Manilva Supplement March 2023 Anda Issue 415

Manilva, Sabinillas and Duquesa

ONE BIG FAMILY

AWHIRLWIND tour of Manilva will take you far and wide in just a few square kilometres. You might start by gazing out at luscious yachts bobbing by the glitzy port, or the glistening sea along a peaceful beach trail. And then minutes later you could find yourself among rolling green hills populated by luxury villas, or burgeoning vineyards

around a whitewashed village.

And on your journey you will meet a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life, each with a story to tell.

Manilva officially has the highest percentage of Brits on the padron in Spain, with between a third and a quarter of the 16,000-strong municipality hailing from Blighty.

But it’s not just Brits - foreign, settled residents, many from northern European countries, make up 42% of Manilva’s population.

In spite of these high numbers, Manilva is not simply an expat colony - not at all.

The district has a strong and thriving Spanish culture and community that lives extremely harmoniously and very cordially with their foreign guests.

The locals and the foreigners mix and mingle in the same bars and restaurants and the pitter patter of conversation dances between English and

Spanish - and very often halting Spanglish.

“We come here for the sangria,” Londoner Richie tells the Olive Press in the shade of a Spanish bar near El Castillo, a tiny fishing settlement buzzing with Spaniards and foreigners.

“We go around to all the towns along the Costa del Sol,” his friend Siobhan adds. “We even go as far as Algeciras. I give the sangrias in each place a score out of ten.”

And how much did she give the sangria in El Castillo? “Oh, this is a nine,” she

declares - nowhere gets a ten. “I think it’s the cinnamon. They get it just right.” El Castillo gets its name from the castle that guards its sea walls. Built in 1767 by engineer Miguel del Castillo and builder Jose Vargas, it was financed by Sevilla businessman Francisco Paulino.

The fortification was planned with war against the English in mind, with Gibraltar having fallen to the newly-formed United Kingdom just half a

Continues on Page 2

The booming coastal hotspot of Manilva has delights for all but retains its Spanish flavour, writes Walter Finch

DRAW: Manilva’s St Anne’s and the nearby view

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Wild west

century before.

In its more modern incarnation, as recently as the 1970s the monument was a residence divided into 16 homes for families housing 70 people.

Today it is a tourist attraction in an ideal location, but beware - it doesn’t open on weekends!

Just a short stroll along the beachfront from El Castillo, you will find a port unlike any other port on the Costa del Sol. Puerto de la Duquesa is the only one to face out to sea. From each of the three edges you can gaze out into the Mediterranean. Duquesa is, without a doubt, the thriving coastal jewel in the Manilva crown, benefiting from tourism and buzzing with life.

For most of its history Manilva has been dependent on fishing and agriculture, especially its vineyards and celebrated sweet wines.

But over the last couple of decades, as this little township has welcomed an influx of tourists and development, it has still maintained a peaceful air.

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Telephone: 657 46 6614

Caesar

Though the Brits and the 180-odd other nationalities come from all walks of life and occupations (Ed: some have even set up a newspaper here) they all have something in common.

Like Manilva’s first health tourist, Julius Caesar, who visited the nearby Roman baths around 60BC, it seems that people come here for a temperate life beneath the jaw-dropping mountains, fed by the fruits of the sea.

Bob and Jen from Essex told the Olive Press over Belgian fries that they manage to come to Manilva once a month for as long as ten days a pop.

But they are content with splitting their time in this way, and are not tempted to fully retire to the sun just yet.

Bob, who works in the solar energy business, still has a few more panels to lay in this booming industry before he’s ready to hang up his work belt.

But it is partly due to content second-home expats such as Bob and Jen that the unpretentious Duquesa has undergone such a growth spurt in the last decade - and the expansion doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.

New cafes, bars and restaurants with cuisine from all over the world are springing up as a result of its growing tourism.

Aside from the fantastic prices of homes in the area, the environment is distinctly low rise, largely green and everything is close to the sea.

But when you do venture inland, you will head into wine-making territory. Manilva town, a sleepy, glittering village nestled on a hilltop, is famous for its sweet wine. It, and the process of making it, is something indelibly imprinted on the locals. Even our taxi driver proselytised over the wonders of this wine - although he did advise us not to get through more than one bottle at a time.

When you arrive in the village, you will see that the central Plaza de la Vendimia (Wine harvest square) is adorned with a spectacular mural depicting workers in vineyards. And in the nearby interpretation Centre,

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opened in 2010, you can do vocational courses in wine-making, aimed at inspiring the younger generations and training future professionals.

