Essential Marbella September 2013

N º170 -SEPTEMBER 2013

essential essential magazine® marbella

ISSUE 170 • SEPTEMBER 2013

ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING

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MARBELLA

COMPLIMENTARY EDITION

Dominican REPUBLIC

TROPICAL OASIS

ESCAPE

TO PARADISE

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QUATTROPORTE

Los Monteros

SPA UNVEILED

& CHOWKA ROSMARINO

AL FRESCO Pirates REGGAE AND RUM

Caribbean cocktail

N E W S I C U LT U R E I P E O P L E I T R E N D I S T Y L E I S P A I P R O I L E I S U R E I G O U R M E T & M O R E

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Issue 170 • September 2013

PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR

IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com

GENERAL MANAGER

ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER SALES SUPPORT

SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com JAN DENDAUW jan@essentialmagazine.com RÉKA VIDÁTS reka@essentialmagazine.com

ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

You are holding an

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

award winning

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publication

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

At the end of 2011, the largest national association of publishers, the Asociación Española de Editoriales de Publicaciones Periódicas (AEEPP), selected Marbella Magazine as the Best Free Publication in Spain.

Over 100 titles were considered nationwide in only a handful of categories for these prestigious annual awards and was proud to accept the limited edition medal as its prize at the awards ceremony in Madrid.

This is a wonderful recognition for all the hard work put in by the team over the past 13 years and the perfect inspiration for them to continue to bring you a high quality publication every month that is always entertaining and informative.

MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com ANDREA BÖJTI INMA AURIOLES MELINDA SZARVAS KEVIN HORN IAIN BLACKWELL, BELINDA BECKETT, MICHEL CRUZ, RIK FOXX, RUSSELL GRANT, AJ LINN, DR. JOAQUÍN PÉREZ-GUISADO ROSA, TONY WHITNEY

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

RIHANNA COURTESY OF CORDON PRESS

PRINTING

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EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES COMPLEJO LA PÓVEDA, BLQ. 3, 1º A, CN 340, KM 178, 29600 MARBELLA, MÁLAGA. TEL: 952 766 344 FAX: 952 766 343

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conditions:

The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept Marbella Magazine cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions. responsibility for the claims, goods or services of advertisers.

Marbella Magazine. © Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. for No part of this magazine, including texts, photographs, illustrations, maps or any other graphics may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. Printed on recyclable paper, produced without wood and bleached without chlorine.

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contents The Trend Cinema 26 Home Viewing 28 Music 30 Books 32 Gadgets 34 Cars: The new Maserati Quattroporte 36

The Style Décor: Patricia Darch 70 Fashion: Caribbean Fashion Week 78 Fashion News: Hot Items to Own 86

The Spa Beauty: Caribbean Beauty Products 90 The New Hotel Los Monteros Spa 92 Beauty News 94 Health: Powerful Adaptogens 96 Health News 98 Liposculpture at Hospiten 100

The Pro Enterprise 102 Business Profile: Lucas Fox 116

The Vibe Marbella’s Social Scene 118

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The Leisure

The Focus 22 Rihanna 42 Top Caribbean Resorts 52 Caribbean Inspiration 58 Sounds of the Caribbean 64 Sustainable Aruba 66 Singing Sensation Yanela Brooks

g

126 Travel: Dominican Republic

The Gourmet 137 Chowka 139 Rosmarino 140 Food News 142 Chef’s Profile: José Antonio Carmona of Trocadero Arena 144 The Story of Rum

The Guide 146 Listings

The Blog 157 Pet News 158 What’s On 160 Stars 178 Kid’s Zone

8/27/13 1:07 PM

Reporting on Form 720.

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The next assessment date for reporting your overseas assets is 31st December. Do you need to take action? We are holding small private seminars to discuss this important issue and the opportunities for improved tax efficiency.

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w w w. b l e v i n s f r a n k s . c o m

You only live once,

Hacienda Las Chapas: Impressive modern villa situated in the elegant community of Hacienda Las Chapas in Marbella East. The villa, built with high quality materials in an elegant style, offers beautiful internal and external living areas, mature gardens, gym and guest apartment. 5 Beds, 4 baths. Built 680 m2, plot 1.500 m2.

E&V ID: W-01HKSC. Price: 1.750.000 €.

Los Monteros Beach: Situated just meters from the beach, this villa is set on a double plot and offers beautiful sea views, guest house, in-and-outdoor pools, gym and a beautiful gazebo with kitchen. 5 Beds, 5 baths. Built 667 m2, plot 2.396 m2.

E&V ID: W-008W1J. Price: 3.500.000 €.

Los Monteros Beach: One of the most luxurious beach villas on the coast! Exquisite property on one of the largest plots in Los Monteros! 50 meters from the beach, fantastic in-and-outdoor spaces. 5 Beds, 5 baths. Built 894 m2, plot 3.561 m2.

E&V ID: W-00AR4I. Price: 7.900.000 €.

Beachfront Elviria: Large, hiqh quality apartment with breathtaking sea views situated in a beachfront position in an exclusive community with direct beach access and marvellous gardens. 3 Beds, 4 baths. Living area 170, terrace 48 m2.

E&V ID: W-00C6P6. Price: 849.000 €.

Elviria Hills: The best priced 3 bedroom apartment in Elviria Hills! Luxury apartment with sea views in the prize awarded community with golf course, Michelin Star restaurant, tennis and 11 pools. 3 Beds, 3 baths. Living area 150 m2, terraces 50 m2.

E&V ID: W-012XXN. Price: 399.000 €.

Office El Rosario: 952 83 20 40 · Office Elviria: 952 83 55 80

Argentina · Australia · Austria · Bahrein · Belgium · Bostwana · Chile · China · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · France · Germany · Great Britain · Holland · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Jordan Luxemburg · Mozambique · Namibia · New Zealand · Peru · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Slovenia · South Africa · Spain · Switzerland · Thailand · Turkey · UAE · Uruguay · USA · Zambia

we will show you where!

Sierra Blanca: Stunning modern villa situated in a small, very exclusive gated community next to Sierra Blanca. Built by the current owner to the highest qualities with beautiful materials, offering luxury, space and light. Cinema, bar, gym, separate large staff apartment. 5 Beds, 5 baths. Built 1.088 m2, plot 2.120 m2.

E&V ID: W-00QS8Y. Price: 3.900.000 €.

Marbella Hill Club: Magnificent grand estate built on one level on an exceptionally large plot. Impressive reception rooms and beautiful in-and-outdoor areas. Separate guest apartment. 6 Beds, 5 baths. Built 850 m2, plot 3.850 m2.

E&V ID: W-00C4FV. Price reduced from 3.200.000 € to 2.500.000 €.

Sierra Blanca: Luxurious villa offering beautiful sea views. Built in Italian style, modern architecture and high quality materials. Bodega, Roman style SPA gym, guest apartment. 7 Beds, 6 baths. Built 800 m2, plot 1.700 m2.

E&V ID: W-01FN0A. Price: 3.990.000 €.

Monte Paraíso Country Club: Fantastically priced! Elegant penthouse with spectacular sea views on the Golden Mile, in a very exclusive gated community with golf, gym and clubhouse. 4 Beds, 4 baths. Living area 215 m2, terraces 110 m2.

E&V ID: W-00DKJN. Price: 1.450.000 €.

Marina Puente Romano: Beachfront apartment in the sought after complex of Japanese Gardens in the exclusive Marina Puente Romano. Spectacular views to the sea and to Puerto Banús. 2 Beds, 3 baths. Living area 139 m2, terraces 42 m2.

E&V ID: W-01JFFX. Price: 1.950.000 €.

Office Marbella: 952 86 84 06 · www.engelvoelkers.com/MarbellaAndEast

Argentina · Australia · Austria · Bahrein · Belgium · Bostwana · Chile · China · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · France · Germany · Great Britain · Holland · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Jordan Luxemburg · Mozambique · Namibia · New Zealand · Peru · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Slovenia · South Africa · Spain · Switzerland · Thailand · Turkey · UAE · Uruguay · USA · Zambia

F&C Marbella Essential September 2013_Layout 1 23/08/2013 12:14 Page 1

Multi-award winning luxury estate agents in 275 locations worldwide

Marbella east – 5.950.000€ bUIlt sIZe 800m² • PlOt sIZe 32000m² • 8 beDrOOMs • 8 batHrOOMs · seParate selF CONtaINeD aPartMeNt Ref: 108026

NUeVa aNDalUCIa, Marbella – 1.800.000€ bUIlt sIZe 504m² • PlOt sIZe 1000m² • 4 beDrOOMs • 4 batHrOOMs Ref: 107521

Magnificent Cortijo style retreat, enjoying fantastic sea and mountain views, situated in the peace and tranquility of the mountains of La Mairena. No expense, time or effort has been spared in the renovation of this stunning high quality property, which is ready to occupy and enjoy, either as a permanent home, temporary holiday dwelling or boutique style hotel/health retreat.

Fabulous contemporary style elevated front line golf villa situated in the best part of the Golf Valley, due to be completed in February 2014. This very desirable villa is being built with high quality materials and a fantastic modern design by a wellknown construction company. Features include stunning golf views, a lift, Domotic system, alarm and much more…

FrONtlINe GOlF, NUeVa aNDalUCÍa , Marbella – 995.000€ bUIlt sIZe 150m² • PlOt sIZe 1500m² • 3 beDrOOMs • 2 batHrOOMs Ref: 106788

tHe GOlDeN MIle, Marbella – 795.000€ bUIlt sIZe 120m² • PlOt sIZe 109m² • 2 beDrOOMs • 2 batHrOOMs Ref: 108060

Delightful frontline golf property overlooking the 6th fairway, located in a secure, secluded area, within walking distance to Aloha Golf Club and only an eight minute drive from Puerto Banus and the beach. The property, which exudes charm and character, is situated on a double plot with several al fresco seating areas from where to enjoy the beautiful gardens.

This charming Andalucían style home is situated in the heart of the Golden Mile at the highest point of this well-known and respected community, from where it enjoys magnificent views from the roof terrace. This pretty home is truly unique and one of a kind and in this ideal location would make a perfect permanent residence or holiday home.

Fine & Country Marbella Marbella Club Hotel, Bulevar del Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, 29600 Marbella, Málaga, Spain

tel +34 952 76 40 10 email marbella@fineandcountry.com www.fineandcountry.com

F&C Marbella Essential September 2013_Layout 1 23/08/2013 12:14 Page 2

Marbella

Marbella West – 5.450.000€ eXClUsIVe tO FINe & COUNtrY exceptional, expansive Cortijo style villa, with breathtaking panoramic sea and mountain views.

Ref: 107926

bUIlt sIZe 1020m² • PlOt sIZe 100,000m² • terraCes 800m² • 5 beDrOOMs • 5 batHrOOMs seParate GUest aPartMeNt Tucked away in this idyllic location, this stunning property is at one with nature, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Sierra Bermeja mountain range. It enjoys total privacy and tranquility, yet is only a six minute drive from the coast and all amenities. Designed by the renowned architect Cesar Leyva, it was totally renovated 4 years ago and features exquisite interior design, a central Andalucían style courtyard and organic vegetable garden. The heated ozone infinity pool merges into the Mediterranean horizon at this heavenly retreat.

publisher’s letter WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL

A

s a tribute to one of the loveliest places on earth, we devote this month’s issue to The Caribbean, revered haven of crystalline turquoise waters and coconut palms surrounding perfect white sandy beaches.

Encompassing a wide swathe of islands, it’s an area with immense impact having contributed so much to the world as we know it.

Fittingly therefore, Barbados-born Rihanna graces this month’s cover and you can see more of her risque antics in our lead profile. We also talk with Marbella-based rising star, Cuban-born Yanela Brooks, hot on the heels of her success on La Voz. For the discerning traveller, we suggest some of the region’s top destinations for luxury stopovers and find out why the Dominican Republic is so special. Indulging the senses, the Rhythm of the Islands has had a huge influence on the global music scene, bringing us salsa, calypso, rumba and reggae and the Caribbean has been a rich source of inspiration for the film industry with magnificent scenery and colourful characters, from Captain Blood to James Bond and Jack Sparrow.

Elsewhere, check out Caribbean Fashion Week, delve into the wonders of lime and coconuts and learn all about that most quintessential of tropical liquors, rum.

For exhilaration, take a joyride in the sleek new Maserati Quattroporte; for style, we recommend a visit to the recently inaugurated Patricia Darch showroom at Blue Sotogrande Marina; and for relaxation and enjoyment with friends, it doesn’t get much better than at Chowka, Trocadero Arena or the new Rosmarino.

September is a great month here in Marbella – enjoy it in the company of your favourite magazine!

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FOR SALE

Los Picos de Nag端eles 2.575 m2 plot 1.744 m2 built 5.950.000 euro

casalospicos.com info@casalospicos.com

(+34) 609 909 668

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Casa Los Picos uniquely recalls the elegance of La Provence. Its architectural styling, decoration and layout take you to the lavender fields of Southern France, yet this stylish home stands under clear blue Andalusian skies, ensconced within a private gated community on the lower reaches of the Sierra Bermeja.

Surrounded

by

protected

parkland yet next to Sierra Blanca, with Puerto BanĂşs and Marbella only minutes away.

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Nueva Andalucía – Ref. MPV1870 This immaculate, south-facing villa sitting on a raised plateau with spectacular views across the garden towards the Mediterranean Sea on the horizon, simply has to be the most exceptional property in a gated community in the Golf Valley of Marbella. With separate guest apartment, professional home cinema, games room, fully fitted gym, wine cellar, magnificent terraces leading to beautiful manicured lawns and pool, this property is all about entertaining and life style. A stunning home in a perfect location!

Beds: 6 • Baths: 5 • Built: 1.140 m2 • Plot: 4.650 m2 • PRICE: 4.950.000 €

El Herrojo Alto, La Quinta – Ref. MPV1982

Guadalmina Alta, San Pedro – Ref. MPV1990

This fantastic estate sits on a double plot which is highlighted by incredible panoramic views down to the coast and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. Both spacious and private, this recently renovated property offers graceful modernrustic interiors together with contemporary lifestyle features including cinema and games rooms, indoor gym, pool, sauna and Turkish bath. An elegant property in a spectacular location!

Beds: 6 • Baths: 6 • Built: 1.038 m2 • Plot: 4.500 m2 • Price: 3.900.000 €

This delightful villa, in the sought-after area of Guadalmina Alta, represents comfortable and cosy family living. The colourful mature gardens offer heated swimming pool and adjacent thatch-roofed “chiringuito” which, together with a picturesque covered terrace, makes for great outdoor living and entertaining.

A freestanding bungalow provides private guest accommodation. A great family home in a great location!

Beds: 6 • Baths: 5 • Built: 340 m2 • Plot: 1.500 m2 • Price: 1.500.000 €

Want to sell your property?

What can you expect from MP Dunne?

We will guide you through the entire process of selling your property, giving you sound and helpful advice along the way, and you can be assured that our pricing is accurate and honest, based on real research and our extensive market knowledge.

Focusing on the greater Marbella area, and with specific market

expertise in the Marbella Golden Mile, Sierra Blanca, Guadalmina Baja and La Zagaleta Country Club & Golf Resort, it is our mission to deliver our clients a superior service.

Conveniently located along Marbella’s Golden Mile, directly opposite the prestigious Marbella Club Hotel, MP Dunne Properties is your Link to Luxury Listings.

Call us for a personal consultation on Tel: (+34) 952 866 072.

For Luxury Rentals Call Tia Watt-Roy. Mary Dunne

Julie Ann Davies

Trevor Kerr

Lawrence Maeck

Dominik Maroszek

Tia Watt Roy

Your link to luxury LISTINGS in Marbella

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Puente Romano, Marbella Golden Mile – Ref. MPV1951 UNIQUE! ONE OF A KIND! A clean-cut, open design allows natural light to flood into this magnificent, fully renovated villa and together with sleek contemporary décor, the latest “Smart” installations and control systems, energy saving devices and appliances, hi-tech music and home cinema systems, a home that is efficient and practical, stylish and classy has been created. AND LOCATION? None other than second line Puente Romano, on the Marbella Golden Mile!

