“GOLF IS A FUNDAMENTAL PILLAR OF THE TOURIST OFFER OF BENAHAVÍS”.
Benahavís is proud to be one of the first municipalities in Spain in number of golf courses and the first in golf courses per capita. This coastal town flanked by Marbella and Estepona has many tourist attractions apart from golf, highlighting its great gastronomic offer and its beautiful natural landscapes.
A dozen golf courses have sprouted on Benahavís soil: the three at Villa Padierna Golf (Flamingos, Tramores and Alferini), the two at the La Zagaleta urbanization (La Zagaleta and Los Barrancos), one of the two at Atalaya Golf & Country Club (the New Course; the Old Course is in the municipality of Estepona), La Quinta, Los Arqueros, Marbella Club Golf Resort and El Higueral. In total there are 180 holes for the enjoyment of golf lovers.
One of the many advantages of living in Benahavís is that it is possible to play for free in some golf courses of the municipality thanks to the agreements that the Town Hall made in its day with some golf courses to which municipal land was ceded.
The councilwoman delegate of Tourism and Promotion (also of Education and Culture, Innovation and New Technologies, Communication and Protocol), María Ángeles Mena assures that golf “is one of the fundamental pillars of our tourist offer, although not the only one, since we also have a great gastronomic and nature offer, without forgetting our cultural offer”.
-What type of tourism does the municipality’s wide golf offer attract to Benahavís?
-We have two types of tourism: those who come exclusively to play at any of our courses and residential tourism, who have decided to buy a second home in one of the urbanizations adjacent to the golf courses and spend almost half the year here or settle here permanently when they retire from working life.
-The Benahavís Municipal Golf School has magnificent facilities and is also bearing good fruit in the breeding ground of young golfers….
-From the Town Hall we are very proud of the School in both aspects, as well as of the professional who runs it, Manuel Araujo. There are many children from Benahavís who have learned and continue to learn to play golf thanks to the School, and there are also many who stand out for their good results in competitions, especially Julia López. The golf lessons are included in the sports and cultural activities that, with the Citizen’s Card, we can enjoy for only 48 euros a year.
-Apart from its golf course, Benahavís is also well known for its wide range of restaurants…
-That’s right, and in fact we are known as ‘El Rincón Gastronómico de la Costa del Sol’ (The Gastronomic Corner of the Costa del Sol). We have many restaurants, not only in the town center but throughout the municipality, and it is something that dates back to the 70s, when people came here for the traditional mountain gastronomy and began to open one restaurant after another. The fundamental characteristic is that they all have a very good quality and a very varied gastronomic offer.
-Nature tourism is another of the municipality’s attractions. What does Benahavís offer in this aspect?
-As with golf and gastronomy, nature tourism offers a wide range of options. We have many marked trails and more are being signposted to fully enjoy nature. We are only seven kilometers from the coast (just a few minutes from the A7 highway) and our environment is green, unspoiled and very well cared for.
The so-called residential tourism, with numerous urbanizations, some of them of great luxury and international renown, is another important aspect for the development of Benahavís. What does this type of tourism mean for the municipality?
-Indeed, it is another of the fundamental pillars, since it generates an important wealth for the municipality, but I want to make clear that Benahavís is not only luxury tourism, residential tourism, but it is open to all types of tourism, to any family that comes to spend the day walking in the countryside or to enjoy the activities carried out by the Town Hall from any delegation. Everyone is welcome here.
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