The locals like to boast that the moscatel de Alejandria is the best table grape in the whole of Spain and that it is specific to Manilva, whose slopes have been continuously planted with vineyards since 1501.

The basic wine made from this grape - the Manilva wine - is known as ‘vino mosto’, and in the olden days, almost the entire town earned a living from it.

The trucks would come from as far as Bilbao to take the grapes and whatever was left would be turned into wine.

BRINGING STABILITY TO MANILVA

IT is the first time in Manilva’s recent history that a mayor’s tenure has not come to a premature end.

And Mario Jimenez’s six-and-a-half years in charge is all the more impressive, given the recent turmoil of Brexit, two years of Covid and the complicated Ukraine crisis. With nine mayors in just over 20 years it is fair to say, continuity has been in short supply.

“What I have brought is stability and seeing projects that often get cancelled through to the end,” he explains.

“I have worked hard to forge a good working relationship with the Junta and Malaga Diputacion and I understand the needs of the large expat population,” he adds. With a new cycle lane and footpath currently being installed between Manilva and Sabinillas and the promenade on its final leg, he has certainly got something to be proud of.

“Yes, the paseo maritimo took a bit longer than planned but it makes the area so much better for locals and particularly tourists,” he insists.

He is also excited about building a new theatre next to the town’s Institute, installing a new swimming pool in Manilva and clearing up the area around the ancient Castillo. The father-of-two is also adamant that he does not want any more development along the town’s eight kilometres of coastline.

“I’m a big fan of green spaces and the fantastic expanse of coastline we have. We are working really hard not to over-develop the coast and have actually dropped density levels since I came to power.”

A former plumber, he went into politics two decades ago as a councillor of sport, youth and infrastructure and knows his town like the back of his hand.

Initially from the IU (United Left) party, he is particularly proud of Manilva’s history.

“The Romans had a key base in Manilva and they made

a lot of their celebrated fish paste Garum here, which was exported back to Rome.

“I am also fascinated by the Fortress of Los Castillejos de Alcorrín, an eighth century castle - and much older settlement - which was only discovered in 1989.” And a message to the huge number of foreigners who live here: “We are very proud that so many foreign residents have chosen Manilva as their home, in particular the British, who number nearly 4,000 on our official census.

“We hope to encourage more.”

Paseo Maritime San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva

Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos de Málaga

Mayor Mario Jimenez Rodriguez is proud of his achievements over the last six years

LOVELY: El Castillo and views to Casares

Almost all of the locals that the Olive Press spoke to could remember back to those days. Most of them had been living in Manilva village all their lives, they all knew each other, and they had done so since childhood.

“This place is one big family,” lifelong resident Eligio told us.

Eligio, who’s sun-beaten blue eyes twinkled as he regaled us with tales of Manilva over two cañitas that he generously bought for us, said he spent most of his free time in the village church.

Nearby, a sign displayed the village motto: Very noble, very loyal.

Then another man who had been listening in walked over to our table, put his hands on Eligio’s shoulders, and told us with all sincerity that our new friend embodied this motto. It turned out that they had known each other since they were kneehigh, and Eligio had even worked for the man’s father.

network of tracks is visible in between, inviting you out to hike, cycle or horse-ride.

Another short walk and a hop and you are down in San Luis de Sabinillas, or just ‘Sabby’ as it is affectionately known to the expats. Like everywhere else on the coast, it too has flourished under tourism in the last decade. But there remains a tangible working atmosphere (it still has a small fishing fleet) and this is still a town where Spanish people enjoy their Spanish lives.

The blue flag beach stretches from Rio Manilva to Duquesa

Further along, and buried in Manilva’s historical heart a short walk from the centre, is St Anne’s church and adjoining cemetery, where Eligio liked to spend his time.

Who he was remembering he did not tell us. Turn a corner and there the 250-year-old church is; striking yet simplistic, bold yet unassuming.

Sauntering through the maze of white houses with their terracotta roofs, every ‘Hola’ from passers-by strengthens the feeling that Manilva is very much Spanish still.

Up on the mountain it is removed from the wave of tourism lapping at the coast. And then there are the postcard views from every direction, white houses spill down into vast vineyards with mountains out behind and the Costa del Sol to the front.

The Pedreta viewpoint delivers a view stretching from the white cluster that is the mountain-clinging Casares village to the coastal hubs of Estepona and Marbella below. A rich

A coastal stroll from Puerto Duquesa, Sabinillas has also become a popular destination for expats.