Beds: 4 • Baths: 4 • Built : 558 m2 • Plot: 404 m2 • PRICE: 6.950.000 €

Condes de Luque, Benahavís – Ref. MPV1995

Puerto Banús – Ref. MPV1958

Contemporary, Mediterranean architecture and design incorporating soaring ceilings and wall-to-wall window panels, together with chic modernist interiors and furnishings make this an exquisite home which blends both the elegant and the practical into one. With a home cinema, full workout gym, indoor pool for swimming laps, a foodie’s kitchen, beautifully landscaped garden with pool and endless views, outdoor living and entertaining areas, this is a home that can be truly enjoyed with family and friends. Stunning!

Beds: 5 • Baths: 5 • Built: 717 m2 • Plot: 1.255 m2 • PRICE ON APPLICATION

This magnificent luxury frontline beach apartment is located in Laguna de Banús, one of the most exclusive gated developments in Marbella. Enormous open concept living spaces, sitting and dining areas continue out onto a magnificent terrace with uninterrupted water views over the community pools to the sea and on as far as the horizon. Exquisite interior design and elegant furnishings and finishes spell luxury and comfort in this seaside retreat.

Altos Reales, Marbella Golden Mile – Ref. MPV2003

La Trinidad, Marbella Golden Mile – Ref. MPA2007

Lovely, southwest facing family villa in one of Marbella’s top gated communities.

Magnificent views to the sea and of the La Concha Mountain can be enjoyed from the large roof terrace which, together with the garden BBQ, covered terraces and shaded eating areas by the pool, “al fresco” dining can play a large part in family life within the surrounds of a beautiful mature garden. A lovely home in a secure complex!

Beds: 4 • Baths: 4 • Built: 289 m2 • Plot: 1.034 m2 • PRICE: 1.200.000 €

Modern apartment in a premier luxury gated urbanisation with 24-hour security, and ideally located in the heart of the Golden Mile, close to the beach, the Puente Romano Hotel and a short drive to Puerto Banús and Marbella town. The property is presented in immaculate condition, and is tastefully decorated in a modern style. The community offers residents an indoor heated pool, gymnasium, sauna and summer bar. A great property in a great location!

Beds: 2 • Baths: 2 • Built: 147 m2 • Terrace: 30 m2 • PRICE: 775.000 €

Beds: 4 • Baths: 4 • Built: 394 m2 • Terrace: 67 m2 • PRICE: 3.100.000 €

Centro Expo Loc. 11-12, Bulevar Alfonso Hohenlohe, 29602 (Marbella, Málaga) Tel: 952 866 072 • Fax: 952 866 963 • info@mpdunne.com • www.mpdunne.com MP Dunne Properties 170 Mary Dunne.indd 2

@mpdunne

MP Dunne 8/21/13 12:16 PM

THE COVER profile

With her amazing vocal talent and her star shining like ‘diamonds in the sky’, Rihanna is the undisputed Caribbean Queen of the music scene, at 25.

But her overt sexuality on stage and wild, weed-smoking ways make her a questionable role model for youth culture today.

Has the good girl gone bad or is it all part of the act?

M

others of teenage girls must dread what she’s going to come out with next – the fetishist videos, the raunchy lyrics, the come-on clothes, the tattoos – everywhere: a dragon claw on her hand, a handgun on her ribcage, a Sanskrit prayer on her hip, the words ‘Thug Life’ inscribed across her knuckles… Even her own mother despairs.

“She called me up and reeled me in about two naked pictures on Instagram,” said her headstrong daughter in an interview earlier this year. “I felt like I got my ass whupped in front of my class in school. I’m not afraid of any person other than my mother, but I’m terrified of her.”

Rihanna, the enfant terrible of the pop world, is the most influential ‘commodity’ in the music industry right now. She’s the most streamed artist worldwide with 3.2 billion You Tube hits and the fourth most followed on Twitter with over 65 million Facebook ‘friends’. Her range of Mac RiRi Woo lipsticks sold out online in three hours. Whatever she wears is copied and immediately rushed to the high street where it’s ripped off the rails by eager Ri wannabes.

In under a decade the Barbados-born beauty has redefined pop music for a new generation, racking up seven albums, six Grammies, five tours, 2 Brit Awards and selling over 100 million records worldwide – also finding time to work on the perfect pout, the louche long-legged strut and the trend-setting hairdos crucial to her image.

(Someone counted over 150 restyles since 2005 when her career took off.)

© Meeno

WORDS BELINDA BECKETT

Girls emulate her, guys emulate the dudes she’d be likely to date (and many of her fans are not yet in their teens). Which must make her crotchgrabbing, booty-shaking antics on stage a concern for parents of impressionable youngsters. To say nothing of her pop videos exploiting everything from rape to domestic violence to bondage (S&M was banned in 11 countries) which have provoked outrage from parents organisations, rape crisis centres and religious groups.

It doesn’t wash, either, with the good, Godfearing parishioners of Saint Michael, Ri’s home town in Barbados, especially as she’s the country’s official Ambassador for Culture and Youth! She describes the folks back home as, “very proper and conservative. Some older people there, who tend to be very judgmental, are not pleased with my new image. But I’m not bad in a godless way.”

So what happened to the little girl with the cute dimples who once said: “My mother raised me with certain standards, to be as grown-up as possible and become an independent young lady.”

Multi-million dollar, kick-ass fame – almost overnight – is what happened to the girl hailed as ‘the Bajan Beyoncé’, with whom she’s often compared. And it’s largely down to Beyonce’s

husband, Jay-Z, who took her there.

Rihanna’s life changed forever at 16 when she met a vacationing music producer who whisked her off to New York with her mother to record demo tapes. At her first meeting with Jay-Z, the President of Def Jam Records signed her on the spot. In a matter of months the hot disco beat of her first single, Pon de Replay, was being spun on radio and in nightclubs from New York to Nagasaki. The lead single from her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad which did for umbrellas what Gypsy Rose Lee did for feathers, topped the charts in 13 countries.

And the hits kept on coming. By her fourth album, Rated R, the serious music critics were beginning to sit up and take note, by her fifth she was on her second world tour and collaborating with musicians like Eminem, after her sixth she collapsed with exhaustion (Tweeting a picture of herself on a hospital drip) but in 2013 she bounced back with a seventh album, Unapologetic, and embarked on her sell-out Diamonds World Tour.

Whatever else she may have – and she’s flaunted most of it to the world – this girl’s got stamina.

Before all that, she was a simple girl called Robyn Fenty (Rihanna, now shortened to Ri or

22 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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© Shelly Wall / Shutterstock.com

RI

e k i L l r i G A

RiRi, is her middle name) growing up on a paradise island… the stuff of fairytales, maybe. Ri makes it sound so when she talks about her father: “He taught me how to swim, fish and ride; he’s the one who made me tough and prepared me for the world.” – although his addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol ultimately split the family. But from the age of seven when she began teaching herself to sing in earnest, encouraged by her grandmother, she seems to have been planning her escape. ““The neighbours used to complain a lot about how loud I was singing, but I didn’t care,” she says.” I had big dreams.”

Perhaps she was dreaming of following in Bob Marley’s footsteps. The Jamaican singersongwriter was one of her early influences, to the extent that she has built a shrine to him at her palatial Los Angeles home where she has an army of staff to wait upon her every whim. “He’s one of my favourite artists of all time – he really paved the way for every other artist out of the Caribbean.”

Madonna is also on her list of greatest inspirations, and Ri’s as much a mistress of reinvention as Madge. If her early music was inspired by reggae and Caribbean sounds, her later albums have run the gamut of genres, from

dance-pop and hip hop to rock and house, and she changes her style, look and hair colour like a chameleon. She admires Madonna for the way she took creative control and claims to have done likewise, telling the press at the launch of Good Girl Gone Bad, “I’ve called it that because I was determined to do it my way. I was sick of listening to what everyone else wanted.”

And with companies falling over themselves for Rihanna endorsements it seems to be working.

Like most of today’s stars she’s got her own business empire. She’s into make-up, fragrances, fashion, movies (picking up a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress along the way) and she’s published a coffee table book. Forbes magazine ranks her 7th in their 2013 list of TopEarning Celebrities Under 30. She grossed $43 million last year.

It’s hard to see Rihanna as the dictatorial diva painted by New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica who wrote: “Over the years, as her game face froze in place, her voice cured into a weapon of emotional chill and strategic indifference. It’s decidedly unfriendly, made to give orders”. Perhaps Stella McCartney comes closer when she says: “She’s one of the most impressive

artists at work today but she does it in her own stride. She works hard, very hard.”

But like anyone who rockets from zero to hero, there are dangers. And people forget, Rihanna is still a naive young woman in many respects – her ‘openness’ on the social network channels and her choice of boyfriends (getting back together, however briefly, with singer Chris Brown after he beat her up wasn’t the smartest of moves).

Talking recently about her pot-smoking Instagrams and her desire to be more ‘honest’ with her fans she said, “It’s so hard to live a lie. You can’t paint a fake picture for too long before the truth comes out and then it’s hard that it doesn’t match up. That’s why I’m posting pictures of myself smoking pot, to tell the truth about myself. It’s all about honesty. This is not failure, it’s lessons. It’s not the end. If you learn from mistakes it’s not failure.”

Rihanna’s still learning and some of the lessons will be painful. With all her immense talent and global fame, some things have been lost that can’t be bought with an Amex Gold Card. But perhaps she’s already starting to see that. “When I’m not working I love just lying on my patio listening to the breeze, it reminds me of the Caribbean” she says wistfully. “There’s nowhere like home.” e

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 / 23

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trend READING / MUSIC / FILMS / GADGETS / MOTORING / TRENDS

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September is the perfect month to relax as the summer wanes and to prepare for the upcoming winter. This month we focus on the Caribbean and we hope you enjoy great reads on this island paradise. When you’re not busy imagining your next holiday, catch up on

26

Cinema

28

Home Viewing

30

Music

32

Books

the latest cinema releases, home viewing and cool headphones.

34

Gadgets

36

Cars: The new Maserati Quattroporte

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trend CINEMA

WORDS MARISA CUTILL

AS

e BLOCKBUSTER

OF THE MONTH

The Heat

» GENRE Comedy g (Bridesmaids) » DIRECTOR Paul Fei lock, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Rapaport » ACTORS Sandra Bul k)

rn (Sandra Bulloc cial Agent Sarah Ashbu Straight-laced FBI Spe s (Melissa McCarthy) llin Mu n no ston cop Shan called upon to pool and foul-mouthed Bo d couple. When they are od an of re mo be ’t couldn lord, they become the down a ruthless drug their talents and bring l Feig (who directed : friends. Director, Pau ed ect exp e yon an ng last thi aids) explains what t of females in Bridesm n a talented ensemble cas act n ing like men; the film: “I don’t like wome important to lly attracted him to this rea s wa at He The dy. That’s why it’s not serving anybo edy. Even Bridesmaids to do a romantic com nt wa n’t did I se cau me. Be ut this one was nts to it. What I liked abo had the romantic eleme sional women in the fes that. It’s just two pro of y an e hav n’t did it that o are on an adventure”. at at their jobs and wh workforce who are gre

» GENRE Drama/Crime » DIRECTOR Baltasar Kormákur » ACTORS Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, James Marsden

2 Guns

Based on a graphic novel of the same name by Boom! Studios, 2 Guns is an elaborately woven tale featuring two agents investigating one another in the belief that the other is a thief.

When they realise that they are, in fact, being set up by the CIA, they work together to return the cash and stay alive.

» GENRE Drama/Crime » DIRECTOR Derek Cianfrance

(Blue Valentine) » ACTORS Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes

The Place Beyond the Pines

The talented Ryan Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stuntman who dazzles audiences at state fairs. At a fair in New York, Glanton gets a visit from ex-lover, Romina, and learns that he is the father of her son. Despite the fact that Romina does not want him in the child’s life, he insists on finding a job and providing for his son.

He begins to work part-time at an auto repair shop where he earns a minimum wage, but it’s not long before he teams up with his employer to rob several banks in the area. With newfound prosperity, Glanton slowly earns Romina’s trust, but his burning obsession with robbing more banks in order to provide his child with the future he never had brings some unexpected results.

» GENRE Action » DIRECTOR Roland

Emmerich (Independence Day) » ACTORS Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal

White House Down

Channing Tatum plays Capitol Policeman John Cale, a young officer whose application to work with the Secret Service has been denied.

Not wanting to break the bad news to his little daughter, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when suddenly, the Presidential palace is overtaken by a group of terrorists.

As an atmosphere of absolute chaos begins to take over, Cale finds the perfect opportunity to show that he can save his daughter, the President and the country.

» GENRE Comedy/Drama » DIRECTOR Michael Bay

(Transformers) » ACTORS Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub

Pain & Gain

Pain & Gain is the true story of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) a Miami bodybuilder who is determined to make the American Dream a reality.

He teams up with an eccentric bodybuilder, Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), and an ex-convict (Dwayne Johnson) to embark on a plan involving extortion and kidnapping, all in the name of making a few easy bucks and not letting a “once-in-alifetime opportunity” go to waste.

» GENRE Animation » DIRECTOR Chris Wedge » VOICES Josh Hutcherson, Beyoncé

Knowles, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis

Epic

From the creators of Ice Age and Rio, Epic tells the story of the endless battle between the forces of good, who keep Nature and her inhabitants alive, and the forces of evil, whose only instinct is to destroy. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she enlists the help of an elite band of warriors to save their world… and its people.

26 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Colonial Mansion for Sale EL MADROÑAL

W

BEDROOMS: 8

BATHROOMS: 8

BUILT: 1.700 m2

PLOT: 8.325 m2

Bon Viveur, Marco Dalli visits a magnificent property in El Madroñal

hen I was asked to visit this property a couple of weeks ago I was very enthusiastic about the prospect as it’s in my favorite part of Marbella, El Madroñal, up on the Ronda road. I love this place and often take clients there as it shows a part of Southern Spain that a lot of people are unaware of (well that’s apart from people in the know, who have invested millions in this zone). The scenery is simply breathtaking and makes you realise how lovely it is to be in this part of the world. I have yet to meet anyone who does not have the same opinion, apart from a French gentleman who also did not like homemade Italian ice cream, he’s still walking back…

When I drove into this magnificent estate for the first time I thought to myself how lucky I was to be in this kind of work. That was before I opened the car door and was greeted by a pair

of unusual looking Swiss mountain dogs, a cross between a miniature St Bernard and Charles Manson. Apparently they specialise in protecting sheep from wolves and judging by this encounter also property owners from real estate agents.

Probably hard for them to tell the difference!

After a cup of coffee and a tranquilizer, I was given a tour of what I believe to be one of the most lovely properties on the coast, and believe me there is a lot of competition for that auspicious title. You could sense that this villa was built by someone who enjoys life to the full and a person who has taste; something which is not synonymous with your average Marbella mansion.

It’s not a bling palace at all and the grounds within are distributed in a way that make you feel that it was built in paradise park land with fantastic mountain and sea vistas.

I won’t go into all the trappings of wealth that normally go hand in hand with villas such as

these, all I can say is that it’s the perfect home.

I know this for a fact as the owner treats it this way and has spent many happy years living in it and enjoying life.

Apart from being visually out of this world, the property is technically perfect. How many people think of this when they get blown away by the visual aspect of a grand mansion property?

Hardly anyone… Imagine spending €6.5 million on a property and not being able to close your windows properly, or water the gardens, or swim in the pool; little things can make big disasters.

