Benahavis

Benahavis is a mountain village located 7 kmfrom the coast, situated between Marbella,Estepona and Ronda. Although they call it the dining room of the Costa del Solfor its multitude of restaurants and bars, Benahavís is one of the typical whitevillages of Andalusia, with a notable past Arabic.

From the castle of Montemayor,one can enjoy spectacular views of the Costa del Sol

With 9 golf courses that exist in the municipality, Benahavís is the true heart of the Costa del Golf and a paradisefor lovers of this sport. Located in the south of the Serrania de Ronda, Benahavis is the mostmountainous village on the Costa del Sol West.

The rivers that cross theterritory are called Guadalmina, Guadaiza and Guadalmansa. Benahavís, derives from the Arabic name Ben, son original meaning, or Havis andAvis, which was the name of an Arab notable who reigned in Montemayor Castle,whose son had the idea to build a series of defenses, protecting the GuadalminaRiver at the outlet of the Angosturas, while defending the left flank of thecastle, and was the first village, i.e. the construction of the castle of Montemayor was prior to the Benahavís.

Another view says that the word derivesfrom Benahavís “Ben Habix, Abyssinian’s the children, have been establishedby a cadi of that nationality in these contours.As for the name of the outback that is at theend of Benahavís, Aidín or Daidín, it is assumed that was the name of one ofthe most distinguished gentlemen of the place.

It is known that the villas andBenahavís Daidín were founded during the Arab domination in the coast and inthe Serrania de Ronda from Marbella,three leagues from the town of Esteponaand three others, among them far it two leagues.

After taking Round, King Ferdinand decided the conquest of Marbella, and that histeaching could serve as a naval station for the galleys and whips Castilian. OnJune 11 of 1485, Marbellasurrendered, the surrender was signed in the place called the Cross Shrine,where Fernando is the Warden of the strength of Marbella, Mohammad Abuneza, the keys to thecity as well as the places of Benahavís, Daidín , Montemayor Castle, stronghold of Cortes, Oxen, Arboto, Almachar, Tramore and strong Calalvi inSierra Bermeja. The king entrusted the custody of the entire area of VillandrandoPedro, to Count of Ribadeo.

The pronunciation is a topic of controversy that arouses a lot of opinions. Its real pronunciation is originally Benavís Many people pronounce it like this Benajaví or Benajavís due to the confusionof H not being pronounced and the elimination of the S.

Montemayor Castle and was built inthe tenth century, having been spared major battles for possession at the timeof the Taifa kingdoms. Succumbing to the Caliphate of Cordoba at the beginningof the eleventh century, the castle was the focal point in the struggles between Edrisitas, i.e., the dynasty that ruled Malagaand Hammuditas or Hammudíes, prevailing in Algeciras, both belonging to the same family.

When in 1273 the king of Granada Mohamed saw histhrone in peril, he sought help from the Benimerines, who commanded Abu YusufJacub occupied Marbella in 1274, the castle of Montemayorand Malaga,discovering the immense strategic value of the castle, from which currency ismore than l00 miles of coastline from the Spanish and African.