Benahavis supplement April 2023, Issue 416

enahavis

LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

Sculpture

FREE tennis, football and golf lessons for kids, plus language, yoga and pilates for adults… is it any wonder Benahavis has seen nearly 30% growth in just over a year?

The statistics for this tiny, privileged enclave, a vulture’s wing flap inland from the Costa del Sol, are nothing short of remarkable.

Long the highest-earning place in Andalucia (with an average earnings of €38,000), its population (of which 65% is foreign) has soared from 7,300 residents to a healthy 9,244 since 2022.

“It’s a massive amount of growth and we are still amazed by it,” explains British expat councillor Scott Marshall, who grew up in Benahavis.

The growth is mostly down to digital nomads and teleworkers looking to live somewhere warm surrounded by nature and open spaces.

And Benahavis really has exactly that and, in particular, now that its nearby hills have been officially designated the Sierra de las Nieves National Park.

Spain’s sixteenth national park, its

soaring peaks are often covered with snow in winter (hence the name), and are some of the most amazing for hiking and bird-watching, with eagles and vultures soaring above with increasing frequency.

Best reached from the Benahavis urbanisation of La Quinta, a three-hour circular walk takes you up to the famous castano santo - holy chestnut tree - that at 1000 years old is said to be the oldest in Malaga province. But there are many other walks right from the village, in particular down into its famous river gorge, where many people combine hiking with swimming, or up towards the stunning country retreat of the wealthy Goldsmith family, where the UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed two years ago.

First revealed by the Olive Press, Johnson had turned up to enjoy what Benahavis offers best: a week of hiking followed by a dabble with a paintbrush out in the open air.

By coincidence his visit came at the same time as Netflix descended on the village to film a couple of scenes from the hit series The Crown.

Renting out a villa in the exclusive enclave of Zagaleta, they portrayed the mid-1990s holiday that Lady Diana took with her friend Jemima Goldsmith at her family estate, Tramores.

The cast and crew were regularly seen around the village, both filming various scenes, as well as enjoying their time off.

Continues on next page

Sitting beside Spain’s newest national park with the highest-earning locals in Andalucia, Benahavis is definitively Andalucia’s dream location and not just for Prime Ministers, writes Jon Clarke

PROTECTED: The new Sierra de las Nieves national park flanks the town, while (inset) it counts on many charming corners

From previous page

ESCAPE FOR PRINCESS DI

“It is the best possible promotion we could have had,” explains Marshall, who’s artist father David moved to Benahavis in the 1970s. Both visits were thanks to the village’s connection to the Goldsmith family, who are heavily focussed on protecting the local environment, in particular planting trees. Benahavis is already one of the greenest places to live in Spain with 75% of its land being protected and non-urbanizable, but now the town hall is slimming down its urban plans, even more.

In total, just 2,500 more homes will be allowed inside its borders, while there are plans to have its own 1,500-pupil school (see page 4).

Finally passed by the Junta, construction will begin later this year and will feature the ‘most impressive outdoor spaces’ in Andalucia. Visitors will be more impressed by the village itself, which is so nicely secluded from the buzzing Costa del Sol, yet only a short 10 to 15 minute drive to the hotspots of Marbella and Estepona. Lungfulls of pure mountain

air are on the house as you huff and puff up the cobbled streets to the top of this beautifully-kept pueblo hung with painted flower pots, and ornamented with stylish street lanterns, fountains and viewpoints, ten to the pound. Keep an eye out for a glimpse of President Putin’s yellow-ochre castle at the top of one nearby hill (not that he is likely to be using it again anytime soon), while I was impressed with the electric car charger points, not to mention innovative bike repair stations around town.

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times, when this former Arabic stronghold was crowned by the 11th Century Montemayor castle, overlooking vast swathes of the Costa del Sol. The village takes its name from Havis, a Moorish prince who ruled from the castle, before his family were finally ousted and the village reconquered by the Catholic monarchs in the late 15th century. It was then that war broke out between Benahavis and

Marbella and raged on for 350 years until the village gained its independence. Near the village are a few things of note. On Sundays there is the flea market set in the feria ground on the way, stalls selling art, clothes, knick knacks and brica-brac as far as the eye can see. It’s well worth a rummage. Water babies meanwhile, will love the Rio Guadalmina gorge, which is one of its coolest natural attractions on the Costa del Sol.

