Castillo de la Duquesa and the Roman villa in Manilva

Castillo de la Duquesa is an 18th-century coastal fort in Manilva (Málaga), beside Puerto de la Duquesa, standing on and next to the remains of a Roman maritime villa. The site, officially called «Entorno del Castillo de la Duquesa», is a Bien de Interés Cultural in the category of Archaeological Zone. This guide gathers what the official sources say (the protection decree, a 2018 archaeological report and the town council) and makes clear what we could not confirm, such as opening hours.

What the law protects

Decree 89/2005 of 15 March (BOJA no. 65, 5 April 2005) declares the site «Entorno del Castillo de la Duquesa» a BIC, as an Archaeological Zone. The same decree describes the castle as an 18th-century fortress protected by a 1949 decree and by the second additional provision of Law 16/1985 on Spanish Historical Heritage.

What survives of the Roman villa

According to the decree, it is a Roman maritime villa dating from the 2nd to the 5th century AD (the 2018 archaeological report speaks of the 1st to 5th centuries). Its parts are:

• Residential area (pars urbana): a small atrium with a floor of large ceramic tesserae and several rooms; one keeps a bichrome mosaic of white limestone and grey Tarifa stone tesserae in hexagonal patterns.
• Baths: they keep mosaic floors with geometric motifs and part of the hypocaust (the underfloor heating system).
• Industrial area: a fish-salting factory with rows of tanks around a central paved courtyard. The decree also describes another area with tanks holding traces of red dye and murex shells, which it links to purple production.
• Necropolis: inhumation and cremation burials, with lead cists and graves covered with roof tiles; the decree lists lamps, coins, glass and a bronze mirror as grave goods. According to the 2018 report, it now lies outside the BIC boundary.

How it was found

The remains came to light by chance: in 1987 works for sports fields uncovered the site. In 1988–89 the necropolis and the baths were excavated, and the work of 1997 and 1998 made it possible to set the BIC boundary, declared in 2005. A Guardia Civil barracks had been built over part of the ruins.

What it is like today and how to visit

• Condition: the 2018 report explains that the site had been outdoors since the late 1980s, with invasive vegetation and dumping, and needed conservation; the council wanted to recover the industrial area and put it to public use.
• Guided visits: on 7 May 2024 Manilva town council announced that it was resuming the guide service for the site. Information and booking by phone: 647 715 521.
• Museum: Andalucía.org’s listing presents the castle as home to the Manilva Municipal Archaeological Museum; we could not read its opening hours or price.
• What we could not confirm: opening days and hours, whether entry is free, how long the guided visit lasts and whether there is a walkway. Call before you go.

Getting there

Bus line M-240 (Estepona – La Línea) has stops called Castillo and Puerto La Duquesa; see times and fares in Estepona to Sotogrande by bus (M-240). If you would rather see the coast from the water, our mini-cruise to Puerto de la Duquesa from Sotogrande takes you right here.

To organise the rest of your trip, read the guides to Sotogrande and Estepona.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Castillo de la Duquesa?

The 2005 decree only describes it as an 18th-century fortress. Some popular sources mention 1767, but we could not confirm it in an official document.

What can you see of the Roman site?

Structures of a maritime villa: an atrium, rooms with mosaic, baths with traces of the hypocaust and a salting factory with tanks.

Are there guided visits?

Yes: the council resumed the service in May 2024, with booking by phone (647 715 521).

Is it free?

We could not confirm it in an official source; ask when you book.

Sources

• Junta de Andalucía · Decreto 89/2005, de 15 de marzo (BOJA n.º 65, 05-04-2005) (Spanish).
• López García, E. et al. · «Actividad arqueológica de limpieza y documentación gráfica del yacimiento romano “Entorno al Castillo de la Duquesa”», Anuario Arqueológico de Andalucía 2018 (Spanish).
• Manilva town council · Guided visits to the castle site (07-05-2024) (Spanish).
• Avanza Málaga · Line M-240 Estepona – La Línea (stops) (Spanish).
• Andalucía.org · Castillo de la Duquesa. Museo Arqueológico Municipal de Manilva (only the title of the listing could be read).
• Photos: Tyk, ZC.Marbella and CarlosVdeHabsburgo (CC BY-SA), via Wikimedia Commons. Infographic: our own work.

Last checked: 26 October 2026. Visiting details can change: confirm by phone with Manilva town council before you go.