Torreguadiaro

Torreguadiaro is still a small fishing village in the outskirts of the bigger and more populous Sotogrande. The small fishing bay enjoys splendid views towards the sea, Gibraltar and the coast of Africa. The village has easy access to the Sotogrande Marina (2 km), Estepona the West (28 km), and it is only a 25 minute drive to Gibraltar and 1.5 hour drive to Malaga. You will find numerous restaurants and shops in Torreguadiaro and the chic Sotogrande Marina, and still be close to the unspoiled scenery of inland Cadiz, its pretty bright “white villages” and Moorish castles that are well worth a visit.

 

History
Some historians interpret the place name Guadiaro as a Latin version of the Greek name Chrysus. In 400 B.C. the River Chrysus is quoted as a provisions and trading point for the eastern part of Straits of Gibraltar. Torreguadiaro was part of the exiting Andalusian coastal defence system which was operational from the 15th until the 19th century. The watch tower in Torreguadiaro may have been built at the end if the 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century and was used as a shelter for travellers, cattle herdsmen and wood collectors from the area. In 1796 it had a canon and a company of guards.  The present village was developed around its original fishing settlement. In the 1930´s the village still had its own customs office and could have been the natural harbor for the Bay of Algeciras.

 

Beaches
The Torreguadiaro beach belongs to the San Roque costal line and presents a 2300 meters stretch of sandy beach with small stones. It is still a fishing area and you still can see how the fishermen work on their boats and nets while the seagulls roam around them. The Torreguadiaro coast is rated as “virgin” (untouched by development) by the Ministry of Natural Environment* and is described as a calm beach with a good atmosphere and fully equipped with all necessary services for the swimmers.

 

Things to do in Torreguadiaro

Attention golf lovers because you happen to be in the golf heart of Costa del Sol, will find eight of the finest golf clubs in this area:

La Cañada Borough golf Club with 18 holes,
Almenara Golf with 27 holes,
The San Roque Club with 18 holes,
Real Club de Sotogrande with 27 holes,
Alcaidesa Links with 18 holes,
La Reserva de Sotogrande with 18 holes,
San Roque Club II with 18 holes
and the Valderrama Golf Club, world famous for having been the only venue on European Contiental soil for 1997 edition of the Ryder Cup, the American Express World Championship or the year 2000 edition of the Volvo Masters Tournament.

 

Bird watching and nature walks. Torreguadiaro is within the Natural Park of the Torreguadiaro Lagoon  - a 2 hectare nature spot with information panels and bird watching huts. You will also find the Guadiaro River Estuary - a 27 hectare nature reserve and a wonderful example a thick river bank with full vegetation ending in a sand bar before meeting the sea. It is a highly important conservation area, not only for its scenery, but also because of the variety of flora and fauna, and particularly for its migratory birds. For those who love to frolic in nature, Pinar del Rey Pine Woods offers over 360 hectares, mainly of pine trees, cork oak trees and wild olive trees. There are also three marked ecological trails with information panels: Big, Ugly Bird Gorge Ecological Trail, Eagle's Hill Ecological Trail, and Alhaja

 

Finally the Arca Mountains, a lovely nature spot from which you can admire a breathtaking view of the sea and the mountains. There is a lake in the centre in a fissure which makes the mountains look like an ark. It is said that the mountains have the shape of an ark due to a meteorite impact.

 

But Torreguadiaro not only offers this sort of inland nature activities, sailing and yacht keeping are undoubtedly another big attraction in the area. The port of Sotogrande is only 2 km away and attracts yacht owners and sailors from all over the world.