Casares & Manilva

Casares and Manilva sit at the quiet western edge of the Costa del Sol, where Málaga province meets Cádiz. No high-rises, no crowds, just whitewashed hilltop villages, unspoiled beaches and some of the best-value property left on the coast. They are two separate municipalities – Casares with 9,009 residents (January 2025) and Manilva with 18,818 (2024, spanning 93 nationalities) – that share a coastline, an estate agents’ shorthand and a similar laid-back character.

The area stretches from La Duquesa marina in the west to the Finca Cortesín estate inland, with the dramatic pueblo blanco of Casares watching from its mountaintop perch. Casares village grew up around a 12th-century Moorish castle; after the fall of nearby Ronda in 1485 it passed to Rodrigo Ponce de León, Duke of Cádiz. It’s also the birthplace of Blas Infante, the figure regarded as the father of Andalusian regional identity. Every spring, once the rains pass, residents whitewash their houses again, the ritual that gives every pueblo blanco its name.

Finca Cortesín and the New Golf Corridor

Finca Cortesín brought global attention when it hosted the 2023 Solheim Cup, the first time the women’s golf event was held in Spain – but the area had been building quietly for years. Doña Julia Golf offers dramatic hillside holes with sea views. Casares Costa Golf threads between the mountains and the coast. New beachfront developments in Marina de Casares and Bahía de Casares are attracting buyers priced out of Estepona’s New Golden Mile. Note that the long-planned Conrad Costa del Sol hotel on the former Hotel Doña Julia site remains under construction, with no confirmed opening date despite several announced targets since 2019 – treat it as a future amenity, not a current one.

The community is international but grounded: British, Scandinavian, Dutch and German residents alongside Spanish families who have lived here for generations. La Duquesa has a proper working marina with restaurants and a Sunday market. Sabinillas offers everyday shopping and a genuine Spanish high street. Chullera has one of the last unspoiled beaches on the coast. On the dining side, Kabuki Raw at Finca Cortesín – which held a Michelin star from 2017 to 2019 and remains a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant – anchors the area’s fine-dining reputation.

Property ranges from €150K apartments near La Duquesa to €8M estates within Finca Cortesín. Average asking prices in 2026 run around €4,068-€4,646/m² in Casares (highest near Finca Cortesín, lowest around Doña Julia) and €3,409-€3,584/m² in Manilva – among the most accessible entry points left on the western Costa del Sol. Seven distinct zones, each with its own personality and price band.

Casares and Manilva district by district

Two municipalities, one coast, seven neighbourhoods with their own guides, plus two villages and a town without one.

Inland, Finca Cortesín is the resort of villas and branded residences around the hotel and the 2023 Solheim Cup course, and most of our Casares listings are inside it. Casares Golf and Casares del Sol is the golf front neighbourhood between the mountains and the sea, and Doña Julia the golf corridor with the hillside holes and the sea views. On the coast, Bahía de Casares and Marina de Casares are the beachfront urbanisations between Estepona and Sotogrande where the price per metre is still among the lowest on the coast for beachfront. In Manilva, La Duquesa is the working marina town with the Sunday market, Sabinillas the Spanish high street next to it, and La Chullera the quiet beach at the Cádiz border. Casares pueblo, the white village 400 metres up, is where most of the municipality actually lives.

What has changed in Casares and Manilva in 2026

Finca Cortesín is in the middle of its biggest expansion since it opened: Spain’s first Lanserhof longevity clinic is under construction, the first St. Regis Residences in Spain are going up, several residential projects are selling from 575,000 euros, and the Montes de Casares plan allows up to 797 more homes, all covered in our Finca Cortesín post. On the Manilva side, our Manilva post, updated in October with current prices from our feed, argues the beachfront case and corrects its own spring numbers. The coast also has one of the few designated dog beaches on this stretch, at Piedra Paloma in Casares, which our dog friendly beaches post covers.

Buying property in Casares and Manilva

Both municipalities are in Málaga province, so Andalucía’s rules apply: 7 percent transfer tax on resales today and 6.75 percent from 2027, 10 percent VAT plus 1.2 percent stamp duty on new builds. On the coastal urbanisations, check the community accounts and the state of pools and lifts before signing, because some of the 2000s blocks have had expensive repairs; on the resort, read the service contract before the floor plan. Everything we have for sale, with the live price range and a written market section, is on our Casares property page and our Manilva page, and the projects on new developments in Casares and Manilva.

Practical information

• Population: Casares 9,009 (Jan 2025); Manilva 18,818 (2024, 93 nationalities)
• Málaga airport (AGP): 80–100 min by car / 95–115 km
• Gibraltar airport (GIB): 25–35 min / 20–30 km
• Estepona: 15–25 min / 15–25 km
• Marbella: 35–50 min / 40–55 km
• Schools: International schools in Estepona and Sotogrande (SIS, IB ages 3-18)
• Healthcare: Centro de Salud Manilva, Hospital de La Línea 20 min, Quirónsalud Marbella 40 min
• Nearest beaches: Playa de la Duquesa, Playa de Sabinillas, Playa de la Chullera
• Golf: Finca Cortesín (2023 Solheim Cup host), Doña Julia, Casares Costa Golf, Duquesa Golf, Alcaidesa Links
• Property prices (2026): Casares average €4,068-€4,646/m²; Manilva average €3,409-€3,584/m²

Frequently Asked Questions

Casares & Manilva's Neighbourhoods

Each with its own character. From beachfront to hillside, here are the areas we recommend.

We currently have 12 properties for sale in Casares & Manilva. Browse listings →