If you're still there, I've visited the area many times and like it. There is lots of Spanish authenticity and residents there and a few ex pat areas, especially the urbanisations near Duquesa.
Not sure exactly where you're planning to stay - Manilva is a small town a couple of miles inland up a very steep hill, but there are the coastal areas of Sabinillias (slightly scruffy in places Spanish town but nice bars and restaurants on the front and nice beach - quite authentic - loads of Spanish families there at the weekend)
Puerto Duquesa - niceish small Marina with bars/restaurants and lots of nice apartments.
Castillo - small Spanish seafront village nice to walk along the coast between Sabinillas and Castillo and back.
Manilva is well placed for trips to white towns like Gaucin, Casares and also Ronda. Estepona about 20 minutes up the coast is a nice larger Spanish town.
Further afield you have Gibraltar, Puerto Banus and Marbella. Gib is interesting for a day trip with plenty to do - Marbella and PB are not my sort of thing at all and I have never been. We tend to laze on the beach, swim in the sea, visit the aforementioned places and eat and drinks in the bars.