It is amazing what you can do with a cluster of five fincas. The American developer Joseph McMicking demonstrated what’s possible in the early 1960s, acquiring adjacent farms on Spain’s southeastern coast, just up from Gibraltar, and turning them into Sotogrande. Today, the 10-square-mile community is the ultimate Spanish playground for the European elite, a refuge of superyacht marinas, polo fields, mega villas—all with views over the Med—and, of course, some of the most celebrated golf courses in Spain.

Real Club de Golf Sotogrande

Real Sotogrande represents the old school of golf in southern Spain. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1964, Real Sotogrande and its original residences first established the resort community as an exclusive retreat at the western end of the Costa del Sol. Jackie Kennedy Onassis would vacation here, rubbing shoulders with royalty from different parts of Europe. The members-owned club remains a bastion of tradition, a throwback to late-20th-century glamour, and the golf course still vies with neighboring Valderrama as the finest in Spain.

Real Club Valderrama

Valderrama—another Robert Trent Jones creation—began life as the second course at Real Sotogrande, called Las Aves. That was before the Bolivian mining tycoon and Sotogrande resident Jaime Ortiz-Patiño bought the course in 1985 and brought Trent Jones back to remodel it. A qualified greenkeeper, Ortiz-Patiño relentlessly pursued perfection for the course, which became one of the most sought-after tee times in Europe by the mid-nineties. It was written in the World Atlas of Golf that “You almost feel inclined to remove your golf shoes while walking the fairways.”

Ortiz-Patiño’s drive and ambition saw his beloved club become the first European Ryder Cup venue outside the British Isles, in 1997. And though Ortiz-Patiño has passed on, his legacy survives, and the manicured Valderrama remains a must-play for Sotogrande visitors. Indigenous cork trees line many holes and demand accuracy from the golfer more than they demand power. Valderrama is also known for unpredictable winds, sometimes arriving from the west, sometimes from the east.

La Reserva Club Sotogrande & Almenara Sotogrande Golf Club

Completing Sotogrande’s close-knit quartet of championship golf courses are La Reserva (main image) and Almenara. The tight and challenging Almenara, which opened in 1997, features three nine-hole loops designed by Dave Thomas, with a hilly landscape that brings frequent elevation changes to test golfers’ course management.

La Reserva, designed by the American architect Cabell B. Robinson, opened in 2003 to widespread acclaim. Afforded more acreage than Almenara, the 7,400-yard course emanates tour quality, and it has staged events on both the DP World Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Wide, sweeping fairways, large and rolling greens, and Mediterranean panoramas define the layout. If Valderrama and Real Sotogrande are the top priorities for a Sotogrande golf trip, La Reserva comes in a close third.

Fresco at Sotogrande Marina

Sotogrande revolves around its marina, which lies just north of the Guadiaro River estuary. Complete with 1,400 berths, the marina extends southeasterly, out to the Alborán Sea, which is the westernmost part of the Mediterranean. Lit by warm sunshine virtually every day, yet tempered by a cool sea breeze, Sotogrande Marina is the perfect place for a long alfresco lunch, with the option of cocktails as the sun begins to set. The Fresco bar and restaurant is unequivocally the first call for waterfront dining, featuring tapas, fresh seafood, paella, and drinks. Fresco is open all day, every day, but its reputation precedes it, so book a table in advance.

SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Hotel

The first and only five-star hotel in Sotogrande opened in its current iteration in 2021. It is hidden amid cork forests and the foothills of the Sierra Almenara, an elegant, white-walled hotel that is ideal both as a golf hub and as a wellness retreat. The 150 rooms and 24 suites look out over landscaped gardens, forests, Sotogrande’s famous golf courses, and down to the sea. The spa at SO/ Sotogrande is state-of-the-art, featuring a hydrothermal circuit, eight tranquil treatment rooms, a 65-foot pool, and special cabins for cryotherapy and flotation.

Polo & Equestrian

Sotogrande is home to no fewer than five polo clubs, including the famous Santa María club, and it hosts the Torneo Internacional de Polo each summer. Horse-riding lessons and guided treks through the Almenara foothills and wild olive groves are popular, particularly as Sotogrande borders a 4,000-acre nature reserve. Sotogrande’s Club Hipica is home to more than 100 horses, and it is equipped for dressage, jumping, and hacking. Beach rides can be arranged, as can longer horseback tours of the white towns of Andalusia.