Benahavís

What is Benahavís?

Benahavís is a municipality in the province of Málaga between Marbella and Estepona, with the village inland and a municipal area that runs down to the sea. The centre is a white village wedged between mountains, on the course of the Guadalmina river, known throughout the district as the dining room of the Costa del Sol for the density of restaurants in its streets.

But the Benahavís property market is not in the village but on the hillsides. Many of the best-known estates on the Costa del Sol belong administratively to Benahavís even though their natural access is from Marbella or San Pedro de Alcántara. The distinction matters: it changes the town hall, the local taxes and, often, the price.

Estates in Benahavís

The main estates in the municipality, from most to least exclusive by access control:

• La Zagaleta: around 900 private hectares, two golf courses reserved for residents and members, an equestrian centre, a helipad and permanent security.
• El Madroñal: more than 200 hectares of pine and cork oak above the Ronda road, with entrances staffed around the clock.
• Real de La Quinta: 200 hectares of recent development around a navigable lake of 3.5 hectares.
• La Quinta: a hillside above Nueva Andalucía, with La Quinta Golf & Country Club and its 27 holes.
• Los Flamingos: around the Villa Padierna resort and its three layouts.
• Los Arqueros: around the course designed by Severiano Ballesteros.
• Marbella Club Golf Resort: north of the AP-7, with a Dave Thomas course and stables.
• Monte Halcones and La Heredia: on the Ronda road, above San Pedro.

Each one has its own guide with prices, distances and what is for sale right now.

Golf in Benahavís

Benahavís has more golf per inhabitant than any other municipality on the coast:

• La Quinta Golf & Country Club: 27 holes designed by the Spanish player Manuel Piñero, about seven minutes by car from Puerto Banús.
• Los Arqueros Golf: 18 holes, par 71, designed by Severiano Ballesteros, opened in 1991.
• Villa Padierna Golf Club, at Los Flamingos: three layouts, Flamingos, Alferini and Tramores.
• Marbella Club Golf Resort: 18 holes, par 70, designed by Dave Thomas, with an equestrian centre.
• La Zagaleta: two private 18-hole courses, for residents and members only.

Benahavís village: restaurants and nature

The Benahavís village centre lives on food: its narrow streets hold dozens of restaurants and it is a regular evening destination for those living in Marbella or Estepona. Around the village, the Las Angosturas gorge and the Guadalmina river pools are among the best-known walks in the district, and the Ronda road, the A-397, crosses the municipality and gives access to the upper estates.

It is about seven kilometres from the coast by the San Pedro de Alcántara road, which makes it a mountain village with the beach a quarter of an hour away.

What kind of property do people buy in Benahavís?

Mostly villas on their own plots, almost always with sea views thanks to the terrain, and apartment and townhouse complexes around the golf courses. What people buy is privacy, space and security, in exchange for being ten to twenty minutes from the beach and needing a car for everything.

It is one of the few municipalities in the area where land is still available, so new developments appear regularly, above all in La Quinta, Real de La Quinta and Los Flamingos. In La Zagaleta and El Madroñal, by contrast, what moves is the resale of established villas.

Buying in Benahavís with W Real Estate

In Benahavís access to many estates is controlled, and viewings are arranged in advance. W Real Estate coordinates the viewings, explains the real differences between one estate and another, and lists only reviewed properties. If you are looking in an estate that does not appear in the catalogue, ask us.

Getting to Benahavís

Indicative driving times in normal traffic conditions, not measured.

Property prices in Benahavís

Figures calculated on the 72 properties W Real Estate lists in this area today. They are not whole-market statistics: they are the price of what is available right now.