Monuments and History
Manilva’s location on the Mediterranean coast next to the straits of Gibraltar means that the majority of the civilisations that have visited these shores have, over the course of history, occupied the land around the municipality. Evidence suggests that the nearby caves of Sierra Utrera were occupied as early as the end of the Neolithic period. Towards the end of the Bronze Age the ‘Castellejo’ civilisation appeared and handmade pottery can be found in Manilva from this era as well as the Phoenician period.
Archaeological evidence becomes more prevalent in sites from the Roman period, particularly around the Duquesa Castle and the Roman settlement of Sabinillas, both which seemed to have vanished at around the same time.
From the 16th century onwards Manilva became part of the county of Casares. The lack of security on the beaches and the highways in the area led the townships of Malaga, Gibraltar and Ronda to petition Charles V to ask the Duke of Arcos for more protection and to establish a settlement on the coast and in 1528 Charles V ordered the construction of a watchtower on the place known as ‘Salto de la Mora’. A few years later some 50 residents of Casares made their homes on the ‘Loma de los Mártires’, establishing a hamlet, which over time became the village of Manilva. The village was still a borough of Casares until 26th October 1796 when it obtained its independence and received the town’s Royal Charter.
La Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana
Located in the ‘Plaza de la Iglesia’, Manilva, the church of Saint Anne
is built on the site of another smaller 16th century church. Contributions
for the new building were made by the Bishop, the village residents and
the Duke of Arcos.
El Castillo de La Duquesa
The Duchess’ castle and the surrounding village stand on a site
previously occupied by a Roman Villa, some of the materials of which were
used to build the castle. The fortress was built in 1767 by Don Francisco
Paulino, a resident of Seville who built it at his own expense, in return
for which the King made him officer in command of a company of cavalry.
The engineer Don Miguel del Castillo was responsible for its design and
for supervising the works.
Los Torres de Chullera
There are two watchtowers in Chullera, a traditional cylindrical shaped
tower and a square based tower, the latter being the original tower from
the Nazarene period. This tower was already referred to as the ‘Torre de
Chullera’ in 1947.
El Ingenio Chico
The ‘Little Mill’ is one of the two sugar mills built in the district by
the Duke of Arcos. The aqueduct still leads to the remaining walls of this
building.
Roman Baths La Hediona
The Roman Sulphur baths of Hedionda are located close to Manilva Village.
The high sulphur content is due to a sulphur spring which flows from a limestone
outcrop above the valley. It attracted the attention of the Romans 200 years
ago and an arched bathing complex was created of which four chambers still
exist, although other adjacent water channels can be seen which suggest
the complex was once much larger. It is believed that none other than Julius
Caesar bathed here during his period as governor of southern Spain between
63 and 60 BC.
Other Local Items
On Saturday mornings, around the old bull ring in Puerto Banus is the famous
market. This is bric a brac, antiques, fruit and veg, leather goods, clothes,
gifts plus numerous other items. A great morning out for bargain hunting
and finding that perfect take home gift.
Stoll along the beach from Puerto Duquesa to the Castle ruin at Castillo and visit the fantastic seafood restaurants for lunch.
Sotogrande is a small marina, but worth a visit for its unique look of the buildings, a very different feel to the other ports.
Don’t forget Gibraltar and its famous rock, 25 minutes drive away and a great day out for the kids visiting those cheeky monkies.
Drive into the hills behind Duquesa and pass the wind turbines as you head through Manilva up to Caseras, the world famous mountain village with the most spectacular views. Get out of the car and walk down into the village and up the otherside to the ruin, well worth the effort just for the view.
If you are a keen birdwatcher then this is the ideal place to watch the birds on their migration from Africa to Europe, plenty of places within the local area to view many different birds.
Click here for details of Walking, Rambling and Rock Climbing