I am very sure that anybody looking to purchase the perfect dream home such as this will not be disappointed. A visit to the lovely guest villa set at the majestic entrance with its huge iron gates will be the icing on this lovely cake.

As we wrapped up the tour we noticed that the dogs and our photographer had gone missing.

Apparently we had left him alone in the garage with the Manson twins, by accident of course ;-)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO VIEW THE PROPERTY, CONTACT MARCO DALLI: TEXT OR TEL (+34) 678 648 765.

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trend HOME VIEWING

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

» GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Paul Thomas Anderson

(There Will Be Blood)

» ACTORS Joaquin Phoenix, Philip

Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams » IMDB RATING 7.2/10

The Master

Joaquin Phoenix plays a mentally unstable naval veteran in post World War II America, who returns home with no clear map of the future – until he is seduced by The Cause and its enigmatic leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

The film has received rave reviews from critics the world over, largely due to its expert acting, fast pace and beautiful script. Seymour Hoffman has already shown the world he knows how to completely overtake a character (as he did in Capote, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor). In The Master, he is benevolent yet controlling and he knows how to beguile each of his followers through a personalised approach. The film has been touted as a thinly disguised account of the origins of Scientology, but rather than focussing on the religion itself, it emphasises one character’s need to hang onto anything for survival, even if it will ultimately spell his destruction.

e

TH EASE OF THE MON EL R D V D ED R U AT FE » GENRE Science Fiction wer, » DIRECTOR Tom Tyki, Lan a

Andy Wachowsk Wachowski

» ACTORS

Jim Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, ng Broadbent, Hugo Weavi 10 7.6/ G TIN RA IMDB

»

el presents six David Mitchell’s 2004 nov This epic adaptation of the 19th century in ce pla es tak rst of which different stories, the fi yptic future. The cal po eils itself in a post-a aboard a ship and the last of which unv urs occ , ing Ew m Journal of Ada ship that first story, The Pacific nd frie ific, detailing the deep The second which is crossing the Pac ve. sla ori Ma a inent notary and 1; it covers forms between an em 193 in m elghem, is set in Belgiu poser and story, Letters from Zed com ng agi an en tionship betwe First The the mentor-student rela s: ive lf-L . Story number three, Ha utiful bea a an upcoming musician ich wh in , iller 1970s-inspired thr r lea Luisa Rey Mystery, is a ister nuc works to uncover a sin journalist (Halle Berry) of Timothy Cavendish, eal Ord ly ast Gh The t, threat. The fourth par live in a depressing lisher who is forced to concerns a British pub ni~451, takes place story, An Orison of Som nursing home. The fifth ered humanoid ine eng ally ere a genetic in the 22nd century, wh story, Sloosha’s tion. The sixth and final is used to spark a revolu 22nd century, the d on bey ce er, takes pla n from the Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ Aft me wo an (Tom Hanks) and a their lives when a primitive tribesm ich enr will t tha strike a bargain ing, boldly far future (Halle Berry) est arr yet (around 160 minutes) h other in eac greatly. This film is long act imp to s ability of individual aiming to highlight the future. the past, present and

Cloud Atlas

The Odd Life of Timothy Green » GENRE Fantasy » DIRECTOR Peter Hedges

(Dan In Real Life) » ACTORS Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams » IMDB RATING 6.4/10

Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim (Joel Edgerton) are a happily married couple who can’t wait to have children and who often dream of what their child will be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) literally sprouts from their garden and knocks on their door one dark, stormy night, they discover that parenthood is more challenging yet infinitely more rewarding than they ever thought possible.

» GENRE Fantasy/Adventure » DIRECTOR Sam Raimi (Drag Me to Hell)

» ACTORS James Franco, Zach

» GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR

Braff, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz » IMDB RATING 6.5/10

Andy Fickman (She’s The Man » ACTORS Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei

Oz The Great and Powerful

» IMDB RATING 5.8/10

Parental Guidance

Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play two cool grandparents who nevertheless are made to feel rather ‘old school’ by their bratty grandchildren. The kids are alright in small doses, but when their suffering gramps have to put up with them for a whole weekend, a battle of wills takes place and, well, we all know how the battle of David and Goliath turned out…

Oz The Great and Powerful makes for perfect family home viewing. It is an action-packed, fantastical foray into a world of witches, talking dolls and luggage-carrying monkeys which will have you yearning to live a similar adventure of your own. The charismatic James Franco is magnificent as Oz, a charlatan who discovers his inner wizard when he is called upon to save Paradise from the clutches of an evil coven of witches.

28 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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trend MUSIC

¿QUÉ PASA?

WORDS RIK FOXX

JEDWARD RIP? Apparently their management has told them to grow up – no more jumping around and driving everyone mad with their continuous yapping. JOHN and EDWARD, as they will now be known, even have different hairstyles (well one has a parting to the left – the other to the right). Boss LOUIS WALSH wants them to become the Irish EVERLY BROTHERS – good luck with that!

ROD STEWART, who is back in the news after his album Time recently went number one, has had a change of heart and now wants to reform THE FACES. He told his old band mate, ROLLING STONES guitarist RONNIE WOOD, “Mick’s several years older than me, a fine blues singer but, technically, not as good as me” – wonder what Mr JAGGER had to say about that?

The KINGS OF LEON return to centre stage on September 24 with their sixth studio album, Mechanical Bull. This squashes all rumours that the band were going to call it quits after their 2010 LP Come Around Sundown.

The band recently headlined at the Bilbao BBK festival

les chart last month with MILEY CYRUS topped the UK sing madam thinks she is it. She We Can’t Stop and now the little ” her Disney image which lose “to ame wants to drop her surn py with and wants to leak her her father BILLY RAY is not hap line which has also angered on , gerz forthcoming album, Ban her recording label.

Concerts now on the coast are like the summer sun – fading fast – if you wanna take a chance with the car queues, the Gibraltar Music Festival takes place on September 7 with EMILI SANDÉ, OLLY MURS, TEXAS, LEVEL 42, LAWSON, 10CC, GABRIELLE APLIN and the PROPELLERS. The only action on the coast is guitar legend STEVIE VAI at Málaga’s Plaza de Toros on September 13. Tickets for both gigs: www.ticketmaster.es.

The latest band to jump on the bank-wagon are 90s hit makers M PEOPLE. To mark the 20th anniversary of their Mercury Prize winning album Elegant Slumming they will tour this autumn and HEATHER SMALL reckons new material is on the way. The singer, small by name but not by mouth, says, “The music industry is sexist and racist” – makes you think why former main man, MIKE PICKERING, who is now an A&R exec for Sony, says he is too busy to rejoin.

DAFT PUNK will continue their world musical uprising with the second single from the Random Access Memories album: Lose Yourself To Dance, with PHARRELL WILLIAMS once again on vocals, has been given a ‘focus date’ of September 23. And the man instrumental in their revival, NILE RODGERS, who played at the Puente Romano on August 30, has invited the duo to help him complete the ‘lost’ CHIC recordings from the late 1970s which he recently found.

In with the old, out with the new – the latest line-up of the SUGABABES are considering calling it a day just as the original three members are back on track. MUTYA KEISHA SIOBHAN returned to the stage last month. A new single, Flatline, drops on September 15 and a new album is scheduled for early next year.

After many rumours it looks like the mythical MICHAEL JACKSON / FREDDIE MERCURY recordings will finally see the light of day at the end of this month.

Meanwhile PSY, who is planning a collaboration with QUEEN guitarist BRIAN MAY, has revealed that the pressure of fame after Gangnam Style has drove him to drink – that song drove a lot of people to drink!

And we will leave you with a classic OZZY OSBOURNE quote – “What it’s like to be a living legend?” – his reply: “ Better than a dead one!”

JAY Z is currently in the studio at the controls making the new RITA ORA album and he fines her if she is late for recordings – it’s a good job he’s not working with RIHANNA. She continues to p*ss punters off with her tardiness – in Monaco she was three-hours late for a gig that was €800 a pop. But she went to the UK and the fans revolted; one hour late in Manchester, she made a comment about gifts being thrown on stage, so they threw crisps at her. Next stop Glasgow – she was warned about the Scots – 15 minutes late and she was “advised to get on stage pronto” – inside biz joke – her next tour should be sponsored by Rolex.

30 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Welcome to the World of CafĂŠ del Mar Sophisticated beachfront bar and restaurant right on the beach.

Urb. Coral Beach Km 176, Marbella, Spain Telephone: 952 77 72 99 Open everyday from 9:00 am - 2:00 am

sic u M Live

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trend BOOKS

THE CARIBBEAN IS CALLING

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

Marisa Cutillas brings us top reads on one the most dazzling areas in the world, from an historical, cultural and natural perspective.

THE PEPPERPOT CLUB BY JONATHAN PHANG

Seasoned travellers will tell you that one of the best aspects of a visit to a luxury Caribbean resort, is the food. A spicy Guyanese pepperpot, a refreshing rum punch, a home-cooked plate of Jamaican rice and peas… these are just some of the exotic fare you will learn to cook up in this practical, easy-to-follow cookbook. Jonathan Phang grew up in a buzzing Chinese-Caribbean household in London, filled with the sounds of rhythmic music, tales from the homeland and his mother’s aromatic cooking. She had one simple philosophy which she followed to a tee: ‘If you cook food people love, you will gain all you want from life’. Jonathan shares many tidbits of her philosophy with us, and reveals how easy it is to whip up some of the Caribbean’s most fragrant, mouthwatering meals.

WILD CARIBBEAN: THE HIDDEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ISLANDS BY MICHAEL BRIGHT

DOES THIS ISLAND GO TO THE BOTTOM?: THE ADVENTURES OF A SCUBA INSTRUCTOR IN THE CARIBBEAN

BY ERIC H. PASLEY

This isn’t a book about scuba diving, says author, Eric H. Pasely.

Rather, it is a fascinating foray into his many adventures as a teacher, for he has spent over seven years teaching people from all walks of life how to understand the vast underwater world. This isn’t a tourist book, nor a gastronomic guide of the islands; rather, it is his own personal journal; “a log book of wild experiences”. You will laugh out loud at some of the stupid questions of his students (“Is there a right and left flipper?”), marvel at how even the most seasoned of divers always experience something new, and enjoy the special teacher-student bond that develops when the subject matter is the vast universe of Nature.

RED HEAT: CONSPIRACY, MURDER AND THE COLD WAR IN THE CARIBBEAN

BY ALEX VON TUNZELMANN

Red Heat invites the reader to discover the inner workings of America’s secret war in the Caribbean from 1957 to 1967, in the troublesome islands of Hispaniola and Cuba. Today, Latin America is, at best, regarded by the United States with harmless neglect, yet there was a time when the Caribbean was the focal point of US policy. The Americans and their unfounded fear of communism, were to blame for a series of events that destroyed any hope of democracy in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, says von Tunzelmann: “The secret war in the Caribbeam toppled democracies.

It supported dictators. It licensed those dictators’ worst excesses. It financed terrorism. It set up death squads. It turned Cuba communist, and kept it communist for half a century. It did massive and permanent damage to the international reputation of the United States. It nearly triggered a nuclear holocaust”. The US approach, says the author, was highly erratic , comprising different strategies for each Caribbean country and varying greatly with the arrival of each new American President.

CARIBBEAN MOON

BY RICK MURCER

Manny is an astute detective who has some very good news for his long-suffering wife, Louise: they’re off to the Caribbean for a romantic escape! Their holiday commences in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they are attending a wedding of friends, and continues aboard the glamorous Ocean Duchess, a luxury cruise ship. Things set off to a good start… that is, until the appearance of the first dead body. When the death toll rises to three, Manny forgets about romance and dives head-first into the FBI investigation, taking us on a fun, adrenalin-charged adventure which makes for some highly addictive reading.

The Caribbean brings our ideas of what paradise might look like to life, yet it is also home to exploding volcanoes, devastating hurricanes and immense tidal waves, as well as an array of animals as exotic as they fearsome. This book is informative and pictorial, featuring dazzling imagery of fluorescent hummingbirds taking flight, ibis birds peppering the sky with their red passion and imposing crocodiles stealthily waiting for their prey in still Cuban waters. Enjoy the majesty, beauty and fearfulness of Nature in this very unique part of the world.

CARIBBEE BY THOMAS HOOVER

This action-packed, historically factual novel begins in the paradisiacal lands of Barbados and Jamaica. The year is 1648 and the Caribbean is populated by buccaneers, rebels and slaveholders. This is the true story of a group of English colonists who signed a Declaration of Defiance against England, engaging in full-out war against an armed English fleet. This fascinating story affords the reader a bird’s-eye view of events such as the first large-scale English slave auction in the Americas and the first slave rebellion. We discover how plantation slavery was introduced into the English colonies, serving as an example for the brutality that would occur a few decades later in North America. Hoover likewise gives us a realistic perspective of the Puritans, who burned slaves alive and contributed to the failure of England’s attempt to forge an extensive new empire. The book also presents the rise of the buccaneers, originally cattle hunters who joined forces to avenge a bloody attack by the Spaniards on their homes. Soon, they would be the most formidable outlaws in the New World.

32 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Villa Project in Elviria 4 Bedrooms en suite • Pool and jacuzzi • Highest standard of materials used • Fitted quality kitchen Sea view • Roof terrace • Walking distance to shopping centre.

Plot: 1063 m2 Price: 985.000 (VAT, Notary and Building License not included)

Project in Elviria with panoramic views • 4 Bedrooms en suite • Pool and jacuzzi • Fitted quality kitchen • Highest standard of materials used Plot: 1025 m2 Price: 965.000 (VAT, Notary & Building License Not Included)

www.iddomus.com – info@iddomus.com – (+34) 635.963.118 170 Iddomus.indd 1

8/26/13 1:41 PM

trend ELECTRONICS

Whether you’re climbing up the Arenal volcano in Costa Rica, lying on the white sands of St. Lucia or waiting patiently for a spa treatment in Nicaragua, you’re probably doing one thing as we speak: listening to music. This month, Marisa Cutillas brings you her list of top headphones and earphones, for a crisp, clear, paradisiacal listening experience.

Best

&

Headphones Earp hone s

SHURE SE535

These tiny sound isolating earphones feature triple high-definition MicroDrivers and dual woofers, to guarantee deep sound.

Listeners can enjoy all the tiny details of the music they love, without sacrificing the rich bass that characterises a great listening experience. i www.es.shure.com

ZIK BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES BY PARROT

These headphones are packed full of goodies: Bluetooth connectivity, active-noise cancellation, and touch controls on the earcups. To turn the volume up or jump to the next song, just swipe your finger along the smooth curvature of the earcups. i www.parrot.com

BEYERDYNAMIC T1 600 OHM HEADPHONES BOSE QUIET COMFORT 15

These super-comfy noise-cancelling headphones feature one the best silencing technologies on the market.

Perfect for hard-working mums and dads with home offices, or that one holidaymaker in the middle of a Caribbean party, who would rather listen to Mozart than reggae. i www.bose.com

This gadget is priced at over €1.000 and it’s easy to see why: capable of achieving values of over one Tesla (a unit measuring magnetic flux density), it offers the listener twice as much volume as traditional headphones. i www.beyerdynamic.com

SENNHEISER RS 180

Sennheiser has a solid reputation for designing some of the best headphones on the market and this wireless baby won’t disappoint. It is incredibly comfortable to wear and boasts 2.4-GHz Kleer carrier frequency wireless technology, which offers rich sound without interruptions. i www.sennheiser.com

SONY MDR 1R

Developed in a unique partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, these noise-cancelling headphones offer an ultra-natural sound, even from compressed MP3 files. Its smart design boosts bass sounds and its batteries last a whopping 22 hours. i www.sony.com

34 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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VILLA MARKETING Since 1983

NUEVA ANDALUCIA Ref. 10676 Large west facing villa overlooking the golf course, enjoys a lot of privacy and flows very well from living area out to pool. 6 bedroom suites, 2 with independant entrance, large area for cinema, gym, study, large plot and garage. Great value.

