"Manilva is a place that belongs to the world"

In this double interview, the mayor of Manilva, Mario Jiménez; and the councillor for Foreign Residents, Tourism and Commerce, Agustín Vargas, outline the main lines of their administration, and its tourism projects.

What are your main goals at the start of this new term as mayor?

-In my inauguration speech, I highlighted, among many other goals, four key priorities. First, housing. We need to offer young people and the most vulnerable families the chance to access decent housing. This includes building affordable public housing.

Second, our older residents are a vital part of Manilva's community. Building a day centre would give them and their families an ideal space for care, entertainment and even productivity.

Third, in terms of sport, we aim to improve local facilities by building a new football pitch that will provide more opportunities in a field where values like teamwork and discipline are key.

And of course, security. We are located in a strategic area that requires full support and involvement from higher-level administrations to increase the number of Guardia Civil officers. We will also strengthen our local police force from the town hall. Our residents deserve to live in a peaceful, safe environment with the protection they need.

We are fully committed to all these areas and others such as employment, healthcare, education, tourism, infrastructure, business and culture.

What do you see as Manilva’s main tourism challenges?

We are a predominantly tourist-based municipality with all the ingredients to become a major destination, potentially on an international level. We are not only part of the Costa del Sol but also border the Strait of Gibraltar. That gives us a unique character. As the local government, our challenge is to improve the tourist offering and, something I will promote from the mayor’s office, ensure that tourism is not just seasonal. We want high-quality tourism all year round.

What are Manilva’s main tourism strengths? What areas would you like to develop to boost the town’s appeal?

Manilva, Sabinillas, El Castillo and the surrounding developments offer an exceptionally diverse range of tourist attractions. We have sun and beach tourism, as well as top-quality food tourism, with excellent beach bars and restaurants. Of course, there’s also sports tourism, cultural tourism and celebrations.

I want to highlight our wine sector, where young entrepreneurs are producing quality wines and making a firm commitment to local viticulture. Families can also come here to relax and enjoy walks through countless natural landscapes.

As anyone who visits us will see, our town is a leading tourist destination on the Costa del Sol, but without the overcrowding and congestion that can make holidays less enjoyable.

Manilva has a strong residential tourism sector. Is this something you’d like to develop further? What does it mean for the town to welcome people from all over the world?

Manilva’s greatest strength, aside from being a wonderful place to live, is its people. We’re known for our warm welcome and the way we embrace everyone. We show affection and respect for all nationalities and cultures. We’re open and happy to share our home with those we consider neighbours, encouraging them to integrate with us.

This melting pot of cultures brings mutual enrichment and strengthens us as a modern society. So residential tourism isn’t just important—it should be seen as part of our growth as a community.

A clear example of how international we are: Manilva is home to residents from 93 different nationalities. That’s not only a remarkable fact, it also defines who we are – a place that belongs to the world.

Puerto de la Duquesa is the jewel in the crown of our tourism offering. It perfectly represents this diversity, offering cuisine that reflects countries from across the globe.

As the new head of the Foreign Residents, Tourism and Trade departments, what priorities have you set?

First of all, I want to say that I’m very excited about taking on these roles, as I believe these three areas are the driving force behind Manilva’s economy. Today, foreign residents make up 40 per cent of our registered population – British, Italian, Belgian and many other nationalities choose Manilva as their home. Each nationality has different needs, and that’s the main focus of this department: working to make it easier for people to adapt to life in Manilva. Language or cultural differences can often make it almost impossible to deal with administrative processes, such as registering on the municipal census (padrón) or reporting a crime. That’s where this department comes in – to assist, listen and support them.

As for Trade, my main focus is on small local businesses. These entrepreneurs face increasing competition from large retailers every day, and the council must be there to support them with clear policies and awareness campaigns that encourage the public to choose small businesses over big chains for their shopping.

Tourism in Manilva has a lot of potential to develop. Manilva is a hidden gem, and my main aim is to reduce seasonal dependence and promote sustainable, high-quality tourism.

As a Tourism graduate, what added value can you bring to the role through your training and previous experience?

As you rightly point out, I have a degree in Tourism and experience in hospitality and other related sectors. Having first-hand knowledge of the industry gives me a clear plan of action. Manilva is undoubtedly a sun and beach destination, and we must continue to maintain and promote that, but we also have enough tourism resources to diversify. This would help attract visitors from both Spain and abroad, outside the summer season. Wine tourism, active tourism, landscape tourism, cultural tourism and even location-based tourism could all help increase visitor numbers during quieter months.

Strategies such as direct promotion to the public and targeted marketing to tour operators and travel agents will make the Manilva brand more recognisable. Creating destination-based products like mural routes, wine tours or collaborative initiatives with neighbouring towns will mark a turning point for Manilva.

With a carefully planned tourism strategy and support from the private sector, sustainable tourism growth in Manilva is within reach.

Manilva has successfully positioned itself in niche areas like active leisure tourism, thanks to its rich natural surroundings and hiking routes, as well as wine tourism, where it is the leading reference on the Costa del Sol. What new initiatives are planned to strengthen this position? Are there other types of tourism you would like to attract?

As I mentioned earlier, we need to diversify the tourism offering to reduce seasonality. I could talk about many types of tourism – I’ve already given a brief overview and have a few more ideas that I’ll share gradually. One example is golf tourism. Not only do we have a fantastic golf course in Manilva that is currently upgrading its facilities, but we’re also strategically located in the heart of the most well-known golf courses on the Costa del Sol and in Cadiz province. We need to promote Manilva as a base for golfers, encouraging them to stay here while playing or travelling to other nearby courses.

In short, there’s a lot of work to be done, but I have the training and the right team to make it happen.

What are your expectations for the newly started tourist season?

Given the increase in available tourist accommodation in Manilva and the data we’ve received from the Costa del Sol tourist board, everything points to a highly successful summer season. That means the council must be ready to provide the necessary services to ensure tourists and residents can live side by side comfortably.

In terms of the Foreign Residents department, what medium- and long-term initiatives are you planning?

Coming up soon is the International Meeting and Family Day – an event organised by the Foreign Residents department, taking place from 23 to 25 May at the Castillo de la Duquesa. I encourage everyone to come along and enjoy the wide range of activities, tastings and live music we have planned. We’re also organising several trips to help residents discover more about Spanish culture.

That said, my main goal remains to support residents with administrative procedures at the town hall. I’ve often seen people feeling lost, unable to resolve their issues because of the language barrier or lack of guidance. This is where we must step in.

We’re working towards a Manilva for everyone.