Benahavis is located 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 The Cerro
del Duque, Daidin, The Maquinas, The Charco de las
Mozas and The 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
castle.
History
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.
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