Price: €1.800.000

GOLDEN MILE Ref. 10681 Villa with fantastic sea views on a large plot of 4.800 m2 with mature gardens, a private drive, private tennis court, 4 bedrooms, study, cinema room, games and gym area, garage. Possible to extend.

NUEVA ANDALUCIA Ref. 10348 Southwest facing villa situated in a gated community close to golf courses.

Accommodation comprises 3 bedrooms with possibility of a 4th bedroom.

Extras such as heated pool, jacuzzi, summer dining area and garage.

NUEVA ANDALUCIA Ref. 10683 Villa reformed to the highest standards situated in the golf valley. Bright and luminous, kitchen by Haeker Kuechen, Bosch appliances, landscaped garden, 5 bedrooms including apartment with private access.

Price: €735.000

Price: €1.625.000

NUEVA ANDALUCIA Ref. 9889 Charming villa with large sunny terraces and a total of 5 bedrooms. Situated in a private gated community and surrounded by a mature garden with big trees.

Spacious bedrooms, large living room, kitchen with separate dining area, double garage.

Price: €599.950

NUEVA ANDALUCIA Ref. 9446 Villa in a central position on a quiet dead end street within walking distance of shops and restaurants, 5 bedrooms, sauna, garage, swimming pool, large sun roof terace. In need of renovation. Open to offers.

Casaño 10-B, Nueva Andalucía (Pass the Bullring, beside BBVA bank) Tel: 952 810 695 enquiries@villamarketing.com

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Price: €3.280.000

Price: €420.000

www.villamarketing.com Sales - Long & Short Term Rentals - Property Management

8/26/13 2:15 PM

trend MOTORING

Maserati isn’t a name that springs to mind for people shopping the car market for a large luxury saloon, but in fact the elegant Quattroporte – all-new for 2013 – is a very solid contender.

MASERATI QUATTROPORTE LUXURY SALOON

WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MASERATI

C

ertainly, ‘big luxury car’ tends to conjure up images of the S-Class Mercedes-Benz, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ and BMW 7 Series, but the Maserati matches them in just about every way and adds a large touch of classic Italian brio.

The Quattroporte (four doors in Italian) has been around for decades and the first one rolled off the assembly line way back in 1963 as a competitor for high-performance super saloons of the day like the Facel Vega and Lagonda Rapide.

The production model was inspired by a ‘special’ built in the early 1960s for Prince Karim Aga Khan, a devoted Maserati customer. Another special was built a few years later for King Juan Carlos.

The car has never sold in large volumes, which has always endowed it with a worthwhile aura of exclusivity. It must have sold steadily enough over the years though, because the 2013 Quattroporte is the sixth generation model – quite an achievement for a niche-market product.

Maserati was founded in 1914 by five brothers and, today, the company is part of the Fiat empire.

Maserati engines are built at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, which is historically interesting because Enzo Ferrari and the Maserati brothers

were once intense rivals in the motor racing world.

The Quattroporte is a handsome car and because they’re not exactly seen every day, the response of most people who spot one is ‘Hey! What was that?’ This is no bad thing for owners who want something a little different, but don’t want to sacrifice the kinds of features they expect in a big Merc or 7 Series BMW. Although the car is very modernistic, there are some interesting vintage touches to remind us of its heritage – a trio of chrome vents on either side of the engine compartment and a black grille carrying a big

Maserati trident badge. The trident has been appearing on this maker’s cars for no less that 80 years. The badge was first sketched by one of the more artistic Maserati brothers who had always admired the magnificent fountain in the Piazza del Nettuno in Bologna which features King Neptune brandishing, of course, a trident.

The new Maserati flagship is larger than its predecessor, but it’s lighter despite the manufacturer packing in more luxury features than ever. According to Maserati, the car will top 307 km/h, which is fast even by the standards of two seat lightweight sports cars. The Ferraribuilt engine at the top of the range – which carries Maserati logos – is a 3.8-litre V-8 with a pair of turbochargers developing a healthy 523-horsepower. For the thrifty Quattroporte buyer, there’s a 3.0-litre V-6, also with twin turbos, which boasts 404-horsepower – still no shrinking violet. Interestingly, the manufacturer claims that both fuel consumption and emissions have been lowered by 20 per cent over the old Quattroporte – not bad when considering that this is the fastest 4-door Maserati has ever built and quite possibly, the fastest large saloon anyone has ever built.

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In practical terms, the performance of the V-6 is all that could be desired in a large car like this, but if the owner planned to regularly carry a full passenger load, the V-8 might be a better choice. The V-6 was designed by Maserati and is assembled by Ferrari, while the V-8 has deeper Ferrari roots and is an adaptation of a sports car powerplant by the Maranello builder. I’ve only driven a Quattroporte with the V-8, but I’m sure the V-6 would feel just as responsive and refined.

The transmission is an 8-speed automatic/manual by famed German gearbox manufacturer ZF. Strangely, you can order all-wheel drive with the V-6 but not with the V-8. My view has always been that the more power you have, the more desirable all-wheel drive becomes.

This is a nicely balanced car – a reflection of its 50-50 front-rear weight distribution. It’s something of an achievement for Maserati to have accomplished this with its big car. Some manufacturers struggle hard to attain that 50-50 figure even with compact sports cars and coupés.

Driving the car, it feels much smaller than it is thanks to precise handling and predictable response. The massive Brembo brakes are outstanding too and bring the beast to a docile stop regardless of how fast you were going. The car is a joy to drive and although it falls firmly into the ‘exotic’ class it has great road manners around town and is very easy to drive. It also has a great engine note – not obtrusive, but a constant reminder that this is an Italian thoroughbred. Let it

loose on a mountain pass though, and it can be a real tiger – fast, but always controllable. It’s a car that will reward an experienced and enthusiastic driver, but it’s perfectly happy in the hands of even a novice.

As might be expected in a luxury car from Italy, the interior is a delight with an ambiance that pleases me more than does the somewhat clinical air of a Mercedes-Benz or BMW. The car is beautifully trimmed and there’s lots of fine Italian leather to cosset the occupants. As with any current model in this class, the car is a mass of electronic safety, handling and navigation aids and a new owner does need to spend some time with the manual. A touch screen is used for various aspects of creature comfort and it functions exceptionally well. A rear view camera is fitted and the only problem I have with these is that I really miss them when I test a car without this feature!

There’s an optional 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system available and thanks to the way this car’s insulation shuts out the noise around you, it really does sound like a concert hall on wheels.

With its new Quattroporte, Maserati has finally hammered home the fact that they have a rival for the big sellers in the full size luxury car business. Anyone shopping this segment who’d like something a little more ‘interesting’ than the fairly common Mercs and BMWs should take a long, hard, look at this splendid new Quattroporte. It’s competitively priced too. e

Z ENGINE 3.8-litre twin turbo V-8 (V-6 available).

Z TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual mode.

Z ACCELERATION: Zero to 100 km/h in approx 4.7-seconds (V-8).

Z TOP SPEED: Approx. 307 km/h (V-8).

Z I LIKED: Italian ambiance, uniqueness of Quattroporte, awesome power, handling and brakes, quality of bodywork and interior, roominess, heritage of Maserati.

Z I DIDN’T LIKE: It would be nice to be able to get all-wheel drive with the V-8 model. With that much power, it’s needed more on the eight than the six!

Z MARKET ALTERNATIVES: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

Z WHO DRIVES ONE?: Buyers who need a 4-door saloon in the luxury class but feel that the big cars from Mercedes and BMW lack exclusivity.

People who love great car dynamics and Italian flair and want to buy into one of the industry’s most illustrious nameplates Z PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: Available now at approximately €125.000 for the V6 and €170.000 for the V8.

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CULTURE / HISTORY / FEATURES

focus FAMOUS PEOPLE / INTERVIEWS / HUMOUR

This month, we head for the paradisiacal Caribbean islands, home to crystalline beaches, reggae music and sweet, seductive rum.

We suggest the most luxurious Caribbean getaways, check out the sounds of the Caribbean and see why the region is such a rich source of inspiration for the film industry.

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Rihanna

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Top Caribbean Resorts

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Caribbean Inspiration

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Sounds of the Caribbean

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Sustainable Aruba

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Singing Sensation Yanela Brooks

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THE FOCUS travel

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Grand Cayman’s newest baby is no less than a stately resort comprising 37 three-bedroom, threebath villas overlooking the snow white sands of Seven Mile Beach. Caribbean Club is the only ‘boutique residence hotel’ on Grand Cayman, where you can delight in a fast-paced game of golf or tennis, rest your chin on the edge of the seaside infinity pool or sip on a glass of wine from the award-winning selection of Italian food haven, Ristorante Luca.

The Caribbean Club offers weary urbanites a chance to reconnect with all the creature comforts of home and the mod cons that have become such an important part of life. Feel like whipping up a meal fit for a king in your very own kitchen? The staff will do the shopping for you and, on days when you’re not channelling your inner Jamie Oliver, you can always lie back and have a wide array of freshly prepared dishes sent to your villa.

The resort is many things at once: exotic and cosy, romantic and family-friendly, chilled and buzzing. The décor is warm yet understated, for when the beauty of the white Grand Cayman sands and turquoise sea lie ahead, competition is futile. Sail across the glimmering waters, reminisce about the Beatles during a fun submarine cruise or build your biceps on an energetic kayak tour. There is so much to do at Grand Cayman that it is almost tragic to think that one day, you’ll actually have to leave… i www.caribclub.com

Grand Cayman

Caribbean Club

Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad Cuba Cuba’s charm bears the flavour of the salty sea and sands, the sweetness of rum and the unmistakeable aroma of hand-rolled cigars. It is a land with an intricate history and fascinating culture, much of which can be viewed within the hallowed halls of its City Museum, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. One of Trinidad’s greatest jewels is the Iberostar’s Grand Hotel Trinidad, a resort which invites you to relive the splendour of the 16th century through features such as romantic fountains, lush palm trees and elegant antique furniture pieces. The Hotel is stately from the exterior yet intimate inside, with only four Junior Suites and 36 rooms. Outside, the city teems with life, yet within the walls of the Hotel, guests are offered gentle reminders of the past, such as horse-drawn carriages waiting at the door to whiz them to the pinnacle of 16th-century Cuban elegance in the City centre.

This hotel stands out for its famed Cuban hospitality; from the word go, expect to be pampered like royalty, with offerings such as a luggage unpacking and packing services, a sheet menu, massage service, reservations at tourist sites and much more. By day, sightsee ‘til you drop, or enjoy a host of sporting activities at nearby enclaves such as Playa Ancon or the marina. By night, enjoy a drink at the Fumoir or Lobby Bar, give in to your inner gourmet at the Hotel’s restaurant and enjoy splendid live entertainment. i www.thegrandcollection.com

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Rising regally over the lush 600-acre tropical resort of Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain offers views to one of the most dazzling displays of Nature in the Caribbean: the majestic Piton mountains, a true meeting point between earth and sky, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The estate comprises two soft sand natural beaches and an underwater kingdom of vast coral reefs populated by an array of colourful fish and sea life.

Jade Mountain is ensconced in the southern part of the island of St. Lucia, conveniently close to the island’s major natural attractions including the Botanical Gardens, an epic Drive-in Volcano Experience and a host of lush green rainforests filled with colourful flora and fauna. Designed by visionary architect, Nick Troubetzkoy, it is known as the ‘Helen of the West Indies’ (a reference to Helen of Troy), owing to utterly original features such as the fact that there are no ‘rooms’ as such, but living spaces the architect could only refer to as ‘Infinity Pool Sanctuaries’, quite unlike anything you have probably experienced. For one, they lack a fourth wall (yes, guests are invited to sleep, perchance to dream, al fresco). This openness visually draws the accommodations into the bay and the awe-inspiring mountain views beyond, yet is so cleverly designed that they are completely private and unable to be viewed by other guests or, God forbid, the snapping shutters of the paparazzi.

All sanctuaries boast 4.6 metre-high ceilings and are furnished with over 20 different species of tropical hardwood. The angular ceilings are simply spectacular! Additionally, each room has its own signature infinity pool, surfaced in glass tiles designed specifically for the resort, featuring a sophisticated iridescent surface on one side and a smooth yet undulating shape on the other. By night, fibre optics illuminate their sparkling waters.

For ultimate pampering, avail of the services of an in-house concierge, who will take you on a guided tour of the most historically significant areas of St. Lucia. Unabashed adventurers can opt for a host of excursions, including deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and a vertiginous hike up the Gros Piton mountain. Those who wish to bring the adrenalin factor down, meanwhile, can opt for a relaxing treatment in their room, or head for one of three different spas, one of which is nestled in the soft sands of the beach. Jade Mountain’s boutique spa, ‘Kai en Ciel’ (Creole for ‘House in Heaven’) takes the stress factor down to zero with treatments like the Chocolate Delight massage (which, as you can imagine, involves dousing your body in lashings of fragrant chocolate!).

The culinary offering at Jade Mountain is equally impressive; its restaurant, Jade Mountain Club, holds a vast kaleidoscopic pool in its embrace and boldly looks ahead to the otherworldly night sea and mountains, whose peaks emerge from beneath billowing clouds of white. Here, James Beard award-winner, Chef Allen Susser, entices you with a brave new world of tropical flavours. i www.jademountain.com

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jade mountain St Lucia

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Just 12 degrees north of the equator, caressed by the cooling Trade Winds, Grenada lies peacefully, crowned by a garland of greenery. This island, once a treasure trove of the world’s most coveted spices (cinnamon, mace, clove) offers visitors more than a white-sand getaway. With a rich, fascinating history evident in archaeological treasures such as the boulder carvings of Duquesne Bay, Grenada is also a virtual Paradise for eco-lovers, scuba divers and budding snorkelers alike, with streaming schools of fish joyfully darting in and out of a maze of colourful corals.

Grenada is only 11 km long and, like most Caribbean islands, can be reached by plane, though if you wish to raise the glam factor, there is no better way to make an entrance than via private jet!

Spice Island is owned and run by Sir Royston Hopkin, a local Grenadian whose vision was “to meld poetry and modernity in a resort that would perfectly blend into its environment and still offer all the luxuries you would expect form one of the world’s finest resorts”. A familiar ambience pervades this place; don’t be surprised if you are invited to the Hopkins’ home for a fun-filled cocktail party; their approach is refreshingly personalised and warm.

The accommodations comprise 32 beachfront suites standing on a soft, powdery stretch of sand.

If you’re planning on going all-out, we recommend the Pool Suites, boasting their own private pool and gardens, just a couple of metres from the beach.

Although you’ll probably keep busy with a host of sea activities and historical sight-seeing tours, at least one visit to Janissa’s Spa is key. Here, the staff pay homage to the local flora through an inviting array of treatments in which native herbs are married to salty ocean seaweed, refreshing aloe-vera and zesty citric fruits which restore skin to baby-smooth perfection. And if you fancy yourself as a budding gourmet, don’t miss out on authentic Creole dishes at Oliver’s restaurant, where an upbeat ambience is ensured by live calypso, reggae and steel band performances. i www.spiceislandbeachresort.com

Spice Island Grenada

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offering treatments inspired on wellbeing traditions from across the world – including North America, Europe and the Far East.

Dining is big at Sandy Lane, with four restaurants enticing you with flavours from all around the world, as well as a plethora of convivial bars, from beachside to up-and-away, overlooking the cool platinum coast of St. James. Unlike many high-end resorts, Sandy Lane welcomes children of all ages, with a special Treehouse Club keeping them entertained with stories, art and lots of fun activities.