It is certainly a distinct community with a healthy mix of Spanish, expat English, German, as well as Moroccans and South Americans. It is also a veritable hive of commerce. While it wins no beauty awards, there is a great range of supermarkets and shops in Sabinillas.

‘Wall Street’ is where traditionally all the banks and insurance companies centred and down on the beach there is a great range of bars and restaurants which stretch into the distance on either side.

Back on the blue flag beach, that stretches all the way from Rio Manilva to Puerto Duquesa, fishermen still launch their boats and are often met by waiting restaurateurs upon their return, eagerly awaiting the days catch.

Sabinillas effectively bridges the gap between the multi-cultural, tourism-driven hub of Puerto Duquesa and the withdrawn, tranquil, traditional village of Manilva.

With the right blend of coastal expansion and Spanish tradition, it is easy to see why Manilva is making a name for more than just its wine.

VETTED AND APPROVED

The importance of improved regulation in

Spanish real estate market

BRIAN Berney from C2C Properties is passionate about regulation in the real estate industry and concerned that the vast majority of real estate agents on the Costa del Sol are not members of any professional bodies or affiliated with the Official College of Real Estate Agents. He explains: “Not all agents are registered, as it is not required by law, but we’d highly recommend that buyers take care and make sure they are rep resented by a licenced agent. The Official College of Real Estate Agents protects buyers, as it ensures the agent has civil liability insurance, carries out continuous training and is subject to their Code of Ethics.

Before selecting an agent ask them which associations they are part of, and ask for their membership number to ensure that they are regulated and you are protected.

C2C Properties are regulated by Royal decree 1294/2007 and are members of the API and AIPP. This means that our team are qualified real estate professionals registered with and recognised by the Consejo General de los Colegios Oficiales de Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria de Españathe body which regulates the real estate market in Spain (membership number 29096122107C).

We’re also members of the Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP). As members of the AIPP, we have been vetted and approved, and we have voluntarily committed ourselves to industry regulation. We’re here to help buyers and sellers in Manilva, Sabinillas, Casares and Duquesa with their property journey.”

All about 4 March 2023

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

Sweet taste of success

EVERY September Manilva celebrates its winemaking tradition in a three day harvest festival, with flamenco dancers, brass bands, music and dancing into the early hours in the Plaza de la Vendimia.

The sweet moscatel grapes have been grown in the vast vineyards that surround Manilva since the 16th century and are used to make the aptly named Manilva wine, famous throughout Spain. Although vines have been grown on the sunny slopes of the town

The traditional festival that heralds the first wine of the season

for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, it is fairly recently that wine became one of the area’s main products. Winemaking became the town’s main economic activity after the Spanish Civil War because of its ideally suited climate and soil. The festival was founded in the early 1960s and has become an important part of the local calen-

dar, drawing visitors from across the region to see the winemaking process.

As well as making the sweet dessert wine, the moscatel grapes are also dried on the hillsides to make the famous ‘Malaga raisins’.

The festival has even been declared of Tourist Interest by the Provincial Council of Malaga. During the celebration of the end of the grape harvest, the very first wines produced are presented with tastings handed out of the sweet wine. In the early hours of the morning, a Rocio Mass is celebrated, giving way to the procession of Our Lady of Sorrows through the

village streets. This procession is accompanied by local young women dressed as traditional villagers, who pray for the fields of Manilva to be protected.

In Manilva, it is still customary to step on the grapes for hours on a square surface with a protruding edge and a slight tilt towards the centre of either side. It is through this point that the juice, or must, flows into a well-shaped tank on a lower level. Every year, a resident is honoured to be in charge of treading this fruit. The crowds gather on Calle Mar to witness the grape treading and taste the first wine of the season.

A NEW LEADER PROMISES A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THE PARTIDO POPULAR IN MANILVA

QYou are originally from the North of Spain, what brought you to Manilva?

Andalucia and more specifically Malaga, is a paradise, not only for its sun, sea and climate, but also its people, this is what drew me to leave Asturias in the North West of Spain for Manilva, where I have been welcomed with open arms, and where I run my business in the communications and graphic arts sector.

What have you learned over the years that has prepared you for this role?

My entry into politics is not totally accidental, I have always been linked to politics in Asturias,

An interview with José Manuel Fernández, PP candidate for Manilva, by Gary Beaumont

WITH the local elections looming, Manilva is currently experiencing a resurgence in the fortunes of the town’s centre right Partido Popular.

