The first bar on your right when you come into the centre of Benahavis. It is greatly appreciated by locals and tourists for the breakfasts (including full English) and cheap three course lunches (9€, including a drink).
The food is simple but great, and you can try out some classical Spanish dishes here. Service is very friendly and efficient.
Breakfast served from 08.00-12.00
Lunch from 14.00-16.00
Closed at 5PM
Avda Andalucia
Benahavis village
Tel : +34 665 77 53 61
Distance 45 minutes
One of the great historical cities of Andalusia, location of the Ernest Hemingway novel “Death in the afternoon”, it is built on both sides of a spectacular gorge. Both Hemingway and Orson Welles were friends with the bullfighter Antonio Ordoñez and Welles was buried on his estate.
Cold in winter, hot in summer, best times to visit are spring and autumn.
Filled with historical palaces, it has also one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, and in September “La Goyesca” is held here, a bull fight where everyone comes in the traditional clothes of the mid 1800’s.
Ascari Race track
The Ascari race track is located in a beautiful secluded valley near the historical city of Ronda, here guests will experience an entirely new concept in adventure holidays. On offer is a 5,425 meter (the longest in Spain) race track providing all the thrill seekers an adrenaline rush, race car rental and a 20 room luxury hotel.
Distance 75 minutes
Both these beautiful villages are just 20km from Ronda, and lie about 30kms apart.
Setenil de las Bodegas is absolutely spectacular with a sheer cliff rising up above the houses and the roads.
Grazalema is the place in Spain with the most rain fall, but above all, it is one of the best and most beautiful examples of a white Spanish village.
Distance : 60 minutes
This was one of the white villages until 2011 when Sony Spain celebrated the premiere of the “The Smurfs” film here. The whole village, including the church was painted Smurf-blue, and should have been rendered back to its original state at the end of the year, but inhabitants chose to keep the color because of the influx of tourists.
There has been a copyrights discussion with Sony over merchandising, but the village is still painted completely blue.
It is worth to do the tour of the Genal valley through Pujerra and Igualeja which shows its beauty best in October when the millions of chestnut trees come in all colors.
Cordoba
Distance : 135 minutes
The mezquita!!! This is, together with the Alhambra, one of the most stunning examples of Moorish architecture in Spain. It was once the largest mosque in the world, but when the catholic kings took back Andalucia, it was converted into a catholic cathedral. Plenty of the original Moorish architecture is still intact.
Cordoba is also famous for its patios, which are all showing their full beauty in May, when the inhabitants compete for the most beautiful courtyard.
Distance 135 minutes
The capital of Andalusia and the major economic centre of Spain after the discovery of the Americas. Magellan departed from here on his world circumnavigation and the valuable materials of the new world attributed to some astonishing architecture.
Some of the best “tablaos” ( Flamenco venues) are found in the heart of the city, and Easter week here is simply the best with several processions going through the streets every day.
Try to go in spring or autumn as temperatures can rise to 50ºC in summer.
Distance 135 minutes
In my opinion Granada is the most beautiful city in Spain, with, of course, the Alhambra and Generalife as the zenith of Moorish architectural elegance.
You will need to buy tickets for a visit to the Alhambra. You can do that here : https://www.alhambra.org/en/
The location of the city, built on several hills with views of the highest peaks in Spain ( Sierra Nevada) definitely adds to its beauty.
It is a bustling university city, with nearly half of its inhabitants being students.
Sierra Nevada is just 30 minutes from the city and offers over 100km of ski pistes from December until May.
Whereas 25 years ago, Malaga was a rather dull place, it has become a really exciting city with various excellent museums and a beautiful old town.
The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an “open museum”, displaying its history of nearly 3,000 years.
The city also boasts a thriving night life with terraces in the streets packed and local gastronomy booming.
The Christmas lighting in the city centre every year is simply fascinating.
Distance : 120 minutes
These three cities are all close to each other, so I have put them together. This is best to do as a two day trip.
Jerez is the birthplace of Sherry, and the city has a great number of “bodegas”, the Spanish word for wine cellar. The best known are Tio Pepe and Gonzalez Byass and (nearly) all of them have visited tours of the premises.
