In this sun-kissed corner of the Mediterranean, Sotogrande has always been a place where people from all over the world come together to live, laugh and play amid beautiful Andalucian landscape.
Sotogrande sits ideally as the connection between vibrant Malaga and Marbella and the popular Costa del Sol, and the Atlantic’s Costa de la Luz, with the kitesurfing paradise of Tarifa, the beaches at Bolonia and Barbate, and the history and festivals of Jerez and Cadiz. It is an extraordinary location offering the very best of every world.
It is also impossible to forget the celebrated towns and cities inland from the coast. The names Seville, Cordoba and Granada all echo with rich history, culture and architecture, alongside some of the finest restaurants in Spain. Each are a wonderful drive from Sotogrande and just add to the diversity of experience that is available in the region.
Envisioned in the early 1960s, Sotogrande’s 20km2 destination was founded on the ideals of great friendship and an active lifestyle, and to this day is a collection of neighbourhoods rooted in tradition and instilled with the joie de vivre.
Among celebrated shores and countryside, you will want for nothing except perhaps the time to do everything, whether you choose to stay or live in breezy Sotogrande ‘Alto’, the elevated hill-top privacy of La Reserva, amid the bustle of the marina or along dappled avenues fringed with palms in Sotogrande ‘Bajo’.
The winds that roll in to the coast of Southern Spain have long made Sotogrande popular with sailors, justifying its venue for a multitude of regattas and races throughout the year. During these seasonal events, the marina buzzes with the glamour of the world’s sailing community. Built in the 1990s creating one of the most visually stunning marinas in Europe, this is the source of the life aquatic with hundreds of berths full of verve.
Cobbled squares set back from the water’s edge provide pockets of peace away from the flurry of shops, cafés, and restaurants that surround the harbour, whilst a boutique hotel and exclusive apartments on the Ribera del Marlin frame the scene of tall masts and elegant yachts that glide into the marina across a glass-flat sea.
There are a plethora of beach clubs at which to relax with family and friends. The famous Trocadero, joins with Gigi’s Beach, Chambao Beach Bar and the ever elegant and sophisticated inland beach complex at La Reserva amongst others, provide lots of fun opportunities to soak in the sun and enjoy the cocktails.
It is well documented that Sotogrande is a place of golfing legend – her championship courses are world renowned. Home to five well-regarded clubs, the most notable being Real Club Valderrama where, in 1997, the first ever Ryder Cup was played (and won) on European soil. This is a grail for golfers keen to walk in the footsteps of champions.
Other courses include the most historic of all, Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande, and the newer and glamorous La Reserva Golf Club, carved from the hillside and offering sensational views.
The longstanding annual international polo event in the summer is the highpoint in the social calendar, with teams arriving with an adoring entourage from all over the world. This tradition, alongside many Olympic-standard sailing tournaments has put Sotogrande on the global map for elite sports. However, Sotogrande is also a place where families or individuals can immerse themselves in a multiplicity of pursuits, whether hiking, fishing, cycling, kayaking, horseriding, playing tennis and surfing the waves, or even hunting or skiing in the cooler months.
For the racquet players, there are tennis and padel clubs for players of all ages and abilities and the equestrian centres and stables deliver a range of facilities beyond just Polo, including dressage, endurance riding and show jumping. You can experience the Andalucian landscape on horseback up winding hillsides, amongst the wild olives and cork forests, to the lakes and tumbling streams in the mountains above. Similarly, cross-country cycling reveals the unseen side of Sotogrande’s varied natural landscape, through mint-covered countryside or along trails that hug the sea.
Sotogrande is for those seeking an easy-going and diverse lifestyle on the Mediterranean’s shores. It is a place where you can escape to find privacy and tranquillity, where activity and friendship abound and time seems to stand still during long warm days. Of course, if you want the excitement of bright lights and a sparkling promenade, Marbella is only 30 minutes away.
Across her manicured gardens, golf courses and wilder terrain, along silver beaches and on her doorstep, Sotogrande really has it all.
