Benahavís
Encyclopedia
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
mountain village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated between Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Estepona
Estepona
Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline...
, and Ronda
Ronda
Ronda is a city in Spanish province of Málaga. It is located about West from the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. Its population is approximately 35,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, where it is located seven kilometers from the coast. Renowned for its restaurants, it is often called the dining room of the Costa del Sol
Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the Mediterranean coastline of the Málaga province. The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known costas: Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical...
.
Benahavis holds nine of the 60 golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s in the Costa del Sol; this number is expected to increase, again, to fifteen in the next decade.
Located on the southern face of La Serrania de Ronda mountain range, Benahavis is one of the most mountainous village on the western Costa del Sol. Benahavis is situated near the beaches of the Costa del Sol and spectacular mountains of the Serrania de Ronda
Serranía de Ronda
The Serranía de Ronda is a comarca in the western part of province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. As is currently the norm in Andalusia, it has no formal status...
. Its terrain is traversed by the Rivers Guadalmina, Guadaiza, and Guadalmanza. Regions of great natural and historic interest are to be found within its boundaries, such as El Cerro del Duque, Daidin, and the Montemayor Castle.
The town itself is surrounded by natural parkland, and, as such, retains a modicum of its secluded, cosy feel. La Zagaleta, a highly exclusive mansion club which contributes to Benahavis' status as the richest municipality per capita in Andalucía, lies within its boundaries, and overlooks the village.
During the late 1990s, the Junta de Andalucia constructed a dam on the site of an old marble quarry, meaning that for much of the year, the once ever-flowing Rio Guadalmina is merely a dried-up river bed.
History
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
in 1572.
Montemayor Castle, built prior to the Construction of Benahavis, playes a very important role in the battles between the various Arab kings in Andalusia, because of its strategic position. It was disputed for many years by the military factions of the epoch. Its prominent location overlooking up to a hundred kilometres of seaboard, and even the African coast, was extremely useful at a time when piracy and invasion were commonplace.
The town takes its name from Havis, who reigned in Montemayor Castle. To be precise, Benahavis is basically Arabic (Ben al Havis) and means "son of Havis".
The castle's strategic location drew the attention of the Catholic Monarchs, intent on conquering the last Moorish kingdoms in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Isabel and Ferdinand's forces had already laid siege to the Nazarite kingdom of Granada, but they decided first to occupy the nearby province of Malaga.
Soon on the 11th of June, 1485, Benahavis, together with the localities of Daidin, Montemayor Castle, Cortes Fortress, Oxen, Arboto, Almachor, Tramores and Calalui Fort (the Castle of Light), in the Bermeja Mountains, all within the district of Marbella, were handed over to King Ferdinand the Catholic, by Mohammed Abuneza after the signing of the capitulation.
The Catholic King entrusted their custody to Don Pedro Villandrado, Count of Ribadeo, the first Christian mayor of Benahavis. From that moment on, a dispute arose between Benahavís and Marbella which lasted three and half centuries, until Benahavís achieved the status of a completely independent community.
As for Montemayor Castle, it is worth noting that as well as its impressive location, it had underground passageways connecting it with the coast, large enough to take a man on horseback, through which the Arabs were able to move soldiers, food and weapons. Indeed in the 1960s a lorry broke through the roof of one of these in the town's main square.