Although Jerez is one of the lesser known Andalusian cities, it has a vast array of things to see on top of the bodegas, such as Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, the Moorish Alcazar, and the 17th century cathedral.
Also, every year the Moto GP circus stops in Jerez, in what is the greatest concentration of motorbikes in Europe.
All these motorbikes meet in Puerto de Santa Maria during the GP weekend, so if you want some quiet, don’t go there then.
Otherwise El Puerto de Santa Maria is a lively and beautiful town with plenty of fish restaurants and wine bars.
Cadiz is regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe, with archaeological remains dating to 3100 years. It was apparently founded by the Phoenicians.
The old town is surrounded by the remnants of the city walls and there are plenty of well-preserved historical landmarks.
The city was partially destroyed by the explosion of an storage depot of the Spanish army in 1947.
Tarifa
Tarifa is the southernmost point of continental Europe and known as one of the worlds best surf spots, be it wind or kite surfing. It also has some of the best beaches you can find in Andalusia, as they stretch for several kilometers.
The walled old town is filled with places to eat and really cool bars and it has an amazingly chilled atmosphere.
Cozy little restaurant on the main square of Benahavis village, with a large and very comfortable terrace on the square itself.
The restaurant serves traditional Indian food at reasonable prices. The accent lies on modern and clean environment, delivering award winning & healthy food with added emphasis to clients’ health and choices, using 0% trans fats and even offering an organic & gluten free menu.
Open every day from 17.00 until 23.45.
Sunday : 13.00-16.00 and 17.00-23.45.
Plaza del Castillo, 1
Benahavis village
Tel : +34 952 605 513
E-mail : info@indianspicebenahavis.com
More info and bookings : https://indianspicebenahavis.com/
Located on the main square in the village, this bar/restaurant serves breakfast, tapas and lunch and, in summer, also dinner.
Large terrace and ample inside space.
3 courses lunch menu at 10€.
Selection of desserts.
Open from 10.00 until 16.00
Summer : 10.00 until 16.00 and 19.00-23.00
Plaza de España
Benahavis village
Tel : +34 952 85 54 81
Eden Food & Drinks
Large bar in the centre of the village, on Avda Andalucia with large terraces in the street and in the back, this last one with views of the mountains surrounding Benahavis.
The owners serve food, ranging from larger tapas to full meals and Sunday Roast.
Pool table and live sports on TV.
Open from 12.00 until late.
Closed on Mondays ( July & August : closed on Wednesday)
Avda Andalucia, 11
Benahavis village
Tel : +34 952 85 54 65
E-mail : jessicathomson16@hotmail.com
The word tapa comes from the verb tapar, which means to cover. Centuries ago, it used to be a slice of bread which was put on top of a drink to keep out flies and probably dust as well. Then some medieval and entrepreneurial bar owner had the brilliant idea to put some meat or cheese on the bread and the tapa as we know it was born.
Tapas recipes are according to the taste and gastronomic traditions of each region. But the tapas most often served are usually those including the many variety of olives, dry nuts, as well as many kinds of cold cuts. Nowadays, the tapa includes many other recipes for appetizers. In the Middle Ages and during periods of economic hardship, those courses were supplemented with bread. However, today, those courses are included in the tapas world. Tapas recipes use a wide variety of animal-derived products, such as meat, fish and eggs and agricultural products such as vegetables.
The many varieties of olives – green, Manzanilla, machacadas (crushed), gordales (big), rellenas (stuffed), aliñadas (flavoured) or deshuesadas (stoneless) – are in themselves the subject of a book. Together with the olives, slices of garlic or smoked-ham sausages, slices of cheese or jamón curado, became famous worldwide. After all, this is the real origin of the cover of the Middle Ages’ jar.
Among others, there are fried tapas and tapas prepared with sauces. Sometime in the past, the fried tapas had more success and are more in demand than the ones prepared with sauces, apart from some small exceptions. “Boquerones”(whitebait), calamari, sausages, fritters, croquettes, potato and “torreznos”, belong to the world of fried tapas. Casserole stews as well as the Madrilenian “callos”, the Almagro’s aubergines or flavoured string beans belong to the tapas prepared with sauces. Finally, animal and agricultural-based recipes such as potato tortilla, cod fritters, croquettes and escabeches, remain obligatory at this time of the day so that, if accompanied by a salad, they could perfectly replace a complete lunch.
