Sotogrande's beaches have not suffered from over commercialisation, as is the case with other popular destinations. Many of them have little in the way of sunbeds, beach bars or some beach vendors interrupting your seaside visit. It really can be a back to nature experience. Detailed below is an open and honest review of some of the better known beaches in the Sotogrande area.

 

 

Playa Guadalquiton

 

Playa Guadalquiton is the 5km beach in front of a private estate between Sotogrande and Alcaidesa. This beach is very isolated and one of the quietest in Andalucia, and is almost deserted even in the summer. Its name come from the small river that crosses the beach. The estate boasts the last cork-oak trees (alcornoques) which grow adjacent to the Mediterranean sea in Europe. Access on foot is from the Playa Torrecarboneria to the west and Playa Sotogrande to the east.

 

 

 

Playa Sotogrande

 

Playa Sotogrande is the beach that fronts the estate and is 2km long, situated to the west of the Guadiaro river estuary and natural protected area. The only car access is by the road that runs to the beach from Paseo del Parque to the west of the urbanization. Parking can prove to be difficult on summer weekends. Facilities include toilets and lifeguard huts, but no showers, chiringuito or sunbeds. Also worthy of a special mention is the Trocadero beach club and restaurant. This is on the site of the old Sotogrande Beach Club  which fronts the beach and has been massively upgraded with no expense spared. Day membership is available - click link to their web site. CLICK HERE

 

Pedestrian access is possible from the urbanization. To the west is Playa Guadalquiton, while the east end is backed by the River Guadiaro estuary protected wetlands. The river can be crossed in summer at the beach or via the road bridge 200m inland. An older name of this beach is Borondo.

 

 

 

Playa Paseo Del Mar

 

A small beach, 1km long, between the mouth of the Sotogrande marina and the Guadairo river. Triangular shaped, it is reasonably popular in the summer. This beach fronts the Paseo del Mar section of the urbanizations and the Octagon Beach Club, where day membership is available. Parking is difficult here in the summer. In the summer a water taxi takes visitors from the other side of the marina opposite the bar. Facilities include a shower, toilets and lifeguard huts and watersports centre.

 

 

 Torreguaiaro Beach

 

This semi-urban beach lies between the village of Torreguadiaro and Sotogrande port to the east. It is about 1.3km long and can get quite

busy - parking is limited in the Marina. The best car access is from the old N-340a west of the village at km134, with a tarmac car park  near the 16th-century watchtower (Torre Vigias). The chiringuito, sunbeds, showers and lifeguard posts are towards the village end of the beach. There is also access to the west end from the Sotogrande port, with steps over the retaining wall. This beach is also known as Playa de las Conchas

 

 

Small Cove

 

To the east of Torreguadiaro, near an isolated hotel, this is a small cove which cannot be seen from the road. Some parking is available by the Hotel Milla de Plata  and a steep path leads down to the cove. This beach is surprisingly quiet even in the summer, and has little in the way of facilities, although the trees behind the beach offer shade. On the headland above (east side) the beach are some ruins of a Guardia Civil barracks.

 

 

 

Playa El Cabrero In Cala Taraje

 

This interesting cove has a 900m-long crescent-shaped beach and can be moderately busy. There are showers, toilets and a lifeguard point as well as a chiringuito. In the winter access is by a track from the ëold' coast road to Torreguadiaro village at km137. Camper vans often park here overnight. It is also known as Cala Sardina (Sardine Cove) and there is a protected monument ëCasa Fuerte de Cala Sardina'. This beach was used as a location for the film Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. This cove is on the boundary of Malaga and Cadiz Provinces.

 

 

Also worthy of a special mention is the Trocadero beach club and restaurant. This is on the site of the old Sotogrande beach club and has been massively upgraded with no expense spared. Follow the link to their website. CLICK HERE