Take a river ramble along its banks, go wild swimming in one of the deep rock pools or

try canyoning along the Canon de Las Angosturas. Not for the faint-hearted, the 50-metre descent starts at Charca de las Mozas - a popular picnic spot south of the water tower roundabout that’s become the unofficial swimming baths. Dive in - there’s no charge!

Parts of the river were chan -

A village stroll is a free history tour taking you back to Moorish times

NUPTIALS: At either chapel or church (below)

CORNUCOPIA: Thousands of second hand items at the weekly flea market

nelled by the Arabs in order to supply nearby farms and orchards. These routes have since been adapted for hiking with the addition of a suspension bridge over the Angosturas canyon, opening up the Sendero Acequia del Guadalmina, an easy family walking route of around four kilometres beside a water-

course dug for the farmers and shady to boot. Finally, there is the Benahavis for foodies.

With over a dozen restaurants and its own cookery school, it is no surprise it has been called the ‘gourmet capital’ of the Costa del Sol. There is certainly healthy competition between the

many restaurants in the heart of the village and each of them vie for your custom with enticing terraces facing out to the nearby hills. While they may not be free for local residents, they are anything but expensive and far better value than their nearby rivals in Marbella or Estepona.

MOST of the population growth in Benahavis over the last half decade has been wealthy pro- fessionals, and the majority come from abroad. Indeed, an incredible 65% of the population is now foreign, with hundreds of digital nomads relocating here from northern Europe and the States over recent years. But there were an incredible 101 nationalities registered on the local padron last year, with the British still the largest, counting for around 50% of the foreigners in the town and approaching 2,000 in number.

As well as the location and natural surroun- dings, foreigners are also drawn to the town’s

Quality not quantity

high-speed fibre optics as well as its excellent sporting facilities, which are mostly free to re- sidents.

So good are the free golf lessons that one youngster to benefit, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 20, has recently moved to Mississippi to compete on the competitive US women’s golf circuit. The town is modernising and upgrading all the facilities all the time and has recently installed a full size running track.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Benahavis Effect

BENAHAVIS is a great place to retire, explains local expat Barry Segal, 76, a former radio DJ. “I call it the Benahavis effect and once you’ve lived here for a year you won’t want to leave.

“The people are so friendly, the climate is perfect and the place is so nice and quiet,” he continues. “Plus it is great all the free Spanish and exercise classes and even trips around Andalucia, one we recently took to Antequera.”

WRITING’S ON THE WALL

FROM five star hotels to celebrities and sporting trophies to staircases, you’ll see the name David Marshall cropping up everywhere.

And that’s all round the world, with hundreds of his stunning, original items having sold in America to Germany and Denmark to Scotland.

Whether it is a bottle rack or a candelabra you’re looking for, or a picture frame or chimney accessory, his gallery in Benahavis stocks the lot.

But where you will most likely see it is on signs for shops, hotels or private homes.

The sand-casted brass and aluminum nameplates can be seen all along the Costa del Sol.

“We’ve been working with hotels like Finca Cortesin for years, not to mention Zagaleta country club,” explains gallery manager Kristi Marshall, 49, who today runs her father’s business.

“We work a lot with architects and do a lot of bespoke home signs,” adds the mother-of-two.

“We also work for Eva Longoria’s Global Gift foundation and do trophies for golf tournaments.” She explains that each item is created in a sandbox, via an ancient Romanian method at foundries in Malaga and Sevilla.

Call 952855192 or visit www.david-marshall.org

for more information

Lessons for all

A new school and a new emergency centre are putting Benahavis firmly on the map

CORNUCOPIA: Mix of items, while stars hold some trophies

PLOT: The 46,000m2 school has its location finalised ‘ instituto ’ will be able to teach 1,500 kids across primary, secondary and sixth form.

IT is set to become one of the most amazing schools in Andalucia.

When open, the new Benahavis

Sitting in an incredible natural location, surrounded by pine trees and with views of the nearby Sierra de las Nieves National Park, it will be an inspirational place to learn.

Expansive

Recently licenced, the public/ private school will be built on a 46,000 metre square plot, which will include expansive sports areas and other recreational space.

“It is being mostly financed by the town hall, like the new Estepona hospital, in order to speed things up,” explains councillor Scott Marshall.

“We envisage it costing around €10m and it will hugely benefit the town.”

In particular local kids will no longer need to be bussed to schools 30 minutes away at Salduba and Guadaiza, although there will be state-of-the-art facilities and smaller class sizes.

