Manilva Beaches

PUNTA DE LA CHULlERA

It is a small, 100 meter wide cove hidden by cliffs and rocks on either side. The beach is quite crowded in summer and especially on weekends; parking access is particularly difficult. On the A7 to the west at km138, just before the footbridge, there is a small access road. Follow this to the left and beyond the small turning place at the end is a path to the beach.

Historically, Punta de la Chulera was an important landmark and there are still two watchtowers. One, 500 meters inland from the Moorish Nasarid era, and the other the Punta Chullera watchtower from the 15th century.

PLAYA CHULlERA

This refers to a series of four beaches locally called

• Playa de las Arenas,
• Cala Sardina,
• Playa del Negro
• and Playa de los Toros

in a straight, flat part of the coast totaling 10 km, from Punta de la Chullera in the west to La Duquesa marina in the east. The beaches are generally very quiet. The A7 coastal road runs parallel to the beach, one block away, and the roads leading down to the beach offer a number of access points and parking lots.

The beach is on average 60 meters wide, gently sloping and backed by rough heather in some places, with few chiringuitos with sun loungers, as well as showers and lifeguards. The beach is so vast that the areas furthest from the access points are very quiet – even on summer weekends.

The beach is cleaned in the summer, but to a lesser extent than the urban beaches in the east, resulting in more driftwood and pebbles among the sand – like all the others on the Costa del Sol, this one is plain and dark-colored.Playa Las Arenas

Also known as Playa Gobernador or Tubalitas, Las Arenas beach is backed by steeply rising headland where the A7 coastal road has a lay-by with a beach bar that offers stunning views of not only the beach below, but right along the coast.

Playa La Cala

Playa La Cala de la Sardina is only 150 m wide and bounded by two rocky jetties and supported by a long established development.

Playa del Negro

Playa del Negro has an important dune vegetation.

Playa de Los Toros

Playa de los Toros, which runs 2.4 km from Aroyo Alcorrin, was named after the area where cattle were driven from La Cañana Real in Los Barrios to Estepona. It is the most open of the beaches and the least urbanized.

PLAYA DEL CASTILLO

Playa del Castillo is named after the ruined fort nearby. A small but interesting fishing village called El Castillo de la Duquesa (or El Castillo for short) with small squares is located here. To the east of the Castillo, and surrounded by modern apartment blocks, is the marina Puerto de la Duquesa.

The beach goes up to the harbor wall. This beach has chiringuitos with sun loungers and shower and lifeguard services. The chiringuito closest to Duquesa is called Chiringuito La Gaviotas.

The beach is moderately busy, but more crowded towards the Duquesa harbor area in the east. Parking is usually available in the village streets. The small village has a rock-backed sea wall, so the beaches are on either side of the village. Playa de la Chullera is to the west and Playa del Castillo and Playa de las Gaviotas to the east.

PLAYA SABINILLAS

Playa Sabinillas is another extensive straight beach, 2 km long and about 40 m wide, east of Puerto de la Duquesa as far as Rio Manilva. The west end of the beach is also called Playa de la Colonia after the summer school of the same name.

Playa Sabinillas is now supported by a new promenade for most of its length and a new apartment block, making it an urban beach. This bustling beach has chiringuitos with sun loungers, along with showers and lifeguard towers and points.

Behind the promenade there are many bars, restaurants, corner shops and kiosks. The beach is frequented by the local residents of Manilva and San Luis de Sabinillas (known as Sabinillas) – you’ll find very few hotels or international tourists on this part of the coast.

Sabinillas is the original fishing village for the village of Manilva. Although very few fishing boats are pulled up on the beach these days, the original wheelhouses can still be seen. This beach is well cleaned in the summer, while parking space is usually available on the village streets. This beach has been awarded a blue flag by the European Union for its high standard of cleanliness and excellent facilities.