The Saborea fair: a showcase of Manilva’s culinary excellence

Beyond its unbeatable combination of sun and sea, Manilva has plenty more to offer visitors, making it an ideal destination outside the summer season. To highlight one of its greatest strengths, its outstanding gastronomy and quality wines, the Saborea Manilva Gastronomy Fair was created. The next edition will take place from 5 to 7 December in Plaza de la Vendimia in the Costa del Sol town.

In recent years, Manilva has built a distinct tourist identity around its food culture. This has led to steady growth among its wineries, the appearance of new wines, and recognition for the excellence of its local products, including raisins, sweet potatoes, cured meats and bread. “That’s where the idea came from to create a fair where our wineries, farmers and shopkeepers could showcase their products, with the traditional Manilva Wine Contest at its heart,” explained Agustín Vargas González, councillor for Foreign Residents, Tourism and Commerce.

“Manilva is mainly a sun-and-sea tourist destination, which means its tourism is very seasonal. Diversifying what we offer is one of the key strategies to break that pattern, and Manilva’s gastronomy and wine are good enough reasons for visitors to come outside the summer months,” he added, explaining why December is an ideal time for such an event.

“Our gastronomy is rich, varied and diverse, with excellent products such as Manilva grapes, famous for their sweetness, or our white wine, which has won numerous provincial awards, as well as our local fish and sweet potatoes,” said the councillor, highlighting the quality of the town’s culinary offerings.

In 2025, Saborea Manilva will reach its ninth edition. The fair continues to go from strength to strength, with a larger marquee this year allowing for more exhibitors and a wider, more diverse food offering. “This year we’ve got stands selling cured meats, cheeses, honey, nougat and caramelised nuts, as well as sweets, and we haven’t forgotten the traditional food stalls with tapas, pizzas, burgers and hot dogs,” said the councillor.

Among its attractions, Saborea Manilva knows how to win over its audience with a series of live cooking demonstrations and free tastings, supported by local restaurants such as Dani and Manso Burguer. One of the highlights of the fair will once again be the traditional Manilva wine competition on Saturday 6 December, followed by the awards ceremony and tasting of the wines entered.

“Manilva is wine country, and many families make their own wines at home and present them with great enthusiasm in the competition. All the wines entered can be tasted for free after the contest,” said the councillor.

“Wine isn’t something you talk about, it’s something you taste, so I encourage everyone at Saborea Manilva to enjoy it.”

Saborea Manilva enhances its celebration of local food and wine with a full programme of events, with live music taking centre stage.

“This year we’ve made a big effort to bring in high-quality performances, with well-known DJs like Alba Dried and DJ Pájaro, as well as bands such as Compás Flamenco, Malamanera and La Mala Hora,” said Vargas.

Given its early December dates, Saborea Manilva also embraces the Christmas spirit with festive activities such as the ‘zambomba’ festive drum-based music with a flamenco and local twist, plus gatherings of traditional folk groups from nearby towns. For children, there’ll be a performance of the musical Home Alone and a range of creative workshops.