Manilva sits at the western end of the Costa del Sol, between Estepona and Sotogrande. The municipality has three faces: Manilva, the original village, inland among vineyards; San Luis de Sabinillas, the beach town with most everyday services; and Puerto de la Duquesa, the marina, with residential and golf developments on the slopes behind.
The municipality is lived in all year. INE records 18,165 registered residents on 1 January 2025 (INE (opens in a new tab)). IECA’s 2025 profile gives an average age of 42.1 and an under-20 share of 20.9%, and records population growth of 25.2% between 2014 and 2024. It records 7,047 foreign nationals; British nationals account for 32.4% of that group (IECA (opens in a new tab)).
The village. The village’s identity is closely tied to Moscatel grapes and local winemaking (Ayuntamiento de Manilva (opens in a new tab)). The church of Santa Ana and the Fiesta de la Vendimia, the grape-harvest festival, are part of that life; the town hall’s account of the 2026 festival describes the grape offering and celebrations around Calle Mar and Plaza de la Vendimia (Ayuntamiento de Manilva (opens in a new tab)).
The coast. The town hall describes just over 8 km of beaches, including Sabinillas, El Castillo, La Duquesa, Los Toros and Punta Chullera (Ayuntamiento de Manilva (opens in a new tab)). Sabinillas and Las Gaviotas held Blue Flags in 2026, as did Puerto de la Duquesa marina, and the Playas de Manilva coastal route received the Sendero Azul award (Blue Flags (opens in a new tab); Sendero Azul (opens in a new tab)). The Castillo de la Duquesa, a coastal fort built in 1767, houses the municipal archaeological museum (Ayuntamiento de Manilva (opens in a new tab)). Nearby, the Baños de la Hedionda are an excursion in the neighbouring municipality of Casares.
The marina. Puerto de la Duquesa has 328 berths; Puertos de Andalucía lists Marinas del Mediterráneo as its concession operator (Puertos de Andalucía (opens in a new tab)).
- 18,165 — registered residents, 1 January 2025 (INE)
- 7,047 — foreign nationals, 2025 (IECA)
- 2 — Blue Flag beaches, 2026
- €3,035 — average asking price per m², August 2026 (idealista)
The appeal is the price and the setting. Asking prices about half Marbella’s (€3,035 per m² against €5,956 in August 2026), a marina, Blue Flag beaches and a wine village, and Gibraltar, Sotogrande and Estepona close by.
Practical points. Avanza’s L-77 serves Manilva and Sabinillas towards Estepona, with selected departures continuing to Marbella and Hospital Costa del Sol, and the M-240 links Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa with Estepona and La Línea (L-77 (opens in a new tab); M-240 (opens in a new tab)); check the destination of your chosen departure. For journeys between the areas and to the airports, plan on a car.
INE (2025); IECA (2025); Ayuntamiento de Manilva (2024–2026); Puertos de Andalucía; idealista (August 2026). Prices and services change; confirm current figures before deciding.
