Living in Castillo de la Duquesa

Castillo de la Duquesa (often known simply as *El Castillo*) is the historical soul of the Manilva coastline. Originally settled during the Roman Empire as an important maritime settlement and fish-salting industrial center, the hamlet later evolved into an 18th-century military defensive outpost and authentic Andalusian fishing community (*barrio de pescadores*).

The historic centerpiece is the *Fortín de la Duquesa* (Castillo de Sabinillas)—an imposing 18th-century stone coastal fortress built in 1767 by Francisco Paulino to defend the coast against pirate raids. Today, the fortress houses the municipal archaeological museum and cultural exhibition spaces. Surrounding the fortress are the excavated remains of the *Yacimiento Romano de la Duquesa*, featuring ancient Roman thermal baths, a luxury villa, a necropolis, and stone vats used for producing *garum* (the prized Roman fermented fish sauce).

Radiating from the castle square is an intimate maze of whitewashed pedestrian alleys (*Calle Los Pescadores*, *Calle San José*) lined with traditional fishermen's cottages and some of the finest traditional seafood restaurants in the region—celebrated for serving freshly caught sea bass, red snapper, and chargrilled octopus right next to the fishing boats pulled up on the sand. The shoreline is anchored by *Playa del Castillo*, a wide, natural beach bordered by rocky coves that offer exceptional crystal-clear snorkeling and diving. Connected on foot in under 5 minutes to the bustling yacht marina of *Puerto de la Duquesa* via the illuminated beachfront boardwalk, Castillo de la Duquesa provides an idyllic haven of peace, heritage, and gastronomy with total flat walkability.