Elsewhere, older siblings and parents can walk on the wild side with fun tennis games, water sports, beach activities and of course, some of the most scenic rounds of golf they are likely to experience in a lifetime. i www.sandylane.com

The SPA Retreat Boutique Hotel

Founded in 1961, the name of Sandy Lane has always been associated with luxury, romance and… golf. Boasting three golf courses (The Old Nine, and the world-renowned The Country Club and Green Monkey – both designed by Tom Fazio and built on the periphery of an old stone quarry), this resort is both graceful and rugged in its natural offerings, relaxing and sporty in ambience, regal yet inviting in its design.

The accommodation at Sandy Lane encapsulates the spirit of hospitality, the clever interplay of colonial and modern furniture pieces offering lashings of style alongside a pervading sense of home. The ultimate ‘room with a view’ has got to be the Luxury Ocean Rooms, whose inviting terraces overlook pink parasols which stand out like joyful polka dots on an otherwise serene, pure turquoise sea.

There are eight different categories of accommodation, which include glorious penthouses and a roomy villa for family and group travellers.

A rapturous staircase invites you to The Spa, a world of its own,

West End Cliffs, Negril, Jamaica

Sandy Lane

Turks & Caicos

Grace Bay Club

Voted the Number One Luxury Resort in Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards (2012) and winner of the 5 Star International Hotel Award for Best Small Hotel in the Caribbean, The SPA Retreat Boutique Hotel is the ultimate adults-only holiday escape. Comprising 18 thatch-roofed, hand-crafted stone cottages surrounded by verdant tropical gardens and turquoise pools, it offers a view to the infinite grandness of the Caribbean.

It is hard to imagine that before it existed, there was just Negril… a sleepy fishing village, devoid of a road that would connect it to the rest of the island. The SPA Retreat Boutique Hotel has brought a happy new vibe to the village, while preserving quiet pastimes which invite guests to a true communion with Nature.

When in Negril, do as the locals do and discover the best of this fascinating land, underwater. A fragile coral reef offers spectacular snorkelling experiences, though if you prefer a dry adventure, ask the staff about their original glass bottom boat tours. After a day’s jet-skiing, sunbathing or deep-sea fishing, watching the sunset

from the beach of the imposing Cliffside, is a must. And if the water below beckons you, don’t be afraid to plunge right in; the Cliffs are a safe and popular diving spot for locals and tourists alike.

The SPA Retreat Boutique Hotel is exclusive and invitingly intimate, with delightful touches in the rooms such as luxurious mahogany furniture, bamboo chairs and 500 thread-count linen (a must for a good night’s sleep, any grand luxe traveller will tell you). Couples will find it easy to reconnect or indeed discover each other during a honeymoon in this natural paradise. There are plenty of opportunities to experience the local culture and gastronomy at nooks like the Resort’s Blue Mahoe Restaurant, serving “a farm to table experience” and delighting diners with an array of Jamaican and international delights. Couples also love to try out the Resort’s full-service luxury day spa together, bidding adieu to words like ‘duty’, ‘responsibility’ and ‘work’ with a sedating massage or Caribbean-inspired body wrap. i www.thespajamaica.com

Touted as the resort that first lured jetsetters to Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay Club, anchored on 11 acres of immaculate beachfront property on the island of Providenciales, is sunny almost every day of the year. Featuring an original infinity bar which points seaward, rooms with romantic features like fourposter beach beds, a personalised concierge service and friendly Caribbean staff, Grace Bay Club looks to the Mediterranean for inspiration in architecture and design, yet captures the zeitgeist of the 21st century luxury Caribbean resort scene.

Grace Bay Club boasts 82 ultra-spacious suites, all offering serene oceanfront views. There are four categories to choose from: The Hotel, The Villas, The Penthouses and The Estate – each with its own character and style. The ultimate abode is surely The Estate: a collection of 22 custom-designed accommodations ranging from a 650m2 penthouse to a more intimate 74m2 Junior Residence. Guests are pampered with a gamut of special privileges (including the use of exclusive poolside cabanas, lounges and beach beds), Jerusalem stone floors, outdoor showers and expansive terraces. The Estate is also home to Krave restaurant, offering a ‘gourmet comfort food’ experience by the lively Estate Pool.

The 464m2 Anani Spa offers eight treatment rooms and two rooms boasting al fresco showers, as well as a manicure/pedicure room and an area dedicated to the important task of relaxation. Trained therapists use the combined powers of their healing touch and natural aromatic essences to take the pace down to Zen. It doesn’t all have to be about detoxing and de-stressing, of course. Hone your golf skills at the nearby, 18-hole, par-72 championship Provo golf course, or, better yet, take part in the many local initiatives of the Grace Bay Resorts Community Foundation. From supporting local schools to enhancing a local park, you can do your best to leave a piece of your heart on this paradisiacal island. i www.gracebayresorts.com e

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THE FOCUS inspiration

Caribbean inspiration WORDS Michel cruz

The Caribbean, a world of water sprinkled with land, is a place of magic and mystery. Stumbled upon by European explorers seeking a passage to India and its wealthy trade routes, this paradise of green islands in a shiny blue sea must have confounded the voyagers who labelled the indigenous Americans with a misnomer that sticks to this day. Indeed, thinking they had arrived in Asia, the seamen called the strange fellows with feathers they encountered Indians.

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I

t wasn’t long before they realised their mistake – between Asia and Europe lay another continent, a big one – but somehow the misnomer didn’t go away, and now we are at pains to differentiate between Indians of the subcontinent and Amerindians, as they have latterly become known.

Whatever you call them, the Carib tribes that had decimated the original Arawaks in this middle sea between North and South America were doomed from the moment the westerners’ sails appeared on the horizon.

Felled by Eurasian diseases they had no immunity to, conquered and enslaved by cruel men driven by the lust for gold and riches, their culture collapsed and numbers dwindled until they became a nation of ghosts. Oh, there is still plenty of ‘Indian’ blood in the Caribbean, but intermingled with that of the European colonisers and the African slaves they soon brought in to replace the original population. Thus began an era of plantations, piracy, rebellions and wars for supremacy between the European nations – making the Caribbean a region of untold natural beauty and human cruelty that speaks to the imagination and has inspired the movie industry like few others have.

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Pirates and buccaneers While Europe’s navies and armies vied for control of the Caribbean islands and seaways, a new breed of pirate was to evolve here that would overshadow any other before or since.

Banded together in savage groups, the pirates of the Caribbean were often a multinational gathering of escaped sailors, soldiers, slaves and other fugitives from the law. Adding to their ranks were adventurers and fortune hunters, creating a romantic myth in spite of the many acts of cruelty committed by these lawless rovers of the seas.

For fiction it was to prove a source of inspiration too good to resist – the swashbuckling cad hiding the heart of a hero within, who turns good at the end and helps the righteous against the evil of man, as personified by the scum of the earth that called itself a pirate. And thus arose imagery

that has been revisited throughout cinematic history – that of the murderous, rapacious brigand, flying the Jolly Roger and attacking unsuspecting ships and communities from their thieves’ lairs across the Caribbean.

Gradually, the navies of the major powers cleared the waters of this infestation, but by then the names of Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Jean Lafitte, Henry Morgan and others would live on forever in the imagination of those who pictured their adventures and dreamt of their hidden treasure. Not surprisingly, the theme of the swashbuckling pirate is one that was popular right from the early days of cinema. Among the classics is Captain Blood, a classic 1935 adventure film featuring none other than the charismatic cad himself, Errol Flynn.

If ever an actor was cast for such a role

Flynn, Errol (Captain Blood)

Henry Morgan

it was Flynn, whose own mix of fiend and glamour boy fitted perfectly. The experience, filming in Jamaica, would have a long-lasting effect on Flynn, who maintained a property on the island for many years. Burt Lancaster tried to outdo him in the 1952 film The Crimson Pirate, another classic pirate adventure, but by the time Swashbuckling was released in 1976 the genre had run its course. Until Pirates of the Caribbean, that is.

This box-office smash hit based on a Disney theme park ride gave the pirate movie a whole new lease of life when it was first released in 2001, making even bigger stars of Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. Now ranked among the most successful series of films ever, it has rejuvenated this most classic of Caribbeaninspired movie genres.

Flynn, Errol (Captain Blood)

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All windows have been replaced with quality double glazed turn and tilt fittings and all bathrooms are tastefully retiled, as are the terraces. Marble floors throughout, A/C Hot & Cold, Satellite TV, Alarm. The complex boasts a heated indoor pool for year-round use and a large external pool with children's area in lovely mature communal gardens.

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A licence to be seriously glamorous

CLASSIC CARIBBEAN But it isn’t only blood and gore that has fascinated us about the Caribbean.

Against this backdrop of human depravity stands the natural beauty of the region, with its endless beaches, coves and tropical forests. From early on, long before most could travel for themselves, filmmakers took audiences on an escape to tropical paradise where the scent of romance was always thick in the air.

Affair in Trinidad, starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford was a typical movie of the kind, seducing moviegoers with its smooth, suave setting and languid tropical subtext. A few years later Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra took the girls to Havana in Guys & Dolls. A showpiece of sultry Cuban charm – who could have known that the Cuban revolution was just around the corner?

That topic is dealt with against the background of the Cold War in Our Man in Havana. Starring the inimitable Alec Guinness, this 1959 British production came just a year after the revolution itself, proving to be almost as prescient as the plot itself. The actual revolution, though described many times, has seldom made for box office hits, though films such as Cuba, a 1979 production starring Sean Connery, and 2008’s Che, a Spanish language movie featuring Benicio del Torro, stand out among the more successful.

The Godfather, Part II, and Jaws, The Return, are some of the other mainstay films shot in these waters, though a movie that truly embodied the romantic appeal of tropical paradise was Cocktail. Filmed in Jamaica in 1988, it helped to further cement Tom Cruise’s reputation as a rising talent, as well as giving The Beach Boys their first new hit single in over a decade. Aruba, Jamaica and Key Largo were just some of the places we were made to daydream about, though in Holiday in the Sun, twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen found their island bliss in the Bahamas instead. Or more precisely, at the Atlantis Resort, where Megan Fox began her acting career in a light-hearted summer flick that has become typical of the FloridaCaribbean holiday type.

If today Americans associate the Caribbean – in film and fact – primarily with sunny holidays, then for us Europeans it still remains somewhat elusive and exclusive. The domain of Richard Branson, Kate Moss and Mick Jagger, but not really the kind of place you head off to with the kids. For us the Caribbean retains a certain mystique, further enhanced by such glamorous icons as James Bond, whose spiritual home it seems to be.

Yes, besides London no other venue crops up as much in Bond movies as the Caribbean. Could it be the fact that Ian Fleming conjured up all the Bond stories in Jamaica? I should think so, for while this former Eton boy was old school English through and through, it seems his later home had a profound effect on him – and subsequently his creation, James Bond. Writing from his beachside villa, Goldeneye, he positioned much of the action around and about him in Caribbean waters, thus setting the tone for many of the films to follow.

The very first Bond film, Dr. No, contains perhaps the most classic Caribbean Bond scene of all: Ursula Andres wading ashore in a white bikini that offset her suntanned skin. After that, you can’t blame Bond/Sean Connery for wanting to come back, and return he did, first in Thunderball (1965) and then 18 years later in Never Say Never Again. Roger Moore was also not to be denied the Caribbean experience, and in fact Live and Let Die was largely set within the region.

Then, it was to be some years before 007 revisited the scene of his beginnings, but with Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry’s 1995 offering Goldeneye, it all came full circle. Not to be outdone, Daniel Craig shot scenes in Cuba (Die Another Day) and the Bahamas (Casino Royale), thus continuing a cinematic love affair with the Caribbean that has included pirates, romance, glamour and action in its heady mix of ingredients. To the human imagination, the Caribbean has proved to be one of the most productive regions in the world, and even in today’s globalised environment, it continues to excite the senses and inspire new generations of cinematographers and movie audiences. e

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THE FOCUS music

THE RHYTHM OF THE ISLANDS WORDS MICHEL CRUZ

Thoughts of the Caribbean are immediately accompanied by a soundtrack. Yes, you picture palm trees and white sands lapped by turquoise water, but in the background local people are gyrating to music in their lively, sensual way.

The sounds you associate with the Caribbean can vary; for some it’s inevitably reggae or steel drums, for others salsa, merengue or rumba.

You see, there is no single Caribbean sound, as this intrinsically musical part of the

world has spawned so many different styles and genres.

What the islands do have in common, though, is an innate sense of rhythm, musicality and energetic movement that finds its way into every musical expression to come out of the region. Here, music is a part of life. It isn’t meant for listening to or politely tapping your toe to – in the Caribbean music is an expression of life that has to be felt, shared and lived on the dance floor.

It is an approach that goes back

to the very origins of music, as a way in which humans convey social messages, express jubilation or use it as an elixir against misery. In that sense the music of the Caribbean speaks as much about the make-up of the region as do its buildings and the faces of its people. This middle sea between large landmasses is a coming together of European, African, Indian and also indigenous Amerindian cultures, and it is through music that its story is most eloquently told.

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A HARMONY OF INFLUENCES The early Spanish and Portuguese explorers, followed by British, French and Dutch buccaneers, encountered Carib Indians when they reached the area where they later introduced African and also Indian populations. Unfortunately, and in spite of its natural beauty, much of the region’s history is a long tale of suffering involving the decimation of the indigenous cultures, piracy, slave plantations, wars of independence, civil strife, dictators, poverty and crime.

Music has always been – and continues to be – an escape from such worldly problems, and in turn human suffering provides fertile ground for musical creativity and intensity. One of the finest qualities of Caribbean music has always been its honesty, especially when compared with the commercial material that comes out of America and Europe, but it too has not been able to escape the influences of the outside world and the lure of commercialisation.

As a result, the music born of the plaintive song of slaves, the trance-like drum rhythms of Africa and the Spanish guitar has long since captured the world.

Regardless of whether you associate Reggae, Calypso or Salsa with the Caribbean, its sounds have reached us all and left few of us unmoved.

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THE SPANISH CARIBBEAN The greatest European contributor to the unique creative mix of the Caribbean is undoubtedly Spain. Though it lost most of the smaller islands to the British and French, Spain remained the dominant force in the Greater Antilles – Cuba, Puerto Rica and the Dominican Republic – the very countries that have given the world so much in musical terms.

Here traditional contradanzas introduced from Europe along with guitars and orchestral accompaniment met African drumbeats and rhythms. The tempo increased significantly and the music introduced by the Spanish was imbued with the sensuality of the tropics and the intensity of the poor. Happiness and sadness were both expressed with a sweet softness like musical honey and the formality of European dance was replaced with sweaty sexuality. In essence, the bedrock of Caribbean music was born.

There are many musical genres in this region, too many to mention, but by the time Merengue had begun to be mentioned as a style in the Dominican Republic of the mid-19th century the process of amalgamation described above had already achieved its transculturation, as it is locally called. This assimilation of influences produced a wonderfully smooth harmony that melted Spanish song and guitar in the quick-step beats of the common people.

The Merengue of the nineteenth century may have little in common with that of recent decades, but through the constant musical interaction between the various islands it helped to spawn the traditional salsa music of Cuba that was popularised

by Puerto Rican immigrants to the US in the 1970s and has regenerated itself since. In this way salsa, still a massive musical genre today, is related to those that came before.

Perhaps the most ‘Spanish’ of all the Caribbean musical types is the bolero.

Though said to be unrelated to the Spanish style of the same name, this sweet combination of guitar and vocals bears a clear Spanish tone left to ripen in the tropical sunshine. Flowering in the late 1800s it shares certain similarities with tango and led the way to another great Cuban invention – rumba.

Already more ‘African’ in feel, rumba became so closely associated that even ministers have declared that “Rumba without Cuba is not rumba, and Cuba without rumba is not Cuba.”

The statement also refers to the fact that rumba became such a popular export product that it was almost Americanised during the big band era of the 1930s and 40s. While rumba, like virtually all Caribbean music, owes a great deal to American styles such as jazz, gospel and soul, American orchestras would almost

always soften the edges, where Cubans preferred the original item to be more earthy and gritty.