“We will have four classes in primary and secondary and three at instituto level, each class with no more than 25 kids,” continues Marshall. In order to reach the school, which sits in its own small valley, the council will be opening a new access road from the Capanes urbanization.

Another exciting opening for the town is the GREA emergency response centre on the Ronda road at Monte Halcones. Under construction for a year, the high-tech centre will be one of three key crisis response centres for Andalucia.

Drones

Kitted out with all the latest monitoring equipment, including drones and satellite communication, its team will be ready to mobilise within an hour. “With the increasing threat of fires due to global warming, as well as a continual risk of flooding, it is a vital and exciting addition to Malaga’s infrastructure,” explains Marshall.

LAUNCH: Malaga diputacion boss Bendodo at GREA centre

HAPPY AND THRIVING: Expats Barry Segal and Scott Marshall

ARMY OF CHEFS

47 Michelin stars to descend on foodie paradise

IT is set to be a busy year for tiny Benahavis with two key events this Spring already set to make national headlines.

The first this month is the prestigious Chefs for Children event, between the Benahavis cookery school and the Anantara Villa Padierna Spa hotel, which will feature the biggest stars of the Spanish gourmet scene.

Aside from a staggering nine three-Michelin starred masters - including Elena Arzak, Eneko Atxa and Angel León - there will be 38 other Michelin-starred chefs, serving up food at a gala event raising money for terminally ill children.

Expanding boundaries

Sponsored by Porsche, Joselito ham and the Diputacion de Malaga, among others, the gala event on April 24 costs €350 a head, but will be a meal to beat all.

The event is in aid of the Pequeno Deseo Foundation, founded in 2000, and the chefs will be holding a series of workshops with 150 local pupils from the Atalaya and Daidin schools.

As well as the kids getting to cook with Spain’s top chefs, they will be able to learn about healthy eating and flavour combinations to take home with them.

Students from the Benahavis cookery school and teachers from Le Cordon Bleu school in Madrid will also help out. In May, the village will also be hosting the popular, national trail bike competition for the first time.

The Campeonato de Espana de Trial will pass through the nearby hills on May 28.

Restaurante Coto in Benahavis: Where the flavours, the architecture and the Andalucian landscape all flow into one incredible experience

ARESERVE - a place set aside where rare and precious things are protected and safeguarded. Restaurante Coto, nestled in the winding and sinuous Carretera de Ronda between La Zagaleta and El Madroñal, certainly lives up to its Spanish name.

A dazzling location overlooking the Andalucian landscape as it flows down into the Mediterranean Sea, the new-

ly refurbished Restaurante Coto is all about flow.

The flavours of the traditional European menu splashed with a modern twist flow into the eclectic and luxurious decor which in turn flows into the landscape. This concept is embodied in the impressive seven-metre-by-three-metre

three-dimensional artwork adorning a side wall created by Osvaldo Lobalzo. And the floor-toceiling glass sliding doors bring diners closer to nature and the mountainous outdoors.

And, in anticipation of long, lingering summer evenings and sunsets, the stunning

views can be enjoyed with a pre-dinner cocktail on the gorgeous roof terrace. Head chef and owner Clive Rogers, who hails from South Africa and trained in high-end hotels and restaurants in Oxfordshire, prides himself on a menu that extends beyond the boundaries of typical Andalucian cuisine.

Each dish is complemented with its own perfect garnish to marry the fresh vegetables to the succulent meat. And the high-quality produce allows the ingredients to just speak for themselves.

For those who wish to splash out, the wine list includes an incredibly rare, one-in-the-world bottle of 1994 Petrus Pomerol Grand Vi.

But Restaurante Coto is not just for highrollers; a meal for two and a bottle of wine can also come in at under €80. Still just a year young, Clive and the team have worked hard to make it one of the leading restaurants in Andalucia. The flow awaits you.

reservations: +34 951 74 47 77 / +34 627 12 14 43

clive@cotorestaurante.com

A unique dining experience in a inspiring location boasting stunning views of the Andalusian landscape all the way down to the Mediterranean Sea

Clive Rogers Head Chef/Owner

SIMPLY STUNNING: Restaurante Coto is stylish and elegant

ROCKY RIVER RAPIDS

The Olive Press walking team takes on the infamous Benahavis river hike

AFTER battling our way down the Rio Guadalmina, forced to leave one of our team behind, we had eventually found what appeared to be a way back to civilisation.