Today, alongside with these traditional snacks, many new ones appeared, some of which were only meant to be served on an elegantly laid table. Such newcomers include the “paella” or the stewed potatoes with meat; and others taken from foreign recipes that finally ended up in our tapas world such as smoked salmon, pate or caviar, vegetable spring rolls, smoked fish from the Northern countries, German sausages, Swiss or French melted cheese and cakes or pate from Central Europe.
Spain is the second largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being France and the third Italy. The best known Spanish wine is probably Sherry, which is produced in Jerez. Manzanilla is a variety of fino sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. In Spanish, chamomile tea is called “manzanilla”, and thus this wine gets the name because the wine’s flavour is said to be reminiscent of such tea.
The sherry is manufactured using the same methods as a fino and results in a very pale, dry liquid. In addition, the sherry is often described as having a salty flavour, believed to develop from the fact that it is manufactured on the sea estuary of the Guadalquivir river. Sanlúcar de Barrameda’s cool temperatures and high humidity contribute to a higher yield of flor yeast than in Jerez or El Puerto de Santa María. The thicker cap of flor better protects the wine from contact with the air, resulting in a fresher, more delicate flavour than other varieties of fino.
Red Wines
The country’s three most important red wine regions are Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Penedes.
In Rioja, the law permits the use of four red grape varieties. Tempranillo is the primary grape used, followed by Garnacha (also known as Grenache), Graciano and Mazuelo. The latter two are excellent but difficult to grow varieties. Crianza wines are those that have been aged for two years, Reservas are aged three years, and Gran Reservas (also known as Reserva Especial) are aged at least five years.
Ribera del Duero lacks the long history of Rioja and was recognized as an official wine region in 1982, although most Spaniards would say that the best Spanish wines are produced in this region.
Penedes produces both red and white wines. The largest Spanish wine brand name, Torres, is a major producer there.
Quality
Until about 25 years ago, Spanish red wines were generally of mediocre quality. Many were aged too long in wood, overpowering their freshness and fruit character. However, quality has risen to the point that they compete successfully in the international market. Very high quality Spanish wines have recently become “trendy” in some circles.
Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. has identified the following as Spain’s greatest estates: Artadi, Clos Erasmus, Alvardo Palacios, Tinto Pesquera, Dominio de Pingus, and Bodega Vega Sicilia.
Gran Corona Mas La Plata 1970 received first place in the important Cabernet blend category of the Wine Olympics.
White wines
The most valorized white wines come from Galicia (D.O. Rias Baixas and Ribeira). The most recognized of the grape varieties is the Albariño.
Another nice area for white wine is Rueda in the Valladolid province, where the most used grapes are from the Verdejo variety.
Appellation
Denominación de origen is an appellation primarily for Spanish wines, but also other foodstuffs. It is closely modelled after the Italian DOC. As of 2006, 65 wine regions have DO status.
The wine appelation uses two levels of labels similar to the Italian system:
DO — Denominación de Origen
DOCa — Denominación de Origen Calificada
The DOCa label was introduced on 3 April, 1991. Rioja is the only appelation to hold a DOCa status.The recognized wine producing regions in Spain grow a wide diversity of grapes, mostly of native origin. The great variety of wines with unfamiliar names causes confusion among many consumers.
Situated at the end of the road into Benahavis village, this cozy bodega is hidden away in one of the most picturesque spots of the village, a little courtyard in a small development designed by David Marshall.
The Courtyard Bodega serves a selection of wines, beers and spirits, as well as some tapas.
Open from 17.00 until late.
Plaza Camilo Jose Cela
Benahavis village
Tel : +34 622 041 591
The sports bar in Benahavis with five large TV screens. All big sports events are shown live whether it is a boxing match at 3AM or a cricket game in New Zealand at 9AM. If there is enough interest, Legends opens very early.
Four beers on tap, Guinness, Peroni, Estrella Galicia and Carling.
Sunday roast and excellent pub grubs. Large selection of hamburgers.
Open from 6PM until late.
Saturdays and sundays from 1PM till late.
Closed on mondays.
C/Montemayor (just before Rufino’s restaurant)
Benahavis villag
