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Posted by Roger on January 23, 2006

The Sotogrande Playground

Two hours and you are in London. As far as commuting times go, Sotogrande rates with Cheltenham or Bournemouth.

Except that this lush resort sits lazily under the Andalusian sun on the Costa del Sol, southern Spain, thousands of miles away from rain, fog and cold winters.

A peaceful oasis in the bustle of the Costa del Sol, Sotogrande became the summer playground of los que conten in Madrid when it was developed 45 years ago. Then the British discovered it, and now they vie with the locals for the vast plots of the La Reserva neighbourhood, the luminous townhouses of Los Cortijos and the Marina's luxury apartments. 'Sotogrande is attractive because it has a lovely countryside and plenty of space,' says David Vaughan, who represents the estate in London (020–7736 1700). 'It's very tranquil and people love it.'

The only thing that is greener than the trees here are Sotogrande's golf courses. Two of them, Aldemara and La Cañeda, are public and three—Valderrama, Sotogrande and La Reserva—are private. 'Valderrama is Valderrama, but La Reserva is new. Golf evolves and this course is fabulous,' Mr Vaughan says.

Perhaps it is because it is so different that Sotogrande is bucking the slow-down which began affecting the Spanish market at the end of 2004. 'The market is going through a difficult period across the board on the Costa del Sol. But Sotogrande is doing better than most,' Mr Stucklin states. 'In difficult markets, people retreat to quality, and Sotogrande definitely has that reputation. And it has people living there all year round, which introduces a new pool of demand.'