But a series of bent metal steps jutting out of the vertical rock face had never looked less enticing, as I clutched my shaking body and scanned the cliff for an alternative. Two-and-a-half-hours before, four of us had set off just south of Benahavis on the river walk – sometimes called canyoning – with no idea what to expect.

Driving up the valley towards the village gives no indication of the exhilarating, some would say hard-core, experience you are about to have.

Adventure

After parking our car in the village, by the water tower roundabout, we walked down to the river and initially hovered awkwardly around the first pool, uncertain whether we were in the right place.

Finally taking control in true Bear Grylls fashion, amid shouts of ‘It’s not deep enough’ and ‘You’re going to smash head-first into that rock’, I lowered myself onto a slippery waterfall and went plunging into

the murky water below, screaming as I went.

As I resurfaced, shouting my approval while messily ejecting river water from my mouth, the others ditched their fears and bounded down to slide in after me, and that was it, we were off.

A series of open pools, bridged by slippery rocks and feisty little waterfalls took us down deeper into the gorge, until the sun was obscured and the November chill began to take its toll on our exposed torsos. Little frogs and fish bounded around our ankles as we tried to locate a foothold in the riverbed, while an enormous dragonfly sent me crashing when it shocked me into losing all sense of balance.

The rocky path opened up into long, deep stretches of stream that required swimming, and we were soon engulfed in the beautifully peaceful valley.

But when we came upon a pitch black cave that had to be swum through, one of our three began to raise serious questions.

Questions like: ‘Are we sure this is even the right river?’, ‘Is there ever going to be a way out?’ and, most pertinent of all, ‘Are we going to have enough energy to go all the way back up when we eventually decide to turn around?’.

But untroubled by negative mumblings at the back, I surged forward

TAKING A DIP: Adventures on the Benahavis river

through the narrow passageway and emerged clambering over slimy rocks, only to realise I was well and truly alone.

After what seemed like an eternity of unanswered shouts and shivering, I beat a solitary path onwards; confident I would find the end and meet the weaklings in my group back at the car. But at that moment I was overjoyed to hear a clumsy sloshing from behind me, with only one of the team actually going back. And ten minutes later we found ourselves face to face with the ques-

FROM PAST TO PRESENT

Built to support Montemayor castle, Benahavis is still a highly prized location

WITH its lofty position high above the coast, Benahavis has long been one of the most sought after spots on the coast of Andalucia.

Its unobstructed views of over 100 kilometres of coastline and across to Africa were a prime reason why the Moors built a well fortified settlement here.

The town has its origins in the late 11th century, when it formed to support the nearby Castle of Montemayor, which was built about 100 years earlier.

Indeed, the town is named after Havis, the arabic chieftain who built the castle. Ben al Havis is Arabic for ‘son of Havis’.

The castle and town were strategically placed for the battles fought between Andalucia’s Arab kings before it eventually fell into the hands of the Catholic monarchs in 1485, as part of the Spanish Reconquista.

PRESERVED: The Torre de la Leonera

tionable metal ladder, one missed step and we were dead.

So instead of watching my violently shivering companion slip and slide his way up the perilous cliff edge, I got on all fours and improvised, hauling myself up the rock using grubby handholds and tree trunks. Perhaps, in hindsight, canyoning down the river is more of a hot summer’s day activity, and a brilliant one at that.

But even in the winter drizzle, it was a great adventure, and I can’t wait to do it again.

At the time Benahavis was a part of Marbella, but it gained its ‘independence’ in 1572 when King Felipe II granted it a Carta Puebla and it became a town in its own right. It remained strategically important for centuries, with its location allowing for the detection of pirate raids long before boats landed on the shores.

During the Spanish War of Independence (18081814), Montemayor Castle was used by the Spanish troops as a strategic point against Napoleon's army. Located 579 metres above sea level, the ruins of

what was once one of Andalucia’s greatest military gems is still home to some of the most outstanding views of the Costa del Sol. Some of its walls are preserved in good condition as well as the Torre de la Reina, which contains remains of what were once chambers and a well.

Another five towers are still standing that were built to protect the castle and village, with the Torre de la Leonera sitting in a park of the same name perhaps the best preserved. Spanish 20th century historian Antonio Maíz also described an entrance to a subterranean passageway, which is believed to lead all the way to the ruins of La Boveda Roman baths of San Pedro Alcántara. There are tales of treasures hidden in this passage, although none have ever been found.

Pic credit: Wikipedia ZCMarbella

Five towers are still standing that were built to protect the village