La Zagaleta is a private gated estate in the hills of Benahavis, roughly fifteen minutes inland from Puerto Banus, laid out across about 900 hectares of cork oak woodland and opened in 1994. This La Zagaleta Benahavis guide for 2026 covers what sits behind the gates, what it costs and whether you can get in. The estate holds around 230 residences, a private 36 hole golf course and its own helipad, and homes there average close to 12.4 million euros.
What is inside the gates?
Two 18 hole golf courses, both private to residents, with two clubhouses between them. There is an equestrian centre, a tennis and padel complex, a helipad and a private security service on permanent patrol. Almost all of the 900 hectares is left as woodland, which is why plots are measured in thousands of square metres and why you can drive for several minutes inside the estate without passing a house.
The estate sits at altitude behind Benahavis village, so the views run south over the valley to the sea and across to Gibraltar on a clear day.
Can you visit La Zagaleta?
No, not casually. Access is limited to residents, their families and their invited guests, and every vehicle is checked at the barrier against a name on the list. There is no public road through it, no visitor centre and no restaurant open to outsiders. If you want the same landscape without the gate, the village of Benahavis itself is open to everyone and sits fifteen minutes further up the valley. Our guide to things to do in Benahavis covers it.
What does a home cost in 2026?
Older villas awaiting renovation start around 5 to 7 million euros. Contemporary trophy houses reach 34 million and above. Across the estate that works out at roughly 7,000 to 12,000 euros per square metre. For context, Benahavis as a whole averages about 4,900 euros per square metre in 2026 and its new builds about 5,700, so La Zagaleta trades at close to double its own municipality. Treat any single average carefully, because a newly finished house and a 1990s original sit a long way apart inside the same gates.
Staying nearby
If you are booking a holiday rather than buying, look lower down. Sierra Blanca is the comparable gated hill on the Marbella side, and our guide to the best areas to stay in Marbella compares the coastal options properly.
Premavista manages 15 homes across Marbella, Estepona and Benahavis, three of them in Benahavis. If you own in the municipality, see our Benahavis owners page or message us on WhatsApp.
