Ayling Property in Sotogrande
956 79 03 17 | 956 79 44 45609 50 45 36 | 667 57 83 80SOTOGRANDE
Sotogrande itself is probably without equal in Europe. The vast 5.000 acre estate includes three championship golf courses, a beautiful marina, polo grounds, tennis, beach clubs, sailing clubs and spacious clean beaches. Shopping facilities, banks and all back up services are at hand, including all types of restaurants, bars and discos. Attractive villas of various sizes set in tree lined avenues, high class apartments and plots with splendid views offer every opportunity for the discerning buyer .
A Short History of Sotogrande:
In 1962, Joseph McMicking an American, looked for land to build an elite urbanisation. He purchased several farms including Sotogrande, Valderrama and the original Paniagua farm, which had concessionary rights to river water, views of the straights of Gibraltar and access to the Gibraltar airport. He named it all Sotogrande. Robert Trent Jones designed the prestigious Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. Joe McMicking planned the urbanisation around it with high quality installations. An American landscaper was contracted, hence the wide avenues which dominate the development. Towards the end of the 1960’s, influential people purchased land and built their homes. Enrique Zobel established the first polo fields alongside the Beach Club. In 1969 the spanish frontier with Gibraltar closed. The pendulum swang, only Spaniards bought.
In the early seventies, the upper part of Sotogrande started to be developed, including another Trent Jones golf course, named ‘Las Aves’. At the beginning of the eighties Jaime Ortiz Patino bought "Las Aves" and some of the neighbouring land. He renamed it Valderrama. It is currently number one golf course in the world.
In 1977 the Port of Sotogrande was planned and the bridge built across the river to link the two parts of the community. In 1978, the International School was founded.
When the Gibraltar border reopened in 1985, the Spanish economy had improved. The Port of Sotogrande was fully developed. This growth and success continued until the recession of October 1989 which lasted well into the '90's. Jaime Patiño organised the Volvo Masters golf tournament in Valderrama. He secured the famous Ryder Cup in 1997 which put Sotogrande in the forefront of world golf. Polo attracted a wider audience. Sotogrande has become one of the main centres in Europe, not only for excellent sport but for providing a world class leisure and housing facility.