70 km by road from Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). To get around the area there is car rental in Marbella, the closest pick-up office.
Benahavís is a white village inland on the western Costa del Sol, between Marbella and Estepona, about 7 km from the sea. Surrounded by mountains and crossed by the river Guadalmina, it is best known for its restaurants, its walks through the river gorge and the Castillo de Montemayor.
Explore the Costa del Sol by car
Pick up your car at Málaga Airport and explore the province at your own pace.
Car rental at Málaga AirportBenahavís is about 80 km from Málaga city, around an hour along the AP-7 or the A-7 and then the A-7175 road. From Málaga Airport it is about 70-75 km. From Marbella and Puerto Banús it takes about 20-25 minutes, so it makes an easy trip if you are staying on the coast.
If you are flying in, you can pick up your rental car at Málaga Airport with Marbesol, with no deposit and all-inclusive rates.
The town council itself promotes Benahavís as “el comedor de Andalucía” (the dining room of Andalusia), because of the number of restaurants packed into such a small village. Its food tradition dates back to the 1970s. The most typical dish is marinated pork tenderloin, and menus always feature lamb, venison, rabbit, partridge, suckling pig, boiled chorizo and oxtail.
Just outside the village, the river Guadalmina narrows into a canyon known as the Angosturas. The Acequias del Guadalmina trail, an easy circular walk of about 4.3 km, follows old irrigation channels of Moorish origin and crosses the canyon on a wooden bridge. For the more adventurous there is also a water route through the Angosturas themselves, about 4.5 km long, for which you need to be able to swim and wear a wetsuit.
Its origins go back to the 10th century, and during the taifa period it was fought over for control of the area. The Torre de la Reina (Queen’s Tower), remains of its rooms, a well and stretches of wall survive. It is reached on foot by a moderate route of about 6.5 km, and from the top you can see more than 100 km of coastline and, on clear days, the coast of Africa.
Several watchtowers survive within the municipality, such as those of La Leonera, Alcuzcuz, Tramores and Daidín. In the village is the church of the Virgen del Rosario, founded in the 18th century. The area around Benahavís is also one of the Costa del Sol’s golf hubs, with around ten courses.
The fair is held around 15 August in honour of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the village’s patron saint, and her romería (country pilgrimage) takes place on 7 October. Holy Week keeps its own traditions, such as the Huerto del Niño and the Easter Sunday encuentro (meeting of the processions).
The origin of the name is unclear: it may come from “Ben Havis”, son of Havis, or from “Ben Habix”. The Castillo de Montemayor already existed in the 10th century. In 1485, when Marbella surrendered to Ferdinand the Catholic, Benahavís, Daidín and Montemayor passed to the Crown of Castile.