Until the world's professional golfing fraternity arrived for the Ryder Cup in 1997, this luxurious property development set in 5,000 green acres 20 minutes from Gibraltar kept a relatively low profile compared with neighbouring Marbella.

Now Sotogrande is synonymous with its championship golf course, Valderrama, also host to the 2002 World Golf Championships, and the area has become one of the most up-market destinations on this coast where you will find a number of luxury Sotogrande hotels.

It is also home to two more golf courses, Sotogrande, considered by its designer Robert Trent Jones to be his finest, and La Cañada. The courses at San Roque and Almenara Golf Hotel and Spa are nearby, the latter home to the region's best golf training facility, the Sotogrande Golf Academy.

There is ample provision for enthusiasts of other sports too, including tennis, horse riding, windsurfing and sailing in its prestigious leisure harbour. Sotogrande is also sought-after among international polo players, as the Santa Maria polo club is the only place in Europe they can play all-year round.

Accommodation on the estate ranges from luxurious hotels and villas with gardens and swimming pools to beachside apartments overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar. You can even see the Atlas Mountains in Morocco on a clear day. All properties are guarded by 24-hour security.

Surrounded by the 27-hectare Guardiaro estuary, a protected natural area and great place for birdwatching, Sotogrande remains a peaceful and relaxing area for most of the year. At Easter and during the peak summer months, wealthy Spanish families from Seville and Madrid descend on the estate for its high class restaurants and beach.

You will need a car in Sotogrande, 90 minutes from Malaga. Its proximity to Gibraltar makes it an especially popular destination with the British, who stock up at the Marks and Spencer and Safeway near the looming Rock.