Duquesa - Casares Bahia

Manilva
Manilva is the oldest municipality in the Costa region, established in 1528 when the Duke Carlos V ordered a community to settle there to warn of marauders. The municipality stretches over 7.8km, incorporating the seaside city of Sabinillas and the beautiful and idyllic Puerto de la Duquesa, a cosmopolitan port and resort.

The municipality of Manilva is situated at the far south-western end of the province of Malaga, 97 kilometres from the city of Malaga and 35 from Gibraltar, bordering with the province of Cadiz. It is the meeting point between the Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar. The village itself, situated between the River Manilva and Calataraje stream, is 128 metres above sea level and the mean annual temperature is 18ºC. The surrounding land is hilly, the terrain consisting of terraces that rise up gently from the sea, built on the hills of Peñuela, Estanquillo, Indiano, Alcorrín and Martagina. The town is built on one of these hills, Los Mártires.

This means that the municipality is equipped with facilities for both beach and rural tourism. Manilva currently has 5,192 inhabitants, who live in five separate areas: Manilva, Sabinillas, El Castillo, Hondacavada and El Puerto de la Duquesa, as well as numerous housing developments.The municipality's great fishing tradition is in evidence every day at its wholesale fish market at San Luis de Sabinillas, on the coast, while the area is also marked with natural beauty, from Las Lomas de Miraflores to Don Pedro. Nowadays Manilva's impressive urban growth lives side by side with typical traditions, such as the treading of the grapes in September, announcing the next vintage of muscatel wine.

Duquesa
West of Estepona brings you to Puerto de la Duquesa, described by some as the Costa del Sol’s best kept secret. With easy access to both Malága and Gibraltar airports, its popularity is growing daily. The usual Costa del Sol attractions are all available in Duquesa, from a championship 18 hole golf course to the numerous bars and restaurants in and around the port. As a rule it is better value than the areas East of Estepona and it is home to a close community of ex-pats who share a love of its authentic local character.

Casares
Perched on a hilltop, nudging against the battlements of an Arab castle, lies the picturesque village of Casares - the most photographed in Spain. There are numerous places to visit of historic interest, and Casares has managed to avoid being added to most of the coach tour circuits, ensuring it retains its traditional pace and character. Casares lies between the Ronda highland, the Costa del Sol, and the Campo de Gibraltar. A landscape of red rocks split by deep gorges in the Sierra Bermeja; of forests and circles of pines which have survived fires, and in the shadows climb to the peak to join with Los Reales (1,440 m.).

Further west, the mountainous region is converted into a limestone observation point in Crestellina overlooking the entrance to the Ronda valley of Genal from its peak. There, amid gorges and ridges, lives a colony of tawny vultures. These birds with almost two-metre wingspans, cross the Casares' skies daily, from Crestellina to Utrera, adding another attraction to the area with their magnificence.

Casares is the birthplace of the father of Andalucian nationalism, Blas Infante. Since 1978 the historical and artistic heritage of the village has been officially protected. This is one of those places that can be termed as a "hanging village", as it is suspended on the mountainside 435 metres above sea level. This unique location is complemented with a picturesque and intricate network of steep streets, where cheerful houses with interesting architectural design stand several storeys high on the side of the gorge. These must have involved calculations that would surprise even today's most daring architects, and can be put down solely to human ingenuity during the rich history of this village.