Manilva is such a great place in the summer. The sun is shining, there is a really packed calendar of exciting events and there’s so much to do. Here are our tips for enjoying the summer in Manilva to the full.
Get informed and get involved
Look out for posters, flyers and brochures in the tourist and Town Hall offices that are advertising events, and ask in the Tourist Office if there are any highlights during your stay. Facebook is definitely your friend when it comes to finding out what’s happening in Manilva, there are various local groups where you can ask questions and people publicise what’s going on. The most active is Manilva Coffee Chat.
The Town Hall’s press office Facebook page always includes the events so follow Ayuntamiento Manilva Prensa
The page Manilva Life will share events and activities in English that are taking place in Manilva, Sabinillas, Duquesa, Casares and Estepona. They have a really handy roundup of forthcoming events, where they gather all the things you may have missed into one post, so that’s definitely worth checking out.
The newspaper Sur in English has a really good “what’s on” section each week as well, with events all along the Costa del Sol. You can read the paper on the website as a PDF or check out the What to Do section of their website.
Find out what’s on and get stuck in. Join in with the many events that happen here, many of them are free. It’s a chance to really see the area at play and there’s always someone who speaks English that can help you out.
Enjoy the water
We’re lucky enough to have the beautiful Mediterranean Sea on our doorstep and so a dip is a must and a meal in a traditional beach side chiringuito is highly recommended. If you like to get active, you can rent kayaks and paddle boards, by the hour or by the day. There are also several inflatable obstacle course style fun parks along the coast, where you can head for an hour, or the whole day and are sure to keep the kids entertained. Last but by no means least, there are many companies operating out of Duquesa Port and Sotogrande Port, which are offering private boat charters, fishing trips and sunset cruises.
A trip to the water park is also a highlight of the summer on the Costa del Sol. The nearest water park to Manilva is Bahia Park in Algeciras. It’s just over a half hour drive from Duquesa Port and is a brilliant day out, especially with kids. They have an area for young children and lots of slides for all ages and levels of bravery. Follow them on Facebook, as they often have flash sales with reduced ticket prices.
Time it right
Lunch time is always a good time to be out and eat, and the Spanish lunchtime is 2pm. Eating earlier than this is fine, but the atmosphere definitely starts picking up from 1.30 and lunches are long and leisurely, often lasting until 4 or 5pm.
Remember that here in Andalucia things happen later in the day, to escape the summer heat, and so try to adjust your body clock to go out and eat, and join in with events later in the evening. Many summer events will start at 10pm, so heading out to eat around 9pm is a good idea. Try having a siesta in the afternoon, so you have energy to enjoy the later nights and cooler temperatures. You’ll be glad you stayed up, when you experience the atmosphere.
Get acquainted with the Spanish gastronomy
Spanish food is rightly famous around the world for being some of the best and Andalucia has many delicious traditional dishes to try. Don’t be afraid to try new things and ask for recommendations from the waiting staff. Here are some of our favourite dishes -
- Paella and Caldoso – Everyone knows about the famous paella, but our insider’s tip is to try its soupy cousin the caldoso. This is paella rice in a rich broth, usually with seafood, which you ladle into bowls.
- Sardinas al Espeto – Little sardines on a skewer, cooked to perfection over wood, usually in the traditional boats filled with sand. Any fish al espeto is a real taste of Andalucia.
- Gazpacho and Salmorejo – Hot days call for cold soup and both gazpacho and salmorejo are delicious chilled tomato soups. Gazpacho is thinner and fresher and served with diced fresh cucumber, tomato and peppers. Salmorejo is thicker and creamier, usually topped with chopped boiled egg and ham
- Cazon en Adobo – Cubes of white fish in a marinade of vinegar and spices, battered and deep fried
- Boquerones al vinagre – Butterflied anchovies, in a vinegar marinade and fried
- Jamon Iberico – Spanish ham is the crown jewel of native ingredients and is a real treat, expertly sliced, with a cold beer or a chilled sherry (manzanilla) for extra Spanish points
There are also some great food festivals where you can indulge in some of the very best produce available. If you love your ham, head just down the road from Manilva to Estepona in August for the ham festival, a 5-day celebration of the best ham and cheese from all around Spain. There’s around 50 stalls along the seafront selling plates from €5, bars in between and live music late into the night.
What are the highlights of the summer?
If you’re thinking of coming over to Manilva next summer and are wondering when to book, here are some highlights.
- Noche de San Juan – This takes place on the summer solstice, which is the night of the 23rd of June and is a very special night in Manilva, where a big bonfire is lit at midnight, there are fireworks, live music and lots of people hanging out on the beach until the early hours. Check out our guide to San Juan in Sabinillas
- Fiesta de la Luna – A few weeks after San Juan is the moon party, which is another night on the beach, where everyone wears white and parties until the early hours to DJs and performers.
- Manilva Feria – Manilva is a district comprising of Manilva Village, Sabinillas Town, Puerto de la Duquesa and Castillo de la Duquesa and they all have their own parties in July and August. But the main event takes place in August at the fair ground in Sabinillas, with nearly a week of celebrations and a funfair. Check out our Manilva Feria blog for the dates and times and more info.
- Manilva Wine Festival – Last, but definitely not least is the harvest festival or the “Vendimia” in Manilva village, where you get to see grapes being crushed in the traditional way, try Manilva Wine and join the party on the first weekend of September. We’ve got an article all about this special weekend in Manilva. Check out our guide to the Manilva Wine Festival
When you buy a property in Manilva, you have all of this fun on your doorstep and you get to stay when the tourists depart! The weather is great year-round and there’s a large international resident population, so there’s always plenty to do and people to meet.
Living in Manilva during the summer
We love being here in the summer, but if you’re planning to buy a property in Manilva which you’ll be using in the summer, you want to look for a few important things.
- Parking – things get busy in the summer, we’d advise choosing a property with private parking if possible, so you’ll never get caught out, no matter how busy it gets.
- Air conditioning or ceiling fans – The nights can be hot, so you need to make sure that you have good cooling options in your property, to ensure a comfortable nights’ sleep.
- Access to a pool – Having a shared or private swimming pool is such a luxury, but it is also a very big part of life here during the summer months, particularly if you have children, so if you can find a development or a villa with a pool, that’s a big plus.
All of this also adds to the rental potential of a property too, so is a good choice for generating income on your investment. Contact us to discuss buying property in Manilva.