Golf lovers don’t live by golf alone… but almost. The golfer also has time to enjoy nature in capital letters and to delight his palate with the most exquisite gastronomy. A tourist destination that brings together these three ingredients and knows how to combine them to perfection is Benahavís, the Costa del Sol municipality. This Andalusian town has become the third in Spain (only surpassed by neighboring Marbella and Mijas) with the largest number of golf courses.
Benahavís has become the third town in Spain (only surpassed by Marbella and Mijas) with the largest number of golf courses. This Malaga municipality, small in population (around 7.400 inhabitants by right, almost half of them foreigners) and large in extension (145 square kilometers), has a dozen courses -198 holes in total- distributed among 8 clubs: Villa Padierna (54 holes: Flamingos, Alferini and Tramores), La Quinta (27), La Zagaleta (36: Old and New Course), Atalaya (only the New Course, of 18, which has a part in the municipality), Marbella Club (18), Los Arqueros (18) and El Higueral (9 with pwlanes to expand to 18. There is another course, Monte Mayor, with 18 holes, but it has been closed for some years now, although there are prospects of reopening in the medium term.
To this wide range of golfing opportunities must be added the Municipal Golf Academy, located next to the town center and attached to the four-star Gran Hotel Benahavís, which has a splendid driving range, complemented by a large bunker, approach area and putting green. Julia López Ramírez, who is shining at the highest international level, is one of the most talented young golfers who have been trained at this school.
The quality of its golf courses is indisputable, and among the renowned designers who have left their mark on Benahavís golf courses are Severiano Ballesteros (Los Arqueros), Manuel Piñero (La Quinta) and Dave Thomas (Marbella Club Golf Resort).
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INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
In the sports field, it is worth mentioning the celebration of important international tournaments, both amateur and professional, in this Costa del Sol municipality. For example, La Quinta has hosted several editions of the Benahavís Senior Masters, of the European Senior Circuit, which attracted famous players over 50 years old to this municipality. This course also hosted two editions of the Open de España Femenino (2011 and 2018), a tournament of the European Women’s Tour that has also been played at Villa Padierna Golf Club, specifically at the Flamingos (2010) and Alferini (2022) courses. This well-known resort, which includes the luxurious hotel where Michelle Obama and one of her daughters spent a few days of vacation, also hosted for several years the final tournament of the European Senior Tour, The Daily Telegraph European Seniors Match Play Championship.
This beautiful mountain town, whose pretty town center of white houses is located just 7 kilometers from the coast, is also known as the Dining Room of the Costa del Sol.
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GASTRONOMIC TRADITION
Those who enjoy good food will surely enjoy the well-known gastronomic tradition of Benahavís. And is that, as here, you eat in very few places, for its exquisite and varied cuisine, as well as for its wide range of restaurants and bars.
The gastronomic tradition of Benahavís has been recognized since the 70’s and is based on its traditional cuisine based on pork and game products, later introducing international cuisine.
The most typical dish in Benahavís is the seasoned pork tenderloin, along with lamb, venison, rabbit, partridge and suckling pig.
Benahavís also has a renowned hotel school, the Escuela Hispanoárabe de Dieta Mediterránea.
The golf courses have clubhouses with international cuisine, and in the restaurants of the village you can taste the typical dishes of Benahavís and also delicacies from the sea, due to its proximity to the coast. In addition the visitor will enjoy a pleasant tapas in bars and bodeguitas that abound in the village.
The urban center retains some features of its Arab origin in the style of the white villages, which contrasts with the colorful mountains that surround it. As monuments of interest include the Castle of Montemayor and an ancient palace of the sixteenth century.
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NATURAL AREAS
Its privileged location, surrounded by peaks, on the slopes of the Sierra de las Nieves, in the foothills of the Serrania de Ronda and a few kilometers from Marbella and Estepona, municipalities with which it borders, make Benahavís a real natural and tourist treasure. From its mountains you can see spectacular and very wide views of the coast. Three rivers run through the municipality: the Guadalmina, the Guadalmansa and the Guadaiza.
The landscape of Benahavís is very picturesque. From the main road, at the height of the municipality of Estepona, you access the main road to Benahavís. Immediately the terrain rises and the first foothills of the mountains appear. The Guadalmina river fits into the terrain forming a canyon. High peaks can be seen on both sides.
The road sticks to the left bank, and to the right and below there is a stretch of river known as Las Angosturas – because of the narrowness of the gorge – which is one of the most beautiful landscapes of Benahavís. Here is the Charca de las Mozas, a hole in the river bed. The Junta de Andalucía has declared this area a Natural Monument.
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