The suave tropical sound of rumba – a Cuban slang word that meant party – was also evident in another rage to hit the world, and in particular the USA. When Mambo became mainstream in the 1930s, popularised by band leaders such as Perez Prado, it hit a cord with an America that was coming out of itself and discovering the tropical paradise on its doorstep. The sassy orchestral sound soon became somewhat sanitised to suit American tastes, and especially the later Cha Cha Cha that evolved out of it was to become the mainstay of ballroom dancing well into the 1970s.

But the Spanish Caribbean, and Cuba especially, is a rich source of creative inspiration, and in recent years the music of this region has continued to evolve, producing new musical styles such as Cuban rock, jazz, hip-hop and rap which, while not quite as evocative of tropical paradise as some of their predecessors, still bear an unmistakable HispanoCaribbean stamp.

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THE WEST INDIES In the islands of the Lesser Antilles the African influence is more obvious and only sporadically infused with strong British or French musical influence. However, the biggest distinction between this AfroCaribbean region and that of the HispanoCaribbean islands is that English is the main language used. This immediately gives the music of the area a distinct feel, effectively splitting the Caribbean into two cultural zones.

That said, calypso, the earliest musical form to be exported from this part of the world, is believed to owe its origins to a mix of slave gospel music and the troubadour tradition of France. Introduced

by French plantation owners, the latter was amalgamated into the music of slave communities that later emigrated to Trinidad & Tobago, for it is here that calypso first took root. Immortalised by Harry Belafonte, the style has since lost a lot of its popularity, and though some regard it as the Caribbean equivalent of the American crooners it was, in its day, full of subversive messages and double-entendres.

One need only look at the names early calypso performers gave themselves to know that something was afoot. I mean, The Elephant Man, Lord Invader, Lord Kitchener and Atilla the Hun don’t really rhyme with the squeaky clean image of Mr. Belafonte…

Interestingly the island state that gave the world Calypso also produced soca, a musical style in which the Indian population brought to the region as indentured labourers by the British in the 19th century is also represented. Though few people know it, these Asian communities make up around half of the population of countries such as Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana, and many an Indian instrument is put to good use in the Caribbean-exotic mix that is soca.

Reggae nights

But of course most people – particularly in the English-speaking world – will immediately link this part of the world to reggae, the pot-smokin’, Rastafarian lifestyle cum musical genre that originated in Jamaica in the 1960s and was made world famous by Bob Marley. Along with Jimmy Cliff and later Eddy Grant he was to spread Jamaican culture across the globe through a simple, laid-back style of music born out of ska and rock steady.

The flower-power generations of America and Europe inhaled its message along with other forbidden substances and created a rock legend around the colourful Marley, paving the way for a Jamaican pop scene that remains vibrant to this day. While reggae had a revival in the 1990s, it has since largely been supplanted by styles more strongly influenced by the black-American sounds that have dominated the airwaves ever since.

It is a testament to the globalisation power of the commercial American music industry that its export products of r&b, hip-hop and rap have now ruled supreme for almost two decades, finding their way into even the remotest corner of the globe and eroding local musical traditions into submission.

The Cubans, who long considered rap to be an imperialist weapon of capitalist America, have now also surrendered to it, and one hopes that a region now dominated by Jamaican hip-hop, Haitian rap and Hispanic reggaeton will one day find its own tone again – leaving the anger of urban America behind and celebrating the sweetness of life in a tropical world where people are more accustomed to laughing than growling. e

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THE FOCUS aruba

Think Caribbean and you think of tropical islands, sandy beaches and luxury resort hotels. While this picture may be largely true for the Windward Islands that make up the bulk of the West Indies, there is another side to the Caribbean that is using its natural resources to create the first energy selfsufficient island paradise.

T

he three main constituents of the Dutch Antilles – Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba – lie not in the Windward but within the so-called Leeward Islands. It may not sound like much of a difference, but in this case it means that these isles stretched out a little north of Venezuela are not so much tropical as arid.

Here, the coastal waters are just as crystal clear and the sandy beaches as white, but dry rocky terrain strewn with giant cacti replaces the tropical plants and forests we more typically associate with the Caribbean. It creates a natural beauty of its own that enchants visitors in equal measure, so much so that Aruba is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Caribbean Sea. But tourism is a gluttonous beast that sucks up huge resources. In spite of its reputation as a ‘clean industry’, it is a great consumer of energy and leaves a heavy environmental imprint.

In many regions of the world this creates an unhappy trade-off between commercial, social and ecological interests, but in Aruba they feel they’ve found a solution to the problem.

The world’s first sustainable energy economy It’s strange to think, with oil-producing Venezuela and a Shell refinery so close by, but Aruba is gearing to become the world’s first country/ economy to run entirely on sustainable energy.

With so much sun, wind and sea currents on tap, the people of the island believe they have the means to put imported energy sources behind them and develop self-reliance through the harnessing of sustainable resources.

Aruba

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ

PARADISE OF SELF-SUSTAINABILITY

In addition to an increase in solar panelling and solar farms, the process began with the opening of the first large windmill farm in 2009. Today, it already supplies 20 per cent of the island’s energy needs, a figure that is expected to double with the commissioning of a second wind farm in the near future.

But Aruba wants more. It wants to be 50 per cent sustainable within a few years and has the serious ambition to become the world’s first entirely

non-fossil powered country by 2020. As part of this, the island nation within the Netherlands Antilles has announced a partnership with the Carbon War Room, an initiative headed by Richard Branson, whose aim it is to reduce carbon emissions.

Such initiatives open the path to more investment in wind farms, solar energy capture and other forms of sustainable energy production, and while this island may measure just 200km2 in area, it could be an inspiring example for developed and emerging countries alike. For Aruba, the drive to replace imported fossil fuels with locally produced sustainable sources forms part of an environmental policy that also includes strict planning directives, energy-efficient holiday resorts and such landmark projects as the Aruba Reef Care Project.

The advantages to the local environment and the balance of payments are obvious, but Aruba has also found that its green credentials matter greatly to the more discerning traveller, making this one of the trendiest and most revisited holiday destinations in the world today. i www.aruba.com

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THE FOCUS people

A L E N YABROOKS n a e b b i r a C e h T d e fi i n Perso WORDS MIC

H E L CRUZ

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n just a few years time Yanela Brooks has made her mark on the Costa del Sol, rising from obscurity to become one of the best-loved artists in our part of the world. She has performed at all the major events, from charity gala balls to concerts and even private parties, but now it seems we will have to share her with a broader public.

Ever since Yanela appeared on La Voz, Spain’s equivalent of The Voice – and promptly made the semi-final – she has been a national celebrity that is increasingly in demand throughout the country.

“La Voz was a great experience,” says Yanela.

“It was watched by millions of people, and although I was disappointed to have come so far and missed out on winning, it has been a fantastic boost to my career.” Now the artist who spans a broad range, from traditional Cuban styles to jazz, soul, R&B and pop, is receiving offers to tour the length and breadth of Spain. Does this mean we’re going to lose her to a bigger audience? “Naturally I’m travelling more and therefore have less opportunity to work in and around Marbella, but this remains my home base and performing here is part of that.”

Success built on strong roots As can suddenly happen in a career, especially one in showbiz, things are evolving very quickly for Yanela now. Since seeing her in La Voz, the Spanish public has embraced Yanela. She has also attracted the attention of the likes of Alejandro Sanz and Pepe Barroso, who produced her new single Mondays, which has been flying up the charts and features prominently on popular radio stations such as Cuarenta Principales. “In my career I have been very fortunate to work with fantastic people, and producing this song with Lola Records and the collaboration of a brilliant DJ like Brian Cross has been a great privilege.”

Her new album, out at the end of autumn, is being recorded in Barcelona, though Yanela will also be heading off to Alejandro Sanz’s studio in Miami to collaborate with American artists there.

A rising star on the national and international stage, this Cuban-born Marbella singer, musician and composer draws on her Caribbean roots for more than musicality alone.

“It’s all extremely exciting and happening so fast,” laughs the vivacious Caribeña, who seems to take it all in her stride. Is this arrogance? “No, I wouldn’t like to think so. It’s not in my make-up to be like that and certainly not how I was brought up. The reason why I am excited but not overawed by the acceleration in my career actually has everything to do with my Cuban background.”

Born into a family of musicians in Guantanamo, Yanela moved to the capital Havana when she was still a toddler. It was here that she began studying music at the age of seven, starting with the piano and progressing through singing lessons and a formal musical education to composition and arrangement. “Here too, I was fortunate to work with the best,” says Yanela. “People such as María Felicia Pérez and Edicio Hernández, who had been a pupil of Montserrat Caballé and Plácido Domingo at La Scala in Milan.”

While others were out playing Yanela dedicated herself to a vocation that had never been in doubt. “I was always going to be a musician, but I’m glad that I received such a thorough musical grounding. It gives me great depth in my career and I would certainly recommend aspiring young artists to get a proper musical background too.”

By the time she was a teenager it was obvious this girl was heading for something special. She began touring the country with her own band Yanela y las Chicas del Sabor, but even so her mother never let her lose touch with what was real. “She didn’t allow me to become isolated in a musical bubble, but encouraged me to mix with all levels of society.

When you’re a part of your society you learn a lot more and also get real, authentic inspiration. So you see, arrogance and selfishness were always actively discouraged in my household.”

– whether its tone is sad or joyful.” What she took for granted at the time but has come to appreciate since moving to the prosperous west is that in Cuba, as elsewhere in Latin America, music is as much a part of everyday life as eating, working and breathing.

“What stands out about Cuba now is the capacity of the people to be happy,” says Yanela.

“It doesn’t take much to make them smile, even when they have very little in the material sense.

Of course, everyone has wants and materialistic desires, but it is fascinating to see that people in places like Cuba can be so much happier with so much less than those of us who live in the First World.” Asked what she puts this down to she answers resolutely: “community”.

“In Cuba all it takes to build a party is a full belly, a bit of Rón Cubano and a musical instrument.

Forget about planning, venues and invites. There it’s spontaneous and everyone is invited. Every neighbourhood is a community where there might be many problems but people are bound by a sense of belonging. In such places the elderly are still respected, parents still listened to and no-one needs to feel lonely or left out. This is the essence of the Caribbean spirit, and it is a feeling that is most perfectly expressed through music, dance and being together.” It seems then that, in the Caribbean, music is not so much a product as something to delight in and share. i www.yanelabrooks.com

The Caribbean way For Yanela being a musician is something special that has to be natural and spontaneous. “Of course it’s important to master the technical side of it, but above all music is an expression of the senses and as such has to come straight from the heart

la Check out Yane w ne ’ ks Broo video Mondays on Youtube by la searching Yane . ys da on M Brooks

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style

INTERIORS / ARCHITECTURE / ART / DESIGN

The Caribbean is awash with colour, as can be discerned from the designs at the recent Caribbean Fashion Week. Style is more than fashion, though, and we hone our décor skills with a visit to the new luxury showroom of interior design guru, Patricia Darch, at the Sotogrande Marina.

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THE STYLE décor

Patricia Darch goes Prêt-à-Porter in Puerto Sotogrande

From Sotogrande and Gibraltar to Mayfair and Miami, style queen Patricia Darch has been creating beautiful interiors for more than three decades, adding her stamp of timeless chic to high-end homes worldwide. Now the coast’s doyenne of interior design has moved to elegant new surroundings with the launch of her show-stopping décor store at Sotogrande Port where you can shop for that perfect prêt-a-porter gift or order up a haute couture home.

WORDS belinda beckett Photography © khphotography.co.uk

“Wow! This is interior heaven!”

The heart-felt exclamation brings our conversation to a halt and we turn around to check out the owner of the voice.

A glamorous young Mum and her daughter are standing in front of a milk-white, circular Maxalto sofa, their eyes darting around like eager children in a sweet shop, taking it all in: the sumptuous fabrics and statement furnishings, the fine crystal and sparkly bling.

“Well isn’t that just the best recommendation,” Patricia Darch whispers, delighted at such perfect timing.

It’s no set-up. Patricia’s stunning décor collections have that stop-you-in-your-tracks effect. Stepping into her showrooms is like being invited into an unbelievably beautiful

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home – not an art gallery, although everything is artfully chosen. Her tasteful arrangements exude warmth and soul as well as wow and style.

Patricia creates fairytale spaces where anyone could live happily ever after.

In Gibraltar, as in Sotogrande, Patricia Darch’s double-fronted showrooms are a magnet for window shoppers. Customers cluster in front of the sparkling glass, polished to such transparency you feel you could walk through it.

Parents sometimes hang back, reluctant to take their children into her stylish emporiums but it’s a mistake not to. You’ll get heaps of inspiration but never a hard sell and, whether you’re looking for a signature piece or an inexpensive small gift, you’ll meet nothing but courtesy and charm.

Patricia has been offering unrivalled customer service since she opened her Torreguadiaro

design studios on the old coast road in 1992.

This great tradition of “bubble-wrapping the customer” – as Gibraltar manageress Gill Welland expressively puts it – continues at the Ocean Village shop which opened in 2011 and you can expect no less at the plush new Spanish headquarters in Puerto Sotogrande. Here, you can wander through a space four times the size of the Gibraltar showrooms – 324m2 spread over two dove grey wood floors illuminated with killer lighting. The 1,000 m2 storerooms can house an Aladdin’s Cave of stock. It’s also better located than Torreguadiaro, by-passed by the N340 and a bridge too far for some residents east of Marbella. This will be much more convenient for all Patricia’s clients in the Málaga province who can combine a visit with a day out at this bijou little port.

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That Riviera Touch “Two showroom openings in 18 months – that’s not bad going in a crisis!” she says brightly. “Sotogrande has been a massive move but the team has transformed an empty locale into a magical space,” she adds, relieved that all the hard work has paid off: the behind-the-scenes wiring and carpentry; the meticulous styling and placing of iconic signature pieces (B&B Italia’s iconic Up 2000 armchair is just one of the eye-catching ‘exhibits’); the hanging of a 14.5 metre-sheet of Cavalli wallpaper, resplendent with panther logo, that had to be positioned ‘just so’; the designing of the bespoke 7.5-metretall black lacquered unit to showcase wallpaper and fabric collections… all to be safely in situ for the August 20 launch party, and tidied up for the first day of trading the following morning!

Meeting deadlines and working from a blank canvas is second nature to Patricia and her in-house team of CAD-qualified designers, artists, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, upholsterers and seamstresses, which comprises several family members and a curtainmaker who has been with the firm for 30 years. During the storms that hit New York last year, they successfully delivered a dining table and eight chairs to a customer across the Atlantic on time, while local suppliers were seriously delayed. “We felt very rewarded when the client said he regretted not giving us the entire job,” says Patricia.

The arrival of Patricia Darch will be a shot in the arm for Blue Sotogrande Commercial Centre. Since its fanfare opening in 2009 it has languished like a jilted bride, many of its bricked-up locales unbreached until recently. For Patricia it’s like coming home – she decorated many of the penthouses at neighbouring Ribera del Marlin and lived there herself, for a while.

With its Little Venice charm, Sotogrande Port is the perfect place to hang out her sign. The store fronts an elegant waterside walkway lined with bijou boutiques, art shops and Italian trattoria-style cafes where the Sotogrande set sip skinny lattes under white umbrellas. On the millpond-calm canal, sleek motor yachts bob peacefully at anchor – adding an essence of Côte d’Azur to the surroundings. If the boho chic hippy market which sets up under candy-striped awnings on Sundays was once the event of the week, now there will be a reason to visit on Saturdays in summer too when, from 10am until 4pm, Patricia’s step-daughter Jessica Darch will be at work in her studio and available for a free consultation. A renowned artist who paints on a variety of mediums, including Perspex and board, her bold murals and trompe l’oeils grace many high end homes and she’s worked on a number of public projects too, such as the Giorgio Armani exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts.

