Sitauted on the southern
face of the Serrania de Ronda mountain range, Benahavis is the most
mountainous village on the western Costa del Sol. Its terrain is
traversed by the Rivers Guadalmina, Guadaiza and Guadalmanza. Places
of great natural interest are to be found within its boundaries,
such as El Cerro del Duque, Daidin, Las Maquinas, El Charco de las
Mozas and La Leche reservoir.
Further south are luxury housing estates, golf courses and other
tourist facilities, the result of the AREA's significant development.
The village still retains a few features of its origins as a white
Arabic village, forming a sharp contrast with the colour of the
surrounding mountains. Monuments of interest are Montemayor Castle
and a former 16th-century palace
Historical Notes
Its name appears to be derived from the Berber tribe
of Banu Habis, who settled in the AREA.
Montemayor Castle, built near the village during the Moslem occupation,
was an important military enclave due to its unquestionable strategic
value, as from the spot on which the fortress once stood, now home
only to ruins, over one hundred kilometres of coastline are visible
and the relief of North Africa can be seen.
In the 11th century, the fortress and the territory it controlled
were caught up in the struggle between the governing Malaga dynasty,
the Edrisitas and the Hammudies, lords of Algeciras.
In 1273, the king of Granada, Mohamed, seeing his throne to be
in jeopardy, requested help from the Benimerines, who, as they advanced
across the peninsula, occupied Marbella, Montemayor Castle and Malaga.
The village was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1485, after
the fall of Marbella, which, along with Benahavis, was ceded to
Don Juan de Silva, Count of Cifuentes, in 1492, in return for his
support in the capture of Granada.
In 1572, King Philip II awarded Benahavis its own municipal charter,
thus granting the village independence from Marbella.
|
