Benahavis is one of the most affluent postcodes in Andalucia thanks to the mansions of La Zagaleta and El Madroñal.
Neighbouring San Pedro de Alcantara grew from being a small fishing village to become a vibrant little town full of shops, tapas bars and Spanish character. Browse our collection of luxury villas in Benahavis and San Pedro...
Located to the north of Puerto Banus in the private Madronal estate, this is a spacious villa with wonderful views, 20m pool, cinema, gym and 6 en-suite bedrooms is ideal for families.
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A stunning 7 bedroom villa in the Madronal estate in Marbella, with heated indoor pool, magnificent views, gym and tropical gardens.
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The Madronal estate stands for class and sophistication. This 7 bedroom luxury villa is very spacious, complete with a pool, cinema, disco, Jacuzzi, gym and wonderful views.
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Gather together all your closest family and friends in this 10-bed luxury villa. With a spectacular setting, heated pool*, Jacuzzi and full housekeeping team, this villa provides serious escapism.
View propertyJust ten minutes from Marbella lies the affluent municipality of Benahavis bordering the vibrant town of San Pedro de Alcantara. This is a destination of choice for visitors who want to stay in a luxury serviced villa, with a more laid-back and somewhat exclusive setting than Marbella and Puerto Banus.
Where nearby Marbella offers glamour, sophisticated beach clubs and haute couture fashion, the area surrounding Benahavis has become popular with celebrities and dignitaries who prefer space and privacy, with easy access to fine dining or nature. The surrounding countryside offers incredible outdoor pursuits from golf, hiking to canyon walks, while the original white village of Benahavis Pueblo hides excellent, lesser-known gastronomic gems.
Marbella’s smaller sibling San Pedro Alcantara serves the buzzing residential areas of Guadalmina and La Quinta, as well as villas in the luxury suburbs of Benahavis with the exclusive addresses of Los Flamingos, El Madroñal, La Zagaleta, Los Arqueros and Atalaya.
Located a few minutes west of downtown Marbella and Puerto Banus, San Pedro a small vibrant town of shopping streets and little squares basking in the sun where you’ll find a great selection of cafés, tapas bars and quaint restaurants. It’s also pleasingly down-to-earth and very typically Andalucian, as can be seen from its architecture, its ambience and the fun-filled four-day summer feria held in October.
Away from the new boulevard and coastal regeneration, life in San Pedro still moves according to traditional southern Spanish rhythms, so don’t expect much activity during the summer siesta when the locals retreat indoors for lunch and a rest. At night, when temperatures cool off, townspeople of all generations head out for a stroll through the streets in the old town or along the modern new stand-out boulevard with street cafes and summer live entertainment.
With half a dozen first-class golf courses within a 10-minute drive, San Pedro and Benahavis make for one of the best golf holiday destinations in the whole of Europe. Los Arqueros, Magna Marbella Golf, Guadalmina, Atalaya and El Paraiso are the nearest to San Pedro, while Los Flamingos, Monte Mayor, Marbella Club and La Zagaleta are the stars of the show in Benahavis.
If that choice doesn’t spoil you too much, then just half an hour down the road takes you to the world-class Valderrama and Sotogrande, and the famous ‘Golf Valley’ of Nueva Andalucia is just minutes away.
In addition, the immediate region is also home to several racquet clubs such as the Nueva Alcantara Tennis Club, which offers tennis, padel, aerobics and dancing classes all within stylish surroundings. Such venues provide a popular social setting, as does the beachside promenade that separates San Pedro’s sandy beach from a park area complete with public fitness equipment.
If jet skiing or canoeing on the sea are not your thing, then you can also try the popular cable ski club situated at a purpose-made lake on the western side of San Pedro. The adjacent chill-out bar is just the ticket for a relaxing afternoon.
Finally, adrenaline-lovers can enjoy the nearby mountainous countryside above Benahavis which offers hiking, mountain biking, canyoning and a practically never-ending list of sports and activities for those who love to get active in the great outdoors before retreating back to your luxury Benahavis villa rental.
Head into San Pedro town and it won’t be long before you chance upon a decent traditional, family-run restaurant, tapas bar or café.
Tapas bars make up the mainstay of the San Pedro dining scene along with cafeterias. The latter are particularly popular for a morning coffee and pastry, or traditional country bread toasted with tomato, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Just across the broad new park that separates San Pedro proper and its newer seaside extension, Nueva Alcantara, there’s a culinary hub with a growing reputation. It boasts not only San Pedro’s finest restaurants, but also some of the best in Marbella as a whole, with top-class Italian, French, Asian and international cuisine, proving that even relatively low-key towns can offer a touch of glamour and sophistication.
For a real foodie treat, however, you can do a lot worse than to head into the village of Benahavis. Known as the ‘Dining Room of the Costa del Sol’, here you’ll find many excellent local and international restaurants clustered around the tiny village centre.
Shopping in Benahavis is as varied as its landscapes; you won’t find the international fashion boutiques and designer brands of Marbella and Puerto Banus here, but strolling through the compact streets of San Pedro you’ll come across a more typically Spanish street scene of charming, family-owned businesses.
In the old town, modern facilities such as mobile phone or computer shops live side by side with quaint, old-fashioned establishments like shoemakers and specialist knitting shops, creating a setting that reminds you that you are, undoubtedly, in Andalucia. Pick up delicious Spanish cured meats and local olive oil with a freshly baked loaf in one of the family-run stores, chances are the tomatoes are organic and home-grown too.
Also great for when you’re out and about are the convenient ‘centros comerciales’ dotted along the main A7, where you’ll find banks, a selection of cafes and restaurant and often a supermarket or two.
And if you do need to top up your suitcase with a few holiday designer labels, then the shops in the centre of Puerto Banus are an easy 10-minute drive along the coast, and the boutiques in old town Marbella lie just beyond.
Discover the hidden gems of Benahavís and San Pedro with The Luxury Villa Collection’s personalised concierge services.
Our Guest Experience Team will go the extra mile when it comes to helping you enhance your holiday. We can help you explore historical old town culture in Malaga, Marbella and Ronda with a private guide, or learn to cook classic Spanish dishes in the comfort of your villa with a private chef experience. We can also bring the passion of live flamenco in your villa’s garden or create a blissful spa day for you and your friends. Our Luxury Travel Designers are committed to creating the right experience for you.
During your stay at one of our luxury villas in Benahavis, you will also enjoy the full benefit of our local expert Concierge team who will be on hand to offer local support. Whether it’s booking a restaurant or recommending the hottest beach club on the coast, their invaluable knowledge will ensure you experience the very best the area has to offer.
