Guide to Sabinillas

Sabinillas is an up and coming seaside resort at the western end of Spain’s Costa del Sol. In terms of tourism, this authentic Spanish fishing village was a relative backwater until recent years.

Its location, 95 kilometres west of Malaga’s international airport, meant Sabinillas was way down the list of hot coastal spots ripe for development when the Costa del Sol tourism boom took off in the 1960s.

It was a few years before expatriates working elsewhere on the Costa del Sol and in British-owned Gibraltar “discovered” Sabinillas and found it to be a convenient and affordable place to set up home. The village and surrounding area developed a sizeable ex-pat community towards the end of the 20th century and it was only a matter of time before foreign holidaymakers also stumbled across the secret of Sabinillas. Improved road links, new infrastructure and a general smartening up of the whole area has given birth to a healthy tourist industry since the dawn of the new century. It’s still in its infancy, compared with that of its easterly neighbour Estepona, but with new holiday and residential complexes now under construction and many more planned for the near future it seems Sabinillas is well on its way to becoming one of the Costa del Sol’s newest household names.

The village’s full title is San Luis de Sabinillas and it lies within the municipality of Manilva – the westernmost province of Malaga bordering the province of Cadiz. Its coastal location between Marbella and Gibraltar makes it the ideal holiday spot for those seeking a low key “sun and sand” holiday, away from the madding crowds of the busier resorts north east along the coast. It’s also a perfect holiday destination for golfers and a good base for exploring the white villages of inland Andalucia. Gibraltar, the “Sherry Triangle” of Jerez and the historic city of Cadiz are just a few of the fascinating sightseeing trips within easy reach of Sabinillas. Or for something completely different you can drive down the coast to Algeciras and pop over to North Africa for the day.

Sabinillas has an attractive seafront promenade flanked by bars and restaurants serving up international fare alongside freshly caught fish and traditional Andalucian dishes. This is still a working fishing village with a daily fish market supplied by the local fleet who drag their boats onto the beach to land their catch. There’s a street market every Friday and a giant “rastro” (the Spanish equivalent of a car boot sale) on Sundays. The development of the Sunday rastro, now one of the most popular events of its kind on the Costa del Sol, is evidence of the growing ex-pat influence here. Curry houses, cheap Chinese restaurants, pizzerias and pubs offering British-style Sunday roasts are all indicators that Sabinillas is out to woo foreign tourists (especially the Brits) in ever-increasing numbers.

The village hasn’t experienced the massive development of high rise hotels which sprouted along the coastline further east during the 1970s and 80s. But a good selection of holiday accommodation is available in the many self-catering apartment blocks and villa complexes which have been constructed in the area over the last few years.

Some of the most sought after holiday homes are overlooking the fairways of the prestigious La Duquesa Golf and Country Club, founded in 1985 with an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones.

The club lies directly behind the delightful Port of Duquesa which is a five-minute walk from Sabinillas. The 300-berth port is a hive of activity with numerous bars, restaurants and holiday apartments overlooking the boats, the Mediterranean beyond and North Africa in the distance. The beaches either side of the port stretch along the coast to Sabinillas, to the east, and Sotogrande to the south west. Sotogrande has its own magnificent marina and the area is home to four championship golf courses including San Roque and the world famous Valderrama.

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