This is all thanks to the appointment of local businessman, José Manuel Fernández, as the party’s mayoral candidate at the May 28 polls.

For many years, the PP at provincial and regional level have been puzzled as to why, in a municipality that votes 60 to 70% right or centre right at regional or national level, that this hasn’t been reflected at the local elections, concluding that it was more a case of the candidate than the message.

The subsequent search for a viable candidate led the Provincial PP to identify a suitable leader, which led Estepona’s mayor, Jose Maria Garcia Urbano, to invite José Manuel Fernández, to put together a team to contest the May 28 elections.

I caught up with Jose recently and asked him about his entry into local politics, and his vision for the future of Manilva.

working for a number of parties, including the PP, in a publicity and communications capacity.

I have also held professional appointments in various institutions and public bodies, which is just one of the factors that led José María García Urbano, Mayor of Estepona, to look to me to revitalise Manilva, a responsibility to which I hope to respond with hard work and enthusiasm to improve the lives of its residents.

What is your view of the current political situation in Manilva?

Manilva has remained stagnant in comparison to our neighbours on the Costa del Sol, a fact that can be laid directly at the door of the poor and ineffective management of a series of coalition governments and the personal interests of those who have lined their pockets rather than look after the interests of its people.

Manilva must make the most of its privileged position on the Costa del Sol. To do this it must get aboard the Partido Popular juggernaut, the vehicle that includes Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola, and Torremolinos, the blue wave of opportunity in Andalucia, and put an end to populist and outdated policies.

How do you and your team differ from those of your opponents?

As a relative newcomer to Manilva I see it with a fresh pair of eyes. I don't accept that the cur-

rent situation is how it has to be because that has always been the way.

I don't have extended family connections or an entrenched network of colleagues that have to be considered when making political decisions or appointments, which means I can work solely with the interest of the municipality and its people in mind.

As I said, those who have spent years keeping Manilva at the back of the train of modernity, employment, quality of life or security, are the ones who once again choose to sit on their hands.

All have made politics a way of life with no other source of employment. These are the usual faces, with the same policies, playing musical chairs in the council chamber.

The Partido Popular team boasts new blood, drawing on members with a wide range of experience and professional skills. Included on the team in a prominent role, is Dean Shelton confirming that our programme is designed for everyone and especially for the large community of foreign residents, but with a genuine commitment, not empty words. It is

a fundamental objective of mine and of the entire team that accompany me on this adventure that should lead us to local government.

What is your vision for Manilva?

Manilva, Sabinillas, Puerto de la Duquesa, Castillo and our urbanisations are an asset that we must foster through sustainable growth. We have everything we need to improve this beautiful place, all we require is good political management to place Manilva where it deserves to be and no longer the ugly duckling of the Costa del Sol.

Estepona must be the mirror in which to look at ourselves, not to copy, but to emulate and take advantage of its experience, its synergy of having become a benchmark among Spanish and even European cities. PP Manilva wishes to improve the quality of life of all those who live here, of those born here and of all of us who have chosen this place as home, through projects that will provide solutions to problems with parking, cleanliness, and security.

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PEARL OF MANILVA

BUSTLING Duquesa marina is cut off from the mainland by a whitewashed shell of intricate buildings, balconies, plazas and steps, like an oyster enclosing its pearl.

The back end of the port is lined with imposing Chinese restaurants, immaculate in appearance; they are the back-

bone of this multi-cultural hub. A walk around the port, which scarcely takes longer than five minutes, reveals cuisine from all over the world.

As well as restaurants serving cuisine from across Asia-China, India, Japan and Singapore,

there is a plethora of European options.

It could be argued that Duquesa lacks Spanish identity as there are more English voices than yachts and more burgers than tapas.

But by taking a step out either

side of the port, the expansive soft sand beaches will firmly remind you where you are.

This meeting point of friends and cultures sings through its restaurants, cafes, bars, the people who work in them and the people who sit in the sun and enjoy them.

And Duquesa is, more than anything, likeable, as if it were Puerto Banus’ younger, more relatable and friendly sibling. This sociable spirit emanates not only from tourists and expats but the staff, who hail from all over the world including Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia.

Affordable

Puerto Banus may win in terms of glamour but Duquesa is more affable and, importantly, much more affordable.

