Duquesa

Puerto de la Duquesa is otherwise known as Costa Del Sol’s Best Kept Secret and we are pleased to offer a selection of holiday rental properties in the resort. All our villas in La Duquesa are close to the beach and all amenities. Puerto de la Duquesa has a marina with over 300 berths and a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and bars.

The marina was once said to be the next Puerto Banus, but instead it has managed to keep its charm and quiet environment and this makes our Puerto de la Duquesa villas a great holiday choice for families. Either side of the marina there are two safe, sandy beaches, one reaching as far along as Estepona and the other as far as Sotogrande.

The people who live in and around the La Duquesa marina are mostly English speaking. Further along from the marina is a small village called Castillo de la Duquesa; it is named after the fortress which is located at the entrance to the village. This part of La Duquesa is mainly Spanish-speaking with plenty of traditional Spanish bars and restaurants.

Although within easy reach of the airports of Malaga (40 minutes) and Gibraltar (30 minutes), La Duquesa seems like a thousand miles away from the throng of the holiday resorts and offers an unparalleled quality of life in Southern Spain.

Golf - Due to the good weather Spain has become a popular golf destination. Our Puerto de la Duquesa villas are close to the local golf course of La Duquesa Golf & Country Club. (www.golfladuquesa.com). It has 18-holes and many amazing views, looking out to Marbella, North Africa and The Gibraltar Rock. There are also many golf courses in surrounding areas, such as Marbella (www.marbellagolf.com), Estepona (www.esteponagolf.com), Puerto Banus and Sotogrande (www.golfsotogrande.com). These all offer a range of different courses, some having 9 holes, some 18 and some up to 27 holes.

Castillo de la Duquesa - Situated just to the west of the marina of Puerto de la Duquesa is the small hamlet of Castillo. Taking it's name from the Castillo de la Duquesa, an 18th Century fortress which stands at the entrance, this fishing village can trace it's history back to at least Roman times when it was a bustling industrial centre whose chief products were salted fish and a rather peculiar paste made from fermented fish guts known as Garum. This ancient 'Gentlemen's Relish' was much sought after back in Rome and so brought a great deal of prosperity to this corner of the Empire.

The remnants of the Roman settlement can still be seen today. To southwest of the Castle, next to the 'Plaza de Banos', is the old bathhouse. Although currently behind a locked gate you can still see the remains of the boiler house with it's oven and 'hypocausts' (under floor heating) and large stone bathing tank, as well as patches of the original mosaic flooring.

Gibraltar - This is a British country on the south of Spain. Its town is built around the Rock of Gibraltar. It was used as an army and navy base during the war. Now it offers many attractions:

• Tour of the rock – this can be done by mini-bus taxis, it takes around 90 minutes and the driver will stop at all of the attractions so that you can look around.
• Cable Car ride – This will take you to the top of the rock in 8 minutes, there is also a stop at the apes den midway.
• Barbary Apes – the only free-roaming apes in Europe, there are 160 living on the rock, they interact with the visitors.
• Great siege and world war 2 tunnels – Both of these tunnels are now open to the public giving their history, helped by the use of waxwork models and props.
• Moorish Castle – Open to the public, again offering more on the history of Gibraltar.
• St Michaels Cave – a wonderful array of stalagmites and stalactites, and a very good use of lighting within the cave, part of this cave has also been transformed into a concert theatre.
• Dolphin safari – departs from the marina bay complex (outside Bianca’s) There are different companies in different boats. The trips last for around 1 ½ hours, taking you away from shore to see and possible touch the dolphins.
• Main Street – The main shopping street in town, there are many British shops such as Marks and Spencer’s, Dorothy Perkins, as well as shops selling glassware, priceless porcelain, unusual pottery, leatherwere, perfumes, jewellery, silks, cashmere.

Water Park - Going the opposite way from Duquesa there is the water park, Parque Acuatico Mijas, with aquatic attractions for the whole family. Open May through October. The aquatic park offers everything for a full day of sun and exciting water adventures. Water Park Mijas, ideal for your fun in Costa del Sol. http://www.aquamijas.com/plantillas/index.php?SEC=home&l=en

Wildlife & Nature Reserve - Estepona you can find Selwo Adventure wildlife park, which is over 100 hectares of land and is the largest wildlife park in Europe. There are over 2,000 species of animals representing all corners of the world. They can be viewed both on foot and also from 4x4 vehicles which take visitors around the park.

Boat Trips - There are ferrys departing from Gibraltar, Algeciras and Tarifa taking you to Tangier and Ceuta in Morroco, they run on a daily basis and take between 80 – 90 minutes.

Food and Drink - If you stay in our villas in La Duquesa make sure you get out and enjoy the excellent local dining options. Within the La Duquesa marina there is a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and bars, offering so many different cuisines, such as fish, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai, English and Spanish Cuisine. In Castillo de la Duquesa there are mainly fish and Spanish restaurants.

The bars in the marina offer different environments, from the Bar Duquesa which is an exclusive cocktail restaurant to the waterfront which offers karaoke and discos.

Markets

• Monday - Marbella Town
• Tuesday - Fuengirola, Marbella Town, Benhavis
• Wednesday - Istan, Estepona
• Thursday - Guaro
• Friday - Marbella, Casares, Mijas Costa
• Saturday - Estepona, Istan, Fuengirola, Ojen, Mijas Costa, Nueve Andalucía
• Sunday - Estepona, San Roque, Sotogrande, Fuengirola, Sabanillas

Fiestas/Festivals in Puerto de la Duquesa

• 5th January – Three Kings Cavalcade
• 6th January – Epiphany
• 26th February to 2nd March – Semana Blanca
• 28th February – Andalucía Day
• February & March – Carnivals (dates vary)
• 31st March to 8th April – Semana Santa
• 1st May – May Day
• 14th May to 20th May – Manilva International Festival
• 23rd June – Noche de san Juan
• 16th July – Virgin del Carmen
• 26th July – Dia de Santa Ana
• August (2nd week) – Summer Fair
• 15th August – Assumption Day
• 1st and 2nd September – Vendimia
• 12th October – Spain Day
• 1st November – All Saints Day
• 6th December – Constitution day
• 7th December – Puente
• 8th December – Immaculate Conception

Solmar Villas in La Duquesa

All of our Puerto de la Duquesa villas have pools and are carefully chosen and approved by our staff. Our high standards ensure that we only select the very best villas in La Duquesa to rent for our clients.

We also offer properties in the Costa Del Sol resorts of Estepona, Nerja and Sotogrande.

We also have a full selection of holiday villas in Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and the Mainland Spain regions of Costa Blanca and Costa Brava

Click below to see all our villas in La Duquesa.