What is La Duquesa?
Puerto de la Duquesa sits on the coast of Casares, within Manilva municipality, at the western end of the Costa del Sol close to the Cádiz provincial border. It grew up around its marina, built in the 1980s, which today holds 328 berths for boats up to 20 metres and remains a working harbour lined with cafes, restaurants and small shops rather than a themed resort strip.
The area draws a long-established British and northern European community alongside Spanish residents from Manilva and neighbouring Casares. Housing is a mix of low-rise apartment blocks and townhouses close to the marina and beach, with villas spread across the surrounding hillside developments. La Duquesa Golf, an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1989, sits just inland and is one of the area's longer-standing amenities. The 18th-century Castillo de la Duquesa, built on the site of an earlier Roman settlement, overlooks the marina and beach and is the area's main historic landmark.
Manilva town itself, a short drive away, provides the fuller range of everyday services — schools, healthcare, larger supermarkets and the weekly market — while La Duquesa functions as the coastal, marina-facing part of the municipality where most holiday and residential property sits.
Where is La Duquesa?
Who lives in La Duquesa?
A mix of British and other northern European residents and second-home owners, alongside Spanish families from Manilva and Casares, drawn to the marina, beach and golf rather than an urban centre.
What can you do in La Duquesa?
Eat & Drink
Sport & Fitness
Wellness
Kids & Family
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Duquesa a gated resort or a normal town?
It is not a gated or branded resort. Puerto de la Duquesa is a working marina town within Casares/Manilva municipality, with public streets, a working harbour and ordinary shops and restaurants rather than a single private development.
What amenities does the marina have?
The marina has 328 berths for boats up to 20 metres and was built in the 1980s. It is surrounded by restaurants, bars and shops along the promenade.
What is the British community like?
La Duquesa has a long-established British and northern European community, drawn originally by the marina and golf course. Manilva municipality, which includes La Duquesa, had a population of 18,818 residents according to the Ayuntamiento de Manilva's October 2024 padron (18,099 per INE), so British residents make up a meaningful but minority share of the wider municipal population.
Is there a golf course nearby?
Yes. La Duquesa Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1989, adjoining the marina area.
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