Club Class

Exuding natural beauty, world class beaches and warm climes, there’s a superfluity of reasons to visit the Spanish coast. Julia Millen took some time out to relax at the exclusive La Reserva Club

Sotogrande was established as an exclusive enclave inside a private world in the 1960s. Since its inception, it’s been a home for the elite who seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of fast-paced city life and crave space, sunshine, and access to the facets of life that matter most.

At the destination’s epicentre is La Reserva Club; a one-of-a-kind sports and leisure club with world-class facilities and amenities, including a highly rated championship golf course and Spain’s only manmade beach club, all set atop the hills of Andalusia with views down to the Mediterranean.

Sotogrande, in contrast to its neighbour Marbella, is not a tourist destination as such. While there is access to tourism hotspots nearby, the destination sets itself apart by existing primarily to provide residents and their families with an enviable lifestyle.

“The concept of Sotogrande, and more specifically La Reserve Club and our private gated communities, is to create a residential experience where those living here can enjoy the very fundamentals of life - family, security, safety, privacy, and access to the desirable amenities that form their recreational habits,” says Marc Topiol, Chairman of the Board at Sotogrande SA.

The residential offering is not vast – with just 7,000 homes in total – but this is of course part of the appeal of Sotogrande. Residences include villas in gated communities such as ‘The Seven’ and ‘El Mirador’ which start at €7,000,000 but also community properties which can be purchased for upwards of €800,000. All, however, offer the serenity, closeness to nature, low population density and year-round sunshine that have become synonymous with Sotogrande living.

“Before we launched The Seven, The Fifteen, El Mirador, The Lagoon Villas there was just one gated community in Sotogrande; Los Altos de Valderrama. Now that privacy and security is widely available due to our new residences,” continues Topiol.

All residents have privileged access to La Reserva Club, providing a playground for sports and wellness enthusiasts. Elsewhere, there is a lively marina just a stone’s throw away, with access to unpretentious and authentic cuisine, as well as being close outdoors for hiking and horseback riding. Moreover, world-renowned international polo and sailing come to Sotogrande annually. The addition of a highly regarded International School, and the shift in people’s lives due to the global pandemic, has led to unprecedented interest from families seeking a way of life that so few places can now claim to offer.