Not all parts of the Costa del Sol are those that the average person who has never visited southern Spain will be able to instantly recall: think the likes of Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, and so on.
Indeed, many of us are so used to the notion of the Costa del Sol being a highly familiar focal point for tourism, that we might easily overlook some parts of the region that offer an abundance of charms and stimulations.
Puerto de la Duquesa, or simply ‘Duquesa’ as it is referred to locally, is an excellent example of this. A relatively modern ‘suburb’ of the Manilva municipality, it is not exactly one of the first names on most people’s lips when they are considering a visit to southern Spain, in quite the same way as Marbella, Estepona, and Sotogrande are.
But should Duquesa be better known, or is it best left as one of the Costa del Sol’s best-kept secrets?
We reckon it’s probably too late for much chance of the latter, as this thriving locality has steadily built up a community of fans, admirers, and appreciative residents.
So, instead, let’s take a look at some of the things you can see and experience here, that will make you glad you arranged Málaga Airport transfers to Duquesa from a reputable and great-value company like Simply Shuttles.
The happening marina
You can’t really talk about Duquesa for very long without referencing the marina, which continues to be a working marina to this day. It is here where local fishermen land their catch on a daily basis, before heading to the market and local shops.
However, you shouldn’t allow that to mislead you into thinking that Duquesa completely eschews modernity. Indeed, the marina was actually only constructed as recently as the 1980s, and visitors today will see no shortage of jaw-dropping yachts and sports cars, to say nothing of the excellent choice of restaurants. Indeed, the marina really does come alive in a social sense in the evenings.
The rewarding culinary experience
We did mention the restaurants, so we might as well emphasise it: whatever your leanings when it comes to gastronomy, you can expect them to be entirely satisfied during your time in Duquesa.
With popular dining establishments here encompassing the likes of El Capitano Ristorante Pizzeria, FOGO Restaurant, and Apricus Gastrobar, whether you simply need an unpretentious bite to eat or would like to immerse yourself in high-class cuisine from around the world, you can be confident of quickly finding the right eatery here.
The restaurants here are particularly busy during the peak summer-holiday months of July and August. Although of course, you might just as easily come here at quieter times of the year, so that you can more easily hear yourself think while tucking into the best dishes in Duquesa.
Plentiful opportunity to tee off
If there is at least one, perhaps slightly understandable reason for Duquesa not being the instantly and universally recognisable name it surely deserves to be, it might be the unfair characterisation of this area as somewhere nice to ‘pass through’, rather than necessarily a magnet of a destination in its own right.
That situation, of course, is changing fast, and the locality’s appeal to golfers has much to do with that. There’s La Duquesa Golf and Country Club itself, which was designed by the celebrated American golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones, a somewhat more recent design (1989) than his earlier efforts at Sotogrande, Las Brisas, and Valderrama in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Don’t forget as well, though, that you won’t have to drive too far out of Duquesa in order to experience various other top golf courses – not least Real Club Valderrama, home of the 1997 Ryder Cup.
Hopefully, we have convinced you with the above words that Duquesa is most certainly not just a part of the Costa del Sol to be ‘passed through’ on the way to somewhere else. And remember that when it comes to attractively priced Málaga Airport transfers to Duquesa, you can’t hope to do better than Simply Shuttles; simply call +34 951 279 117 to arrange your transfer with us.