The Pascual family, famous for creating one of Spain’s largest dairy companies, hails from the north of the country. Like others from chillier northern climes, they gravitated towards Marbella and fell in love with it, acquiring a large tract of land in the area where the municipal boundaries of Benahavís and Marbella meet. Here they had discovered a little paradise made up of green valleys and rolling, wooded hills. It seemed the perfect place to create a country club environment in the American style.

The result is Urbanización La Quinta Golf, a luxurious residential area dominated by villas and dotted with attractive apartment complexes set within lush gardens. The properties follow the flow of the La Quinta golf courses, looking out over them and beyond wooded hilltops towards Marbella and the sea. The ambience is a pleasant blend of rustic, residential and resort in a location that is only a few minutes from Marbella yet also within easy reach of open countryside. It’s a formula for success that has made Urb. La Quinta Golf one of the region’s prime addresses, and now the inspiration for Real de La Quinta.

Real de La Quinta

Situated a little further in, Real de La Quinta occupies a country setting of 200 hectares where wooded hills flank a broad, green valley that will form the heart of the community. The focal point of this resort development of stylish apartments and villas will feature – apart from marvellous sea and mountain views – the largest manmade lagoon on the Costa del Sol with non-motorised water sports, around which many of the resort’s amenities will be clustered. These include a 6-hole golf course designed by Ryder Cup winner, Manuel Piñero, with multiple tee and flag positions allowing for 18-hole configurations ranging from pars of 66 to 72 with individual 3, 4 and 5 par holes, a racquet club, equestrian centre, a Lake Club and a boutique hotel, as well as on-site shops and dining facilities.

“We have always moved with the times, and Real de La Quinta reflects this,” says Borja Pascual, CEO of La Quinta Grupo Inmobiliario. “For us, the blend of beautifully styled contemporary homes with natural touches, a five-star lifestyle environment, a magnificent setting and a full commitment to creating a sustainable project are the ultimate form of property development. With the technologies now available to us, it feels like the industry has finally come of age, and this is the environment we like to work in and excel at.”

The scale of the land means Real de La Quinta will be developed in phases and contain its own master plan, so everything from the roads to the security system, the landscaping, amenities and architectural evolution can be coordinated to be effective, attractive and harmonious. “We’re very aware of the fact that in Marbella, one doesn’t merely offer lovely homes or even a great setting, but that it all has to amount to a special lifestyle. This quality of life is fortunately also tied in to nature, wellbeing and sustainability, so ours is the first BREEAM certified project in Spain.”

Nature and Amenities

Though Marbella and the shoreline are about ten minutes away, Real de La Quinta occupies a beautiful country setting that feels private and immersed in natural beauty. “The setting is inspiring, bringing hiking and country outings within easy reach. We want nature to envelop you in its soothing beauty, so our masterplan envisages not just gardens and parkland areas, but also natural greenery made up of indigenous species that rise to pine groves in the more mountainous parts of the terrain.”

Skirting the lake and golf course, therefore, is a walking and jogging trail that runs through its own park zone fringed by natural greenery. The architecture of the first two projects, Olivos and Quercos, reflects this, blending stylish contemporary lines with softer elements, a low-rise structure and natural materials such as stone and wood. “We consciously stayed away from white cubic designs because we wanted to create homes that blend in with their natural setting and exude a sense of harmony while being luxurious and refined.”

Borja Pascual and his team have strived to ensure the right balance in this while also offering the latest technologies, comforts and open-plan living that makes the most of the fantastic views. The success of Olivos, and now also Quercus, reflects just how much buyers appreciate this approach, as well as the amenities and ambience created at Real de La Quinta. Innovation is another thing for which Real de La Quinta stands out, for it committed itself to a different kind of architecture before it became the trend, and leads the way in sustainable development.

This drive to offer the best they can has also led to the creation of smaller apartment blocks in which each property occupies a corner, enjoying more space and ensuring optimal views. “We try very hard to design something special and make Real de La Quinta an exceptional residential resort environment in which to live, visit and enjoy a superb quality of life.”

In this setting, so close to Marbella but bordering a UNESCO nature reserve, the conditions are being created for a very special way of life that blends the best of Marbella with touches of Andalusian country living.

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LA QUINTA GRUPO INMOBILIARIO

Avda. Tomás Pascual 6, Of. 6, Urb. de La Quinta Golf, Benahavís. Tel: (+34) 952 762 400.

www.realdelaquinta.com