclusively from the twentieth century. What attracts the attention of the foreign visitor however, is the comparative abundance of English names from the late 1980s and 1990s.

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Property for Sale in Duquesa

Apartments for Sale

ALQUILER 3 DORMITORIOS CON JARDIN

1,600
EUR

LONG TERM RENTAL, MINIMUM ONE YEAR. MAGNIFICENT GROUND FLOOR APARTMENT WITH 3 BEDROOMS, WITH GARDEN AND FIREPLACE, Located in Manilva Costa, in an area currently under development, with luxury developments, golf courses, located within a private complex, 10 MIN walk to BEAUTIFUL BEACHES OF FINE SAND.

Bajo dos Dormitorios en Manilva

165,000
EUR

FANTASTIC GROUNDFLOOR APARTMENT, located 3 minutes walk from the virgin beaches of Manilva, ONLY 50M FROM THE BEACH. It is in a quiet area close to supermarkets, shops and amenities of the area, public transport, restaurants, as well as with direct exit to the A7, just 15 minutes from Gibraltar and 5 minutes from the port of La Duquesa.

Bonito apartamento con amplia terraza en Princesa Kristina

215,000
EUR

MAGNIFICENT MIDDLE FLOOR APARTMENT WITH LARGE TERRACE AND PANORAMIC SEA AND COUNTRY VIEWS. Located in a quiet and well-kept urbanization in the Puerto de la Duquesa area, in Manilva, with large green areas and a beautiful community pool, 200 m from the beach. Estepona 8 min by car and the famous Puerto de la Duquesa 5 min. . It is ideal for families or vacation spot.

Apartamento en venta en manilva de 124 m2

238,000
EUR

APARTMENT 150M FROM MANILVA BEACHES, brand new with fantastic value for money. Gibraltar airport is a 35 minute drive away, and Malaga international airport is an hour's drive along the AP-7. If it's a great location you're looking for, you can't do better; look no further for a stylish 3 bedroom 2 bathroom property in the middle of Manilva close to all amenities.

Villas for Sale

PRECIOSA FINCA EN UN ENCLAVE ÚNICO DE GRAN RECONOCIMIENTO MONUMENTAL, Casares Malaga.

1,375,000
EUR

Magnificent villa located in Casares, in a unique architectural space, surrounded by the tranquillity of nature and the imposing presence of the Roman baths considered a World Heritage Site. This spectacular property has five large bedrooms, offering ample space to accommodate you and your loved ones in total comfort.

Villa

7,000
EUR

Beautiful villa in one of the best areas of Manilva - La Paloma. The house is built on 2 floors plus the basement and has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. On the ground floor you will find a spacious double-height entrance hall, spacious living room with dining room and an open-plan kitchen.

Villa

7,000
EUR

Beautiful villa in one of the best areas of Manilva - La Paloma. The house is built on 2 floors plus the basement and has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. On the ground floor you will find a spacious double-height entrance hall, spacious living room with dining room and an open-plan kitchen.

Bonita Casa Independiente en Los Hidalgos

349,000
EUR

EXCLUSIVITY from MARCO PROPERTIES, This villa of beautifull style, enjoys a SUPER LOCATION in the area of LA DUQUESA. Only 2 minutes walk from all kind of ammenities, health center, supermarket and restaruants, 3 minutes walk from magnificent beaches, and the atractive and famous La Duquesa marina in just 5 minutes walk. The town of Sabinllas in only 1Km, away.

Bonita Casa con jardín y piscina privada en Hacienda Guadalupe

389,000
EUR

Comfortable detached villa, all distributed on one level. Located in the area of Puerto de la Duquesa, only 3Kms from the port and 4Kms from Sabinillas, places where you can find all kind of shops and leisure facilities. Just a short walk to the magnificent beaches (5min). South and east facing. With an easy maintenance garden and large swimming pool.

Villa en La Paloma

2,750,000
EUR

SPECTACULAR MODERN VILLA WITH IMPRESSIVE SEA VIEWS, built with the highest quality materials, is distributed over 3 floors, all bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms and have large windows that open out to fantastic terraces and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

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