Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Marbella not for me

Sotogrande quieter than Marbella but for those who love the outdoor life and want to enjoy a great sporting heritage there is no better place than Sotogrande.

Life in Sotogrande offers the outdoor enthusiasts a wide range of sport and leisure. The Sotogrande marina is unspoilt here you will not find tacky pictures of pizza plastered all over the marina. Here you will find sleek yachts that enjoy sailing through the nearby straits of Gibraltar a haven for fishing,Whale and Dolphin spotting.
The Guadiaro river never dries out and runs through Sotogrande we often hire canoes and take a half day trip up this Andalucian water way.

Tennis and the ever popular padel tennis are a great social draw and most morning the Sotogrande mums can be seen at Octagono or Cucarrucho tennis centres taking lessons or playing some friendly matches.Evenings and weekends its open invitation when men and women turn up and mix in the daily matches
When it comes to Golf not many will argue that here you find the very best of the Costa del Sol golf courses Sotogrande Real, San Roque Golf, Valderamma Golf and La Reserva are all within 5 minutes of each other literally surrounding Sotogrande. I am a member of San Roque Golf and love playing the Old Course although the San Roque new course takes some beating. Then if you want to sit back and be entertained pop along to Santa Maria Polo. The notice boards around Sotogrande tell you when and where there is a tournament and many people take the kids and a picnic. Here home of Santa Maria Polo you dont have to be a toff to spend a lazy social day in the sun. Whilst living in Spain for us Brits tends to be a lifestyle move you cannot beat the fact that from Sotogrande you can still get a slice of England and most Brit wifes pop along to Gibraltar for a Morrisons or Marks & Spencers shop after all the exchange rate isnt great so being able to spend some British pounds becomes theraputic although my wife thinks not loosing on exchange is a reason to spend more. On a rainy day we often take the children to Gibraltar for Cinema ice skating or bowling.

Whilst Sotogrande is mainly an expat community it is great to escape to real Spain and La Linea town is 20 minutes drive and we often walk the paseo on the warmer evenings and enjoy the mix of young and old sitting out drinking coffee and its fun to discover the many tapas bars and restaurants in the alleys and side streets around the historic quarter. All that and I havent mentioned the Beach Sotogrande has beach on both sides and to the west it stretches beyond Sotogrande to Alcaidesa and all the way to La Linea. Miles of unspoilt sand and sea with nothing else behind it other than cork forest and marsh land.

Three years living here and for us there is no going back. No traffic jams, probably one of the greenest areas of Southern Spain a large estate of tree lined avenues and Roads with a mountain backdrop and a stunning sea front. Once a month we visit Marbella 30 to 40 minutes away but for us a day is enough to keep the wifes shopping habits in play whilst I amble around the historic old town.
Then its back to Sotogrande approximately 4 km wide x 6 km deep all gated entrances manned by securicor and recorded on CCTV. Once inside even after 3 years it feels like you are back on Holiday

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