Sotogrande
Residential area
Sotogrande aerial view, July 2011
Sotogrande aerial view, July 2011
Sotogrande is located in Province of Cádiz
Sotogrande
Sotogrande
Location in the Province of Cádiz
Sotogrande is located in Andalusia
Sotogrande
Sotogrande
Sotogrande (Andalusia)
Sotogrande is located in Spain
Sotogrande
Sotogrande
Sotogrande (Spain)
Coordinates: 36°16′42″N 5°17′24″W / 36.27833°N 5.29000°W / 36.27833; -5.29000
Country Spain
Autonomous community Andalusia
ProvinceCádiz
ComarcaCampo de Gibraltar
MunicipalitySan Roque
Established1964
Population
 (2009)
 • Total2,584
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
11310
Official language(s)Spanish
WebsiteOfficial website

Sotogrande is the largest privately owned residential development in Andalusia, Spain. Originally a gated community, it is now an open resort settlement in the municipality of San Roque. Located 25 km northeast of Gibraltar, Sotogrande is composed of a 25-square-kilometre stretch from the Mediterranean Sea back into the foothills of Sierra Almenara, providing contrasting views of sea, hills, cork forests and green fairways, including the Rock of Gibraltar and Morocco.

History

To build a city similar to Palm Springs in southern Europe, Sotogrande was developed by the industrialist couple from the Philippines, Joseph McMicking and Mercedes Zóbel, with support from their nephews Jaime Zóbel and Enrique Zóbel.[1] The McMickings, having seen the idyllic coasts in 1962, acquired five neighboring farms with the idea of creating a luxurious residential development by the Mediterranean. In May 2006, Sotogrande was featured in The Times as having the most expensive homes in Europe.[2] There are a number of artificial lakes and five golf courses, including the Valderrama Golf Club created by Jaime Ortiz-Patiño[3] and the San Roque course. The port was established in 1988.[1]

Architecture

View of Sotogrande port

Sotogrande is well known as an architectural showcase on the Costa del Sol, with styles varying from the traditional Andalusian to mid-century modern, to more modern and unusual designs, including moorish/mudéjar style homes and a Swiss chalet. In 2008, the local government declared three buildings as of cultural interest, protecting them from reform or demolition. These included the Biddle House by Francisco Javier Carvajal, the Zóbel house by José Antonio Coderch, and the Real Club de Golf by Luis Gutierrez Soto.[4]

A specially built man-made lagoon is part of the newest developments in Sotogrande within the La Reserva gated residential community in the hills of Sotogrande.

Sport

Sotogrande has varied sporting facilities. It has five golf courses, including Valderrama Golf Club, which was host to the European Tour's Volvo Masters and the 1997 Ryder Cup. It also has two tennis and padel clubs, a rugby club, a diving club and two beach clubs, a kayak/sailing club, the famous Santa Maria Polo Club, riding stables, and a marina.

Valderrama Golf Club became the first course outside the United States and United Kingdom to host the Ryder Cup in 1997

Nature

River Guadiaro and Estuary, Sotogrande, a natural area of 27 hectares and the only marshland on this part of the coast, has been designated as an Andalusian national park, wildlife and nature reserve. The reserve often hosts migratory birds on their route to and from Africa.

Economy

Sotogrande seems to have kept its head above the crisis. Finanzas, a Spanish finance publication, says that whilst prices in other areas of the Costa del Sol have taken a fall to the tune of -11.4% in Torremolinos, -10.99% in Fuengirola, -7.4% in Manilva, -5-5% in Casares and -3.4% in Mijas Costa. In Sotogrande average property prices have remained the same or increased, in some cases up to 45%. This phenomenon is attributed to the financial status of the residents of the urbanization.[5]

Residents

Some of the richest and most powerful families of Spain, Russia, and the United Kingdom reside in Sotogrande.[6] Current and past regulars (with second homes) or permanent inhabitants include Peter Caruana, former Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, current Chief Minister of Gibraltar,[7] Tony Blair, Emilio Botín, Ana Rosa Quintana,[8] Royal Shakespeare Company actor Mike Gwilym,[9] Vladimir Gusinsky,[10] Boris Berezovsky,[11] as well as Prince Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, the legitimist pretender to the throne of France.[12][13]

Scandal

Recorded by Spanish secret services, Vladimir Putin illegally entered Spain at Sotogrande by private boat via plane flights from London to Gibraltar several times while he was head of Russia's FSB during the 1990s.

Spanish police arrested several Russian mafia with residences at Sotogrande during Operation Troika.

References

  1. 1 2 Abril, Guillermo (2014-08-26). "La burbuja de Sotogrande. Nació hace medio siglo para ser el lugar más selecto de la Costa del Sol. Su clientela teme el desembarco de los nuevos ricos" [The Sotogrande bubble. He was born half a century ago to be the most select place on the Costa del Sol. His clientele fears the landing of the new rich]. El Pais (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2014-08-28. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  2. ↑ "Spanish gold - Times Online". Property.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  3. ↑ "The 50 best golf courses - Outdoor & Activity - IndyBest". The Independent. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  4. ↑ "El Periódico de Sotogrande" (in Spanish). Issuu.com. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  5. ↑ Housing prices come down, but not for the rich: Sotogrande records hikes of 45%. blevinfranks.com
  6. ↑ "Spanish Resorts: Sotogrande, Costa del Sol". Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  7. ↑ "El 'Gibraltarexit' de los ricos: la Roca para los negocios, Sotogrande para vivir". Elespanol.com. 2017-04-09. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  8. ↑ "Todo sobre CALLEJEROS | Reportajes en". Cuatro.com. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  9. ↑ "La Revista de Sotogrande". Issuu.com. 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  10. ↑ Романова, Людмила (Romanova, Lyudmila); Кобо, Хуан (Kobo, Juan) (2000-12-14). "Гусинский опять в тюрьме" [Gusinsky again in prison]. ng.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "ОПЕРАЦИЯ "ХХ ТРЕСТ"" [OPERATION “XX TRUST”]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). 2000-09-10. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  12. ↑ "Luis Alfonso De Borbon And Margarita Vargas Are… Fotografía de noticias | Getty Images España | 103766561". Gettyimages.es. 2010-08-28. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  13. ↑ Warner, Gerald (2010-05-29). "French royalists celebrate the birth of twin sons to Louis XX, rightful King of France – Telegraph Florence Pugh - Oscar Nominated Actress - also lived there for several years during her childhood. Blogs". Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-05-31. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
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