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Puerto José Banús

Oasis Business Center, Ctra. De Cádiz KM 183 Golden Mile, 29660 Marbella (Málaga) Phone +34 952 772 139 ∙ mon-sat 10-21

www.loftroomers.com

The Devil’s In The Retail More important than a new location, the move represents a change in business direction for Patricia that was pioneered in Gibraltar with great success: retail. “We’re looking for greater footfall,” she explains. “We want to welcome many more people to come in, look around our gift selection and get ideas for later when they’re ready to decorate.”

To tempt them, there will be exquisite decorative items on sale (in limited numbers to preserve exclusivity), many priced well under €50: Lampe Berger fragrance lamps from Paris; pewter candle holders hand-crafted by Benahavís artist David Marshall; cushions in an infinite variety of textures and colours designed in-house; and gift vouchers in four denominations, from €50 to €500, presented in Patricia Darch boxes tied with ribbon. “Ideal for wedding gifts, better than giving money which no one wants to send in the post, saving guests the will-she-won’t-she-like-it agonising,” enthuses Patricia. “Recipients can put them together to buy something they really want.”

No future bride could fail to have her head turned by this haute couture heaven for homes. Wall fabrics by Hermès and Roberto Cavalli, textiles by Missoni Home and Jean Paul Gaultier and furniture lines by Fendi Casa strut their stuff with as much sass as you’ll see on any fashion runway. Patricia’s perfectionist styling ensures that even a décor collection can have sex appeal: twinkly Baccarat candelabra lamps flirt with statement Glas mirrors; head-turning Malerba tables get it on with gleaming Villeroy & Boch tableware; soft alpaca throws hurl themselves at B&B Italia armchairs; curvaceous sofas upholstered in tactile suedes give shaggy silk rugs the come-on.

A temptation of textures – glossy lacquer, satin-smooth Perspex, soft leather, gritty Swarovski crystal – cry out to be touched.

Patricia consults the ‘oracle’ – the Milan Furniture Fair – annually, to handpick special pieces. Among her exclusive lines you’ll find contemporary furniture

by Cattelan Italia, Busnelli and Alivar, lighting by Foscarini and Moooi, Casamance textiles, Bluemarine bedding, Manutti garden furniture, decorative items by Point A La Ligne and talking-point pieces by VG New Trend.

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“

Patricia’s perfectionist styling ensures that even a décor collection can have sex appeal”

Gill Welland, over in Ocean Village, was also in Milan, noting trends. This year, she tells us, suede wins over leather, shapes are organic rather than angular, old gold, silver and light-to-mid tones dictate: taupe, petrol blue, sea green, charcoal (citrus and wengue are passé), but animal prints and bling are still bang on trend. “There’s a return to 60s and 70s retro designs and raw materials are being mixed with luxury textures to create a chic urban look with an edge of global awareness,” says this interior fashion guru.

Gill reports that Gibraltarians have been “wideeyed to see collections that had never crossed the border before, all under one roof on a little rock in the Mediterranean – something you wouldn’t usually find outside Harrods of Knightsbridge!”

Although the Gibraltar client base goes back 20 years, the swanky penthouses at Ocean Village and Queensway Quay were perfect candidates for the Patricia Darch brand of eclectic-but-timeless contemporary chic. More than one local agent has clinched an upmarket rental over the telephone, sight unseen, once the client knows it has been styled by Patricia. She is a preferred interior designer at the luxurious new Buenavista Park Villas where the Casamance python print wallpaper she chose for the marketing suite has already set tongues wagging. Among other Gibraltar projects, she’s busy transforming an early 19th century Grade II-listed government building into a stylish des res.

For many of leafy Sotogrande’s international summer residents, too, only Patricia Darch will do. As she is regularly commissioned to weave her magic in their principal homes and winter retreats too, her client portfolio stretches from Mayfair to Miami. She has just completed work on a residence in The Bahamas, her third project for this particular client who was clearly delighted. “I received an envelope containing a set of keys to the property and a thank-you note saying ‘Have 15 days holiday on us’!”

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Champagne & Roses Another Sotogrande owner who has been a client for 10 years invited her to scope out his mansion in York, England, for a redesign. “It was a very exciting project but a super-tight schedule,” recalls Patricia. “I had a two-and-a-half-hour window to measure up and get the feel of 24 rooms and an orangery, with builders and landscape artists all trying to talk to the owner too. It made 60 Minute Makeover look like child’s play!”

Other perks of the job have included an invitation to a Chinese banquet held in her honour “aboard one of the largest yachts in Puerto Banús” and a sailing holiday off the coast of New England. But the glow of satisfaction she gets from happy clients and a job well done gives Patricia her greatest reward.

“It’s second nature to work closely with clients in order to interpret their brief,” says Patricia. “In turn they take us into their confidence and place huge trust in us.

Many become great friends.”

Patricia is no prima donna: she rolls up her sleeves and gets stuck in to help her team on site. Customers’ every wish is listened to and heeded – a much-loved old chair can be re-upholstered, a décor scheme can be planned around a favourite artwork. Immense care is taken during every renovation – shoes off at the door, plastic sheeting everywhere, caps under drills to catch dust, no cola (it stains marble) and a good vacuum at the end of every day. Fresh-cut flowers and chilled Champagne welcome every owner to their sparkling new interior– extra touches that make the difference.

In décor, as in life, not everything runs to plan and there was one occasion when Patricia and her team wondered if the Champagne-and-flowers moment would ever come. “We were working on a villa here in Sotogrande Port, and were due to hand over the keys that day but massive road works put us behind schedule and the outdoor furniture arrived in the wrong colour so we had to hand-paint it,” recalls Patricia. “We were down to the wire but everyone pulled together and we finished minutes before the owner arrived. He never guessed, until I told him, how close a call it had been. That’s the kind of teamwork we have here!”

Patricia Darch Interiors Blue Sotogrande, Sotogrande Port, Tel: 956 615 350. i Spain: patriciadarch.com Gibraltar: partriciadarchinteriors.gi

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THE STYLE fashion

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Compiled by Marisa CUTILLAS

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THE STYLE fashion Bag by Furla Bag by Accessorize

Earrings by Primark

Bag by Benetton Bag by Furla

Charms by Pandora

The most glamorous seasons of the year are just around the corner: Autumn and Winter. Marisa Cutillas brings you the must-have accessories and jewellery for the cooler times ahead.

Fancy

’Tis the Season to bE

Neo Kendall Bag for Men by Louis Vuitton

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Necklace by Konplott

Ring by Konplott

Bag by Furla

Luggage tag by Accessorize

Neverfull Mykonos bag

by Louis Vuitton

CONTACTS: ACCESSORIZE www.accessorize.com BENETTON www.benetton.com DIOR www.dior.com FURLA www.furla.com konplott www.konplott.com LOUIS VUITTON www.louisvuitton.com MIMO SILVER www.mimosilver.com PANDORA www.pandora.net PAULS BOUTIQUE www.pauls-boutique.com PRIMARK www.primark.es

Tigerskin purse by Paul’s Boutique

Skull earrings

by Mimo Silver

Scarf by Benetton

Ring by Dior

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PRODUCTS / BEAUTY / SPA / SCIENCE

Discover top Caribbean inspired beauty products, renew your skin after the summer sun onslaught, step into the new Hotel Los Monteros Spa and read up on top buys for the season. Your body may have taken a break this summer, but now, your skin needs pampering and soothing so don’t be remiss!

TREATMENTS / HEALTH

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Beauty: Caribbean Beauty Products

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The New Hotel Los Monteros Spa

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Beauty News

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Health: Powerful Adaptogens

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Health News

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BEAUTY

Refreshing lime, healing coconut, fragrant cedarwood, cooling clay… these are only some ingredients which can be found in abundance in the Caribbean. This month, indulge your sense of smell and touch with exotic skincare concoctions, made with natural ingredients sourced from, or inspired on, the Caribbean.

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1 – COCONUT WATER CHILL SHOWER GEL Enriched with shea and bearing the moisturising goodness of coconut, this refreshing gel also contains skin-quenching fragrances sourced from exotic fruits and flowers like jasmine, iced acai berry and frozen melon. i www.bathandbodyworks.com 2 – COCONUT EAU DE TOILETTE BY THE BODY SHOP If you can’t make it to the Caribbean this year, let your spirit take flight with this 3beautiful coconut cologne, made with fair trade ingredients. i www.thebodyshop.es 3 – COCONUT LIME BREEZE BY BATH & BODY WORKS If you’re after a moisturiser that lastsall day, this is it. Made with conditioning shea butter, light jojoba oil and protective Vitamin E, this lotion leaves skin feeling incredibly soft and nourished, and carries the very essence of the Caribbean: coconut and lime. i www.bathandbodyworks.com 4 – TROPIC TAN EXOTIC TANNING OIL BY CARIBBEAN BLUE This deliciously scented oil (comprising coconut, sesame seed, and macadamia nut oil, as well as mango seed butter and natural Vitamin E) is revered by serious tanners after a deep tan. Make sure to use sunscreen alongside it, especially on your face and other fragile areas. i www.gocaribbeanblue.com 5 – SUNSCREEN BY CARIBBEAN SOLUTIONS This eco-safe, reef-friendly sunscreen features a blend of botanical and mineral ingredients,

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and offers UVB and UVA protection. It contains no parabens or other harmful chemicals. i www.caribbean-sol.com 6 – CREAMY COCONUT MOISTURISING BODY BUTTER BY NATURE’S EXTRACTS Ideal for very dry areas like the elbows and knees, this body butter smells so good you may be tempted to actually taste it! i www.marksandspencer.com 7 – CREAMY COCONUT EXFOLIATING BODY SCRUB BY THE BODY SHOP: Slough off dead skin cells and run your hands over your baby smooth skin. i www.thebodyshop.es 8 – EXTENDED VACATION BODY CREAM HYDRATE

BY CARIBBEAN SMOOTHIE Containing a blend of sweet almond oil, Caribbean citrus fruits and anti-oxidants, this daily body cream not only keeps skin moist; it also prolongs the results of self-tanning lotions, spray booth, UV and airbrush tans. i www.skin-spa.com 9 – COCONUT HAND CLEANSE GEL BY THE BODY SHOP Coconut has potent anti-bacterial properties, which makes it a great addition to purifying hand products like this one. i www.thebodyshop.es 10 – CARIBBEAN COCONUT MILK SHAMPOO BY ALIKAY NATURALS This is an amazing shampoo for dry, damaged hair. It contains a wealth of natural fatty acids (coconut, avocado, jojoba, tea tree, almond and nettle oil) to deeply moisturise hair, yet feels wonderfully greasefree. i www.naturallycurly.com

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Caribbean Queen WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

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BEAUTY Luxury five-star hotel, Los Monteros, boasts a guest list that reads like a who’s who of the world’s most influential artists, politicians, entrepreneurs and celebrities, yet despite its recognition as one of Marbella’s most elegant and lavish hotels, it was missing one thing, a jewel in its crown, something which would make it a true reference point in terms of health, beauty and wellness: its very own spa.

Not any more. The Hotel is now home to the brand new Los Monteros Spa, a stunningly designed sanctum in which to heal the body and mind and find the perfect balance which is lost amid the demands of everyday life.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY © KHPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

THE NEW LOS MONTEROS SPA Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

TREATMENTS

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s I enter the gorgeous new installations, Marta Bravo, Spa Coordinator, greets me with a smile as bright as the rays of natural sunlight that flood the interiors. She ushers me into the warm humidity of the thermal area, whose décor bears a blend of modern and traditional touches.

Pearlised mosaic tiles on the walls and furniture reflect the colours of the rainbow, while Moroccan candle holders, lush palms and rich wood elements exude exoticism. Says Marta, “The idea is to offer guests health and wellness breaks which are specifically catered to their needs. Those who seek to lose weight can opt to follow a special diet and rely on the services of a Personal Trainer, while those preferring to de-stress can receive advice from a specialist in Bach’s Flowers or undergo acupuncture or massage therapy. The idea is to offer the ultimate bespoke wellness package”. The diet programmes last either a week or a fortnight and there are also wellness breaks for those who only have a few days to get away.

The thermal area is very much in line with the Hotel’s five-star rating, since it contains everything you need to detoxify and de-stress: a

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hammam, Turkish bath, sauna, igloo, pebbled foot bath, relaxation areas and the ‘star feature’: a technologically savvy circuit pool featuring a host of different jets, showers and water beds, all beneath a crystal ceiling above which the tops of playful palm trees sway gleefully.

The spa also has a ‘gommage’ room, where world-weary clients can experience the exotic Rasul body treatment, a traditional Moroccon ritual which uses natural clay to purify the body, ridding skin of toxins through the use of specific temperatures and humidity levels. Additionally, there are three sensation showers which are perfect for alternating with a warm steam bath or visit to the sauna: the circuit shower boosts the circulation, the cold shower cools the body down, while the essence shower refreshes your body in the citric fragrance of mandarins.

There are three treatment rooms, where guests can enjoy anything from a relaxing massage to more vigorous sports massages, anti-cellulite and firming treatments, as well as soothing exfoliating and moisturising body wraps. “We work with Phytomer, a high-end brand which offers 100 per cent natural products sourced from the sea,” says Marta, adding, “We are still taking baby steps but

our plans are to increase the number of treatment rooms”.

Don’t expect exclusively spa-style treatments, however; Marta tells me that guests can be treated by a physiotherapist, an osteopathist or a specialist in acupuncture, since science and medicine are equally important components of restoring good health.

Stylish females can also get in tip-top condition for a special night on the town or look their bikini best thanks to the Spa’s waxing and manicurepedicure services. Finally, there is a dedicated fitness area, where guests can get their heart racing before relaxing with a tempting massage or napping on the cosy, warm recliners.

Those into natural therapies will love meeting Marta, who informs me of her philosophy: “In order to achieve true wellness, we need to work on more than the physical; our emotional and mental health are equally important.” Marta hopes to bestow happiness and balance to her clients through traditional Oriental therapies like Shirodhara: a form of Ayurvedic treatment in which warm oil is poured over the forehead as a gentle facial massage is performed. Marta tells me that clients are also very enthusiastic about their Bach Flower remedies, which work wonders when it comes to healing the body, mind and spirit. e

g At the Los Monteros Hotel. CN 340, km 187, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 199. www.losmonteros.com 8/20/13 3:09 PM

transform yourself ...

Advanced Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery for Face, Body and Bust Cirumed pairs high academic credentials with latest technologies in modern minimally invasive Plastic Surgery, to bring the best cosmetic surgery to Marbella.

All our surgeons are specialist consultants at the Department of Plastic surgery of Spain’s elite hospital, Hospital Quiron. To have been elected amongst Spain’s best surgeons to represent Quiron’s specialist department is not only our best reference, but also our obligation.

DR. ALEXANDER ASLANI

Chairman of the Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery

Avenida Ramón y Cajal 7 – 4 /// 29601 Marbella /// Tel: +34 952 775 346 /// www.cirumed.es

Hospital Quiron Málaga Director of Cirumed Clinic Marbella

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6 Most sun lovers find the sun simply irresistible in the summer, and who can blame them? Nothing sets off a trendy mini or vertiginous heels quite like a tan, but after the party season of a lifetime, your skin really begins to show the signs of too much sun worshipping. This month, Marisa Cutillas brings you a list of must-have products to reverse sun damage and get your skin into tip-top condition for the upcoming Autumn and Winter seasons.

Post-Summer Burnout?

RENEW AND REINVIGORATE YOUR SKIN!

