anilva is located in the southwest part of the province of Malaga, and stretches from the Manilva river to the border of the province of Cadiz. It is a land of rolling hills linked by streams and brooks that flow peacefully into the sea, among them Peñuela, Estanquillo, Indiano, Alcorrín and Martagina. Atop one of these hills, Los Mártires, lies Manilva. And there, a mere 2 kilometres from the sea, is the second heart of the city: San Luis de Sabinillas.

The fertile fields of Manilva are covered in vines, although it is not uncommon to find fields of grain, vegetables and fruit trees. Yet the grape is undoubtedly the sweet, defining symbol of this area and of a large part of the region: nearly 2500 acres of remarkably rich grape plantations from which the Muscat, or Muscatel varietal is obtained. The wine from the region is luxurious on the palate, gaining in notoriety with each year and with each harvest.

“A young woman, a guitar / and a shot of Muscatel / made an Andalusian of an Englishman / in half an hour.” So is Díaz de Escobar’s portrayal of the effects of this fine liquid. It is, as is often said in these parts, a “purebred”, sweet yet not sickly, with tones that change from golden yellow to dark amber over the years. For some, the king of dessert wines. For many, Muscat and Must will always be synonymous of Manilva.


A short History
Manilva’s past is linked to Casares, from which it gained independence at the end of the 18th century. Despite its relatively short history as an independent town, there is clear evidence which serves to establish its own historical milestones, one of them being the Roman Era. Valuable remains which may pertain to a settlement dating from the Bronze Age have been found at the Cerro del Castillo archaeological site located between Alcorrín and Martagina streams. Yet it is undoubtedly the remains from the Roman Empire which have been so well-preserved to this day, as can be seen by the Roman villa discovered in the Sabinillas district, the remains of a possible tower at the Cerro del Hacho site and the ceramic wall pieces found at Haza del Casareño.

Remains have also been uncovered from the Middle Ages
at the Cerrillo de la Sepultura site, la Alcaría, el Cerro del Tesoro and Teran, among others. It is speculated that both the crenulated tower at Punta Chullera and the tower of la Duquesa date from the 15th century.

It was at the end of the 16th century, however, at the request of the Duke and Duchess of Arcos, lords of the county of Casares, that the current town was built in order to repopulate the area. The final separation from Casares occurred later, in 1796.


Points of interest
The monument of greatest interest is the Castle in Sabinillas, built during the reign of Charles III to defend the coast from constant pirate invasions. Writer Vicente Espinel, in his work “El Pícaro Guzmán de Alfarache”, relates how the Berbers disembarked on these beaches to plunder and pillage and goes on to describe how the local people got them drunk and tossed them into the sea after recovering their possessions.
Also of interest is the church of Santa Ana, the construction of which began in 1776, La Duquesa marina, one of the largest in the province, and the calm, pristine beaches of Sabinillas, replete with large, round stones.