It is still very much a 21st century place too, with wifi freely available in all the cafes and every possible amenity a short distance away. But Duquesa doesn’t feel like it has been ruined by tourism or de-Spained by its growth.

The wonderful variety on offer in such a small enclosed place shows this port is precisely designed to be quirky, eclectic and affordable.

Calle Rafael Alberti Plaza los Naranjos • Orange Square

Days of empire

Once upon a time Manilva was among the richest and bestconnected places in the world

THE legacy of the Roman Empire permeates throughout the Iberian Peninsula, not least on the Costa de Sol which acted as the gateway to the Mediterranean.

The Romans’ love affair with the Costa del Sol was not hard to understand.

Apart from the climate, bountiful fishing and rich pastureland, the area was a vital corridor to the Empire’s first line of defence.

Manilva and Sabanillas

thrived as Roman towns, evidenced by the many ruins that you can still see here today, such as the Roman baths, believed to have been frequented by Julius Caesar's army and the Ciudad Romana de Lacipo, an ancient Roman outpost just north of Manilva.

First, a little history …

Baetica, the Roman name for Andalucia, became one of the most dynamic and economically developed regions in the far-flung Roman Empire, rich in resources and modern in outlook, even welcoming liberated slaves.

Before the legions arrived in the second century AD life was hard and simple, the land dotted with small and isolated agricultural settlements. However the development of a fish salting industry fuelled by increasing Roman presence on the Ibe-

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rian Peninsula saw most of these segmented populations moving to the coast, settling in the town we now call San Luis de Sabinillas.

Julius Caesar himself is said to have cured a skin complaint in the spring

At that time, salt curing was the best method for preserving fish for export by sea to Rome and other parts of the Empire. Manilva became known as Saltum and came under the administration of Conventus Gaditanus - a vast region stretching from modern-day Cadiz province and along the the entire Costa del Sol to Almeria.

Casares, under the Roman name of Lacipo, was a strategic gateway from the valley to the mountains of Cadiz and Malaga. Manilva and Casares boasted road links as good as EU fund-

Sabinillas

ing has provided today. They were connected by one of Baetica’s main thoroughfares to Carteia (currently San Roque where the Roman ruins of Carteia still partially survive), Corduva (now Cordoba) and the city of Baetica , together with Italica and Hispalis , both in the Sevilla region.

Some of that amazing infrastructure still survives. Roman remains can be found in Sabinillas, Haza del Casareño, Lagunetas, Manilva and Castillo de la Duquesa which showcases the remnants of a Roman Baths, town, curing factory and even a necropolis. Protected as an Asset of Cultural Interest, the ruins can be visited today and undoubtedly the most popular ‘asset’ is La Hedionda, the Roman baths built around a natural mineral spring where Julius Caesar himself is said to have cured a skin complaint. Still in working order today, the name means Stinky in Spanish and comes from the sulphurous waters which smell like rotten eggs. The good times ended when Baetica was invaded by Visigoths and the Roman’s Iberian empire fell around 5AD. People started to abandon the coastal settlements, returning inland in search of other ways to survive, perchance to dream of the glory that was once Rome.

TIMELINE OF MANILVA

● 6,000 BC - Neolithic farmers arrived in Manilva, leaving stone tools and pots in places like the Sierra de la Utrera caves, just north of Sabinillas.

● 1,500 BC - The Phoenician civilisation spread across the Mediterranean, leading to se- ttlements in Cadiz (meaning ‘fort’ in Phoenician) and the Castillejos de Alcorrín settle- ment in Manilva.

● 200 BC - The Romans in- vaded the Iberian peninsula in 206 BC, establishing a fi- shing village in Manilva. Ju- lius Caesar became governor of Southern Spain in 61 BC and is believed to have cured a skin disease in the Roman baths at Hedionda.

● 711 AD - The Moors inva- ded the Iberian peninsula and established the settle- ment of Martagina just south of La Chullera.

● 1400-1500 AD - Barbary pirate raids forced most of the population to flee into the hills for security. However, many still returned daily to fish.

● 1515-20 - Following the Re- conquista, the Duke of Arcos conceded land in present-day Manilva to the fortified town of Casares for growing gra- pevines.

● 1530 - The hilltop village of Manilva proper began to take shape thanks to its Duke, who parcelled off pieces of land to encourage people to settle there.

● 1722 - The Church of Santa Ana in Manilva village was destroyed by an earthquake.

● 1796 - Manilva gained in- dependence from Casares, when it was given a ‘royal privilege of the town’.

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