Puerto de la Duquesa

 
Puerto de la Duquesa really is the Costa del Sol's best-kept secret.  1Km from our apartment, La Duquesa seems like a thousand miles away from the throng of the holiday resorts and offers an unparalleled quality of life in Southern Spain.

Among the many attractions are:

The La Duquesa sport marina
Miles of beautiful, un crowded beaches
Promenades with bars, restaurants, cafes and services
Championship 18 hole golf course
The natural marvels of Andalusia
Shopping and bustling nightlife minutes away
Easy airport access and excellent transport
La Duquesa enjoys an advantageous location to the west of Marbella ­ sometimes called "the Other Costa del Sol". The essence in this distinction is that the area retains a vast amount of unspoiled natural scenery and authentic local character - while sharing the fantastic climate and all the excellent services and infrastructure of the rest of the Costa del Sol. This is primarily due to a limited and well-managed development. The result: an ideal balance of relaxed living with easy access to every imaginable amenity. In other words, quality of life.

The beautiful port of La Duquesa offers full marina services for boating enthusiasts as well as a myriad of attractions for those with no aspirations to take to the water. The attractive promenades encircling the port offer a variety of restaurants, intimate bars and cafes in which to while away the days. The vast choice of eating and drinking options include French, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai and, of course, Spanish with its fresh, local fish. Numerous services and grocers are also on hand. Two nights a week the port hosts a unique Crafts Market, popular with the local residents as well as visitors.

La Duquesa Golf and Country Club boasts an 18 hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., a technical masterpiece with wonderful sea and mountain views. In addition to golf, the club offers many facilities including tennis, squash, and a fully equipped gym with a qualified resident trainer. Membership is available. Further golfing challenges are close at hand: Alcaidesa, a Links course overlooking the Rock of Gibraltar; Valderrama, host of the Ryder Cup and World Championship, only ten minutes from La Duquesa; Sotogrande, a parkland course; and La Cañada, a wonderful golf challenge where the fairways are as thick and lush as carpet. San Roque, host to the qualifying schools, is also only a few minutes away. As if this is not enough, there are another 40-odd courses within an hour's drive.

Beaches and Mountains. Whether it's miles of pristine beaches (many earning the European Blue Flag for cleanliness) or rugged mountains with their wildlife, the La Duquesa area offers every type of terrain. Rising virtually from the beaches, the mountains hide their medieval towns like little jewels ­ the famed White Villages. Every type of nature recreation is at hand including even winter and spring skiing only two hours away in Granada.

Cosmopolitan Life can be found only twenty minutes away in the "jet-set" city of Marbella with its hustle and bustle. Shopping experiences of every kind are available ranging from the upscale El Corte Inglés, Spain's premier department store, to the sprawling La Cañada mall just outside Marbella, to the infinite variety of small shops and boutiques lining the cobble-stoned streets of Old Marbella. Just before Marbella, approaching from La Duquesa, is the international resort of Puerto Banus with its millionaire playground of floating palaces and luxury cars. In addition to the yachts, the port is chock full of all the appropriate designer names such as Versace, Armani, and Donna Karen ­ for the most discerning shoppers.