Benahavis is concealed over the meander of the Gaudalmina
river, at the bottom of its valley, surrounded by mountains which raggedly descend the
highland by Las Apretaderas, Sierra Palmitera and Sierra Bermeja. Formations which
separate the three principal rivers of the municipality: Guadaiza, Guadalmedina and
Guadalmina, to other many valleys which enclose beautiful landscapes. The Guadaiza valley,
which begins on the sides of the Cerro Abanto, in the middle of the Serrania de Ronda,
descends the wooded hillsides which are covered in pines, holm-oaks and cork-oaks, and
although it has recently suffered a devastating fire, it still possesses a great
attractiveness in spots such as the Cerro del Duque, Daidán or Las Máquinas. By the
Madroñal and the Quinta, and after passing a recently built reservoir, the valley comes
out into luxurious urbanizations and golf courses on the Marbella coast.
The second valley of the Guadalmina river, descends in
parallel from the sierras which separate it from the Alto Genal, adding woody areas to the
landscape with pines and cork-oaks, especially in the areas of the Almagelas, Cañada de
la Higuera, and above all, the Coto de la Zagaleta, where they have recently built a golf
course. But the most singular part of this valley are the Angosturas del Guadalmedina near
the town, where the river has cut into the mountain and the water which pours from the
stones, descends among large pools in the popular Charco de las Mozas.
Finally, on the southwest border, is the valley of
Guadalmansa which completes this territory with a landscape of woods such as Hinarro and
Velerín, isolated valleys such as Romera and especially significant reliefs, not only in
Benahavís, but also on the coast, such as the Monte Mayor peak (580 m.)
The southern part of the municipality is being trasformed by
the construction of numerous urbanizations and golf courses. It is now becoming part of
the western region of the Costa del Sol.
The valleys which cross Banahavis from north to south have
been entrances towards the highland all through history, giving these lands a great
strategic importance. The watchtowers which marked the coast line were witnesses to
frequent skirmishes and bloody battles between the Moors and Christians and even between
different Arab dynasties. But long before the Arabs arrived in these lands, Phoenicians,
Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans must have approached them given the closeness to the
coast and the frequent vestiges they left nearby. Nevertheless, the first documentations
belong to the Arab rule. In those times, the origins of the town surge under the
protection of the castle of Montemayor, when the territory belonged to the family Banu
Habis, meaning - sons of the Abbys, - which is where the actual name comes from.
The castle of Montemayor was very important in the defense
system of the Nazari kingdom of Granada, until after the taking of Marbella, this whole
area was conquered by the Catholic kings. Benahavis fell alongside Daiden, which is in the
Guadiza valley, and both were handed in to Juan de Silva, Count of Cifuentes, in 1492 for
his help in conquering Granada. This donation created tension between Benahavís and
Marbella, to which it previously belonged, but in 1572 king Felipe II granted Benahavis
its independence from Marbella.
During the War of Independence, the castle of Montemayor and
the Cerro de Alcuzcuz were scenes of great hostility to Napoleon's troops.
Places to visit
Close to the coastline yet still in the craggy sierra,
Benahavis combines two factors which are common to many villages of the cornice: urban
development in the purest style of white villages on the western coast which wind up the
mountains, and rural landscape in the immediate surroundings with spectacular panoramas.
Among the monumental works in this town are the Castle of
Montemayor, built in the 10th century and of which part of the wall is still conserved and
is in good shape. In the fortified complex it has the Torre de la Reina (Queen’s
tower) which is the most notable as there are still vestiges of what were once lodgings
and a well. In the rest of the municipality there are watchtowers erected in the Nazari
kingdom of Granada as defence barriers, among them the well-conserved Leonera, Daidín,
Campanillas, Tramores and Esteríl, all from medieval times. Montemayor and Daidín were
towns in that era.
In the town centre there are interesting monuments, such as
the parish church of the Virgen del Rosario from the 18th century, but the most important
is a 16th century palace with a small courtyard, built under the canons of Nazarí
architecture.
Outside the town there are various interesting places for
their flora and fauna, such as the straits of the river Guadalmina, the Zagaleta reserve,
the port Capuchino cave, the Charco de las Mozas, the Leche reservoir, the Máquinas and
the Guadalmansa valley.
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