What to do in andaround Benahavís?

Benahavis stands for a laid-back way of life, where stress is one of these words that seem far, far away. A place to relax, lay in the sun, go for a meal…

Nevertheless, plenty of things can be done around, as Benahavis offers an ample array of outdoor possibilities.

Trekking can be done as soon as you step outside, there are numerous tracks out in the mountains, which are also suitable for mountain biking and 4×4 expeditions (Safari del Sol is based in Benahavis, and offers 4×4 trips away from the Costa del Sol , into the real Andalusia ) and in the spectacular ‘Angosturas’ gorge you can find over 70 routes for rock climbing, ranging from easy to difficult.

Benahavis also has a sports complex with a football pitch, gymnasium, a municipal swimming pool and several padel courts, as well as a golf driving range.

And of course one cannot say Benahavis without mentioning the golf courses, all of which are top quality. You can choose from Capanes del Golf (9 holes), Los Arqueros Golf Club(18 holes), La Quinta Golf Club(27 holes), Los Flamingos Golf Club (54 holes), El Paraiso Golf Club (18 holes) or Atalaya Golf Club (36 holes). La Zagaleta (36 holes) is a private estate and golf is only available to its owners.

But Benahavis is not the only place on the Costa del Sol that has something to offer. Puerto Banús is one of the best known marinas in the Mediterranean with plenty of bars, restaurants and high end shops, where nightlife goes on until the early hours of the morning.

Marbella offers more shopping at the La Cañada shopping centre and in the old town, as well as a large number of restaurants, while Estepona still radiates that tycically Spanish feeling and houses some nice fish restaurants.

In Gibraltar you will find your typical English supermarket and cheap cigarettes but little more really, where as Malaga does have something to offer. Two international museums (Picasso and Thyssen) have opened over the last years and the Alcazar (castle) and cathedral are imposing structures. On top of the culture, the centre of the city or old town is a place full of life anytime between 11:00 and 02:00.

Another city that is worth the trip is Ronda of course, home to Ernest Hemingway for a while and the place of some scenes in ‘for whom the bell tolls’. Hemingways last resting place lies on the estate of a famous bullfighter. The bridge over the ‘Tajo’, a more tan 100 meter deep gorge, was built in the 18th century.

And just a two hour drive from Benahavis you can find the famous cities of Cadiz (a city with 3.000 years of history), Jerez (home of Sherry wine), Seville (with a vast number of historic monuments), Cordoba (with the Moorish mesquita, turned catedral) and Granada (the Alhambra and the ski slopes of Sierra Nevada).

Kids favourites are Selwo Park on the way to Estepona and Agua Park in Fuengirola or Algeciras.