Paradise for the Senses

A fragrant oasis near Marbella with regal charm, Finca Cortesin offers the ultimate luxury getaway – perfect for guests with or without a golf handicap.

It is just before sunrise and the cool morning breeze carries the scent of jasmine, lavender, and orange blossoms. Slowly, the orange-red fireball rises into the sky. Around me, tiny birds flutter and sing loudly, as if excited to greet the new day. Quickly, I slip on the thick terry cloth bathrobe and push aside the heavy silk curtains. I step onto the expansive terrace of my hotel suite, with the mirror-like pool just before me, framed by bougainvillea in rich pink and purple, surrounded by ancient olive trees with their silvery shimmering leaves. A sight I can never get enough of. I order a café con leche and enjoy this spectacle for the next hour.

I’m staying at Finca Cortesin in Spain, one of Europe’s most spectacular resorts. Getting there is easy: It’s a mere 50 minutes by car from the airport in Málaga, roughly halfway between Marbella and Sotogrande. The 532-hectare oasis offers everything you could possibly want: exquisite cuisine, relaxation by the pool and a golf course on the property for those in search of a little bit more action. There’s also a sensational boutique that carries such a wonderfully curated selection of pieces from international collections that you almost don’t need to shop anywhere else.

The interior of Finca Cortesin is a creative collaboration between Portuguese designer Duarte Pinto Coelho and his Spanish counterpart Lorenzo Castillo, and features an ingenious mix of Portuguese, Spanish, Moroccan and British antiques. A number of the 67 light-filled suites (ranging from 50 to 200 square meters in size) have four-meter-tall ceilings along with magnificent marble baths grouped around a typical patio or inner courtyard. The palatial, white-washed building is two stories high and surrounded by gnarled olive trees and majestic palms.

The building was constructed only 16 years ago in the typical Andalusian country-house style and reflects the Iberian peninsula’s rich architectural heritage: The stone floors are originally from an 18th-century Portuguese monastery and the studded antique wooden doors – each one lovelier than the next and a true rarity – were retrieved from historic buildings all around Spain.

Guests who prefer more privacy have the option of staying at one of the hotel’s free-standing villas, which have either four or six bedrooms and their own private garden, the largest of which covers 2,200 square meters. Once you have enjoyed the view from your room and private terrace to your heart’s content, you can arrange for a shuttle to take you to the coast for a closer look at the sea. At Bahía de Casares, a beautiful bay just 1.5 kilometers away from Finca Cortesin, guests can relax at the hotel’s own 6,000-square-meter Beach Club, which also serves up delicious cuisine. For those who prefer not to swim in the sea, there’s a 35-meter infinity pool along the beach.

But the best thing at Finca Cortesin are the spectacular hotel gardens, which extend across 23,000 square meters. This masterpiece is the work of British landscape designer Gerald Huggan. Andalusian traditions fuse with modern design here to create a symphony of colors and fragrances. Centuries-old olive trees set the tone, along with vibrantly colored bougainvillea and dozens of white roses. A particular highlight: large interior courtyards lined with jasmine, lavender and orange trees, which give off their sweet, heady fragrance far into the night. The symmetry of the gardens, the tall, slender palms and the elegant terracotta pots create a harmonious landscape in which you easily lose track of time. The bubbling fountains and the light reflected in the basins of water create an almost meditative stillness – as if nature were whispering to guests that they should stay a while and relax.

The hotel’s rich and varied offering of exclusive culinary delights is a universe in itself. There are six restaurants, including REI, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which serves Japanese and Mediterranean influenced specialties, and the Don Giovanni, which specializes in Italian cuisine. Breakfast is served à la carte at the El Jardín de Lutz, the garden restaurant presided over by Executive Chef Lutz Bösing from Germany. At midday, the Beach Club serves delicious grilled meat, fish and seafood right on the beach. And any guests who wish to can work off their meal at the hotel’s own 18-hole golf course.