1 – ULTRA CORRECTION LIFT BY CHANEL This cream bestows a plumping, firming effect and contains a new, ultra-powerful ingredient called PFA, which stimulates the production of tensin, improving the quality for the skin’s collagen and elastin fibres. i www.chanel.com 2 – DOCTOR WHITE BY GIVENCHY This serum is a concentrated whitener which helps get rid of sun spots and dark areas caused by hyper-pigmentation. It contains glycolic acid, which sloughs off dead, melaninfilled skin cells, as well as lactic and salicylic acids, which break down melanin, resulting in a more even complexion. i www.givenchy.com 3 – BENEFIANCE PROTECTIVE HAND REVITALIZER BY SHISEIDO If you’ve been kite surfing, surfboarding or just chilling on the sand, chances are, the skin on your hands is rougher than

you’d like it to be. This super potent cream contains a host of botanical extracts and Vitamin C, which repair damage yet are easily absorbed by skin. i www.shiseido.com 4 – DAY WEAR BB CREAM BY ESTÉE LAUDER In case you haven’t heard, BB cream, a moisturiser and foundation in one for girls on the go, is all the rage and this cream, by Estée Lauder, goes on smoothly and lasts for hours. It has an SPF of 35, as well, keeping you safe from sun damage. i www.esteelauder.es 5 – DOUBLE SERUM (HYDRIC + LIPIDIC SYSTEM) BY CLARINS This plant-based serum is great for reducing fine lines and wrinkles and giving skin an even, bright, smooth appearance. Its ingredients include katafray bark extract and hyaluronic acid (which moisturise skin), organic perilla and macadamia oils (which nourish skin) and organic

quinoa and green tea extract (which exert a powerful protective action). i www.clinique.es 6 – REDNESS SOLUTIONS DAILY RELIEF CREAM BY CLINIQUE If red blotches caused by rosacea are causing you to fret, you need to give this super-gentle yet effective cream a try. It calms skin, lessening the look of broken capillaries. i www.clinique.es 7 – PERFECTIONIST (CP + R) BY ESTÉE LAUDER This potent new concentrate corrects, prevents and repairs fine lines and wrinkles, thanks to its groundbreaking CPR-75 technology, which gives a powerful energy boost to skin cells, duplicating their power to fight against unsightly lines. The solution also plumps up and firms skin, leading to an instant ‘lift’ and a new brightness. i www.esteelauder.es

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HEALTH

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

Adapto-what?

UPDATE

Fighting Stress and Ageing the Natural Way!

Amazing

Adaptogens

The necessities of modern life mean that we tend to overwork our system, imposing body and mind to greater stress than they were meant to withstand. The current vogue is to turn to hightech biochemistry to improve our appearance and undo the ravages of time, but what would you say if you knew there were natural ingredients which could slow down the rate of ageing and bestow us with beautiful, glowing skin? These ingredients are called adaptogens and they could very well be a vital pillar for the health and beauty regime of the woman of the 21st century.

Which Adaptogens Should You Take?

GINSENG It’s official: the powers of ginseng are far from being an old wive’s tale. Research conducted by forerunners in anti-ageing medicine in Russia, Germany and the UK have conclusively shown that this root possesses powerful adaptogenic properties. Ginseng maximises the body’s ability to make the most of oxygen, it increases physical stamina, lowers high blood pressure and offers protection against radiation. It also boosts the immunity, improves the memory, facilitates learning and stimulates the central nervous system. Not just any ginseng will do –tablets and powders are often adulterated so you should go for the real thing: the roots themselves. One of the best types of ginseng roots (Panax ginseng) hails from Korea and China (look for the ‘Office of Monopoly’ seal on Korean ginseng to establish authenticity). The top quality roots are large and red and are six years old. Next up in quality are the white roots and finally, the Japanese red roots.

SIBERIAN GINSENG (eleutherococcus) is another adaptogen that has been

extensively studied. Sourced from the roots of a plant known as ‘devil’s shrub’, it strengthens the immune response, increases energy and induces clearer thinking. Siberian ginseng is the new ‘it’ supplement for skincare, since it helps prevent cross-linkage of fibres in the skin, which is a primary cause of skin ageing. It is also useful for patients suffering from both high and low blood pressure, since it possesses the unique ability to balance pressure. The best Siberian ginseng can be purchased in extract form, from Russia.

NATURAL, UNPROCESSED HONEY Russian botanist, Dr. Nicolai Tsitsin, carried out important longevity studies on 200 people aged over 100; amazingly, he found that a significant number of them were beekepers! Honey is rich in Vitamins B and C, as well as carotene, organic acids and essential minerals. It has been found to increase the rate of healing in some conditions, including arthritis and kidney and liver disease. Don’t rush for the most inviting looking jar in the supermarket, though; adaptogen honey is unfiltered and

unprocessed so you will need to purchase this product from a local beekeper.

PROPOLIS, royal jelly and pollen likewise boast a host of health benefits. Royal jelly, for instance, improves oxygen uptake by the body, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and increases tolerance to stress. Once again, royal jelly should not be taken in its processed form: it needs to be fresh and refrigerated from the time it is extracted from the hive.

RAW POLLEN also contains a host of useful vitamins, minerals and enzymes, making it an excellent choice for beautiful skin. It is also a favoured food by athletes, since it increases strength and stamina and keeps infections at bay.

ADDITIONAL ADAPTOGENS Echinacea and astragalus are also known to improve the immune system, detoxify the body and stave off infection.

Speak to your naturopath/doctor about appropriate doses of all these adaptogens.

Adaptogens are a selective group of herbs, roots and plant derivatives, whose use dates back thousands of years. Over the last 40 years, scientists in Russia and the Orient have carried out extensive studies on their remarkable health benefits. Eminent scientists such as I.I. Brekham have proven that adaptogens are not only rich in vital chemicals and nutrients (including vitamins, minerals, proteins, oils, organic acids, etc.); they are also rich in ‘structural information’: a potent energy which cannot be measured by chemical means alone. Structural energy has been proven to increase physical endurance, stimulate cellular repair, protect the body against radiation, eliminate toxins, increase the production of antibodies and increase vitality.

Stress and General Adaptation Syndrome Much of modern knowledge on adaptogens stems from the work of Hans Selye, Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery at the University of Montreal. His theory, known as ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’ (GAS), espouses that when the body is subject to stress (e.g. excess cold, heat, work fatigue, emotional upset), its homeostasis (natural balance) is threatened.

The body begins to rely on existing resources, until these are depleted.

As we enter into the final stages of GAS, the ‘weakest link’ in our system breaks and illness, tiredness and even death can ensue. For Selye, ageing reflects this process on a broader scale; when we age, we lose the ability to react adequately to environmental stressors. This is where adaptogens can help, since they increase the body’s ability to overcome stress through adaptation. e

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HEALTH WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

Walnuts Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk in the Obese The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center has published the results of an interesting study which indicates that walnuts can have a powerful positive effect on heart health. In the study, subjects (overweight or obese adults and those at a risk of contracting Type II diabetes) consumed two handfuls of walnuts daily for eight weeks, enjoying a major improvement in the functioning of blood vessels.

Another interesting find was that the walnuts did not cause the subjects to gain weight, suggesting that the ‘food of the gods’ also has a satiating effect. These results are highly significant when we consider that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world, and that Type II diabetes affects some 347 million people on a global scale. In Spain, over 50 per cent of the population is overweight or obese, one of the leading causes of heart disease and Type II diabetes. Walnuts are the only nut with a significant alpha-linolenic acid content and they are high in Omega-3 fats. Therefore, to stay young and disease-free, get cracking by consuming two portions a day!

Hello Coffee,

Goodbye Allergies

UPDATE

You probably don’t need another excuse to sip your favourite cup of Java in the morning but did you know that in the past five years, coffee has been proven to have powerful health benefits, including preventing Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s and liver disease? Coffee also keeps allergies at bay, according to a study published in the Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry journal. Animals fed some 91mm of coffee per kilo of body weight were found to have lower levels of an immune molecule which rises in the presence of allergies; skin allergies in particular were reduced.

However, the study also found that the powerful bean may be more useful in preventing allergies from arising in the first place, rather than in treating existing conditions. Coffee has likewise been found to reduce tumour growth in a particular type of breast cancer, and to prevent cancer cells from inhibiting the body’s immune system. It also calms coughs down and has powerful immune-activating effects.

Is Your Furniture Most of us make every effort possible to ensure our home is as healthy and toxin-free as possible, but what would you say if you knew that there could be toxic chemicals in your furniture?

One recent study conducted at Duke University (in the US) concluded that 85% of all sofas have been sprayed with flameretardant chemicals which are extremely harmful to human health. One of the chemicals found in the study, chlorinated Tris,

Toxic?

is a known mutagen and carcinogenic and was also found in 70 per cent of baby products tested. Worst of all, these compounds have been found to have no protective effects in the case of fires. The University of California (Berkeley), which conducted additional tests, reported that we can reduce our exposure to these toxins by sealing any tears in sofas, vacuuming frequently, cleaning the sofas with a damp mop and washing hands.

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HEALTH

Liposculpture is the technique that allows us to give volume to different parts of the body by using the patient’s own fat as a filler.

Autologous Fat Infiltration

LIPOSCULPTURE TREATMENTS

WORDS DR JOAQUIN PEREZ-GUISADO ROSA HOSPITEN PLASTIC, AESTHETIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

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he patient’s own fat or, what we call autologous fat, is considered the best filling material to restore, give volume or remodel the body’s contour; it is also the least harmful to the body – since it involves the use of the patient’s own tissue, the body does not reject it.

Liposculpture is used for both aesthetic and reconstructive reasons. Aesthetically, it is useful in correcting dark circles around the eyes, nasal deformities and wrinkles. It also works well in the augmentation of lips, chin and cheeks and it can improve the general appearance of patients with very little fat on their face – like older patients, athletes or HIV patients treated with anti-retroviral therapy.

Another aesthetic application of liposculpture is buttock augmentation/buttock enhancement.

Buttock augmentation is becoming more and more popular among women. The buttocks are a part of the body whose appearance is difficult to improve only through physical exercise – if a woman’s buttocks tend to be flat, with little volume, then surgery is the only solution.

Buttock enhancement using fat grafting is gaining a reputation as the best alternative to buttock augmentation using implants. On the one hand, there are fewer complications and post-operative recovery is shorter; on the other hand, it is a completely natural method in which the end result is better than that achieved with implants. This is due to the fact that we not only improve the buttocks as desired, grafting more or less fat, but we also improve the area around the waist and hips, removing unwanted fat from these areas, emphasising the buttocks and giving the patient a generally more attractive result.

Although at present, the most commonly requested aesthetic surgical operation by women around the world is breast augmentation, the demand for buttock enhancement is growing, particularly in Latin America and in countries with a beach culture like Brazil and Venezuela or coastal

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HOSPITEN HOSPITAL

areas of the USA like Florida and California.

Liposculpture is also used in reparative treatments to correct depressed scars or sunken tissue caused by the removal of a tumour or an accident.

The technique has a number of advantages: it is a completely natural procedure that uses fat grafted from the patient as a filling agent, therefore rejection is not a problem. Infiltrated fat contains stem cells and growth factors so it improves the appearance of the area around the infiltration. When touched, the area feels completely natural. Recovery after the procedure is rapid, with few complications. Finally, the results are stable and lasting once the fat has settled so there is no need to repeat the infiltrations every six to 12 months as occurs in the case of botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid.

Extremely thin patients are usually not good candidates for the procedure because, in addition to not having much fat under their skin, the little fat they do have is difficult to extract and the procedure would cause greater trauma.

The surgical process is as follows: fat is taken from parts of the body where it abounds, such as the abdomen, the inside of the thighs and knees, the hips and back. The material obtained is processed to separate it into three layers which, from top to bottom would be oil (fatty acids), pure fat (this is what will be infiltrated) and a combination of the local infiltration with small amounts of blood. The pure fat is selected, separated from the rest and then infiltrated using a cannula in the desired areas.

To undergo this procedure, the patient must choose a hospital guaranteeing safety with, for example, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where any complications arising from the procedure can be dealt with.

Liposculpture or autologous fat infiltration for aesthetic augmentation of parts of the body like the face or buttocks typically gives good results with few complications, which are also stable and lasting. g Partido de Velerín, CN 340, km 162, Estepona. Tel: 952 760 600. www.hospiten.com 8/20/13 3:16 PM

ESSENTIAL GIVES YOU MORE!

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25,0 in August 00 c o dist ribu pies ted

170 editions published entertaining the most discerning readership since 1999

w w w. e sse nt i a l m a g a zi ne . co m 170_essential_corp.indd 1

8/27/13 11:46 AM

thepro NEWS /ENTERPRISE / LOCAL BUSINESS /

PROFILES / FINANCE / LAW

Sotogrande Celebrates 50th Anniversary A host of celebrities gathered together at the Cucurucho beach club to celebrate the 50th anniversary of private residential area, Sotogrande, sipping chilled Champagne and enjoying lively music by DJ Brianda Fitz-James Stuart. Guests included top Spanish TV presenter Ana Rosa Quintana, designer Juanjo Oliva (who recently opened the NH Edition Shop

by Juanjo Oliva at the NH Hotel in Sotogrande) and former Miss Spain, María José Suárez. g www.nh-hotels.com

Launch of Life & Sun Gran Meliá Don Pepe Health and Beauty Clinic In an effort to offer its clients the best service possible, the Gran Meliá Don Pepe Hotel recently opened its new Life & Sun Health and Beauty Clinic: a medical clinic, spa and fitness centre, offering specialised services in medicine, surgery, rehabilitation and much more. The Clinic is managed

by Life & Sun Medical, an international company comprising a team of seasoned professionals in the fields of medicine and surgery.

g www.melia.com

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Absolut Elyx Vodka Launch at Finca Cortesín New Swedish luxury vodka brand, Absolut Elyx, recently celebrated its glamorous launch at the Finca Cortesín Beach Club, delighting over 300 guests with a show cooking spectacle by Kabuki Raw Chef, Rafael Carrasco and a live jazz musical performance. Spanish celebrities, including Cari Goyanes, Alfonso de Borbón and Javier Larrainzar, added a touch of style to the occasion. The highlight of the event was surely when guests were invited to taste the fruit of over 10 years of hard work and dedication in creating a vodka of the ultimate purity. g www.absolut.com/absolutelyx

Porsche Presents New Panamera at Hotel Villa Padierna Palace The Hotel Villa Padierna Palace was the perfect backdrop for the presentation of Porsche’s speedy new Panamera. Guests enjoyed aperitifs and cocktails by Chef Manuel Navarro, marvelling when the music stopped and the new Panamera 4S and Panamera S E-Hybrid made their appearance beneath a dazzling display of lights. During the weekend, the prestigious car company held its Porsche Approved conference at the Villa Padierna and enjoyed a fun golf tournament at Los Flamingos. g www.hotelvillapadierna.com

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Fine & Country International Conference Fine & Country, one of the world’s leading brands in luxury real estate, held its annual International Conference at the idyllic Walton Hall & Hotel in Warwickshire. The event, which proved to be the biggest and most successful yet, was sponsored by Zoopla and featured guest speakers and leading property experts from around the world. Established Fine & Country members were present from the UK, South Africa, Portugal, Egypt, Nigeria and France, as well as representatives from Russia, America, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Offices which could not physically attend (including Dubai, Qatar, Namibia, Malta and Spain) joined via video conference. g www.fineandcountry.com

Surge in Sale of British Memorabilia, Says the British Corner Shop In the last year, sales of British memorabilia among the expat community has dramatically increased, according to British Corner Shop – an online supermarket for British expats. The 2012 Olympics, The Royal Wedding, The Diamond Jubilee and Andy Murray’s Wimbledon triumph, have all had a significant impact on what is often touted as a traditionally self-deprecating nation. Mark Callaghan, Managing Director of British Corner Shop says: “Since last summer we have seen a much higher demand for British memorabilia, such as Union Jack key rings and Diamond Jubilee mugs and tea towels.” British Corner Shop has a British gifts category on their website, with a huge selection of products for every occasion including teapots, plates, mugs, paperweights, puzzles, pens, bags and money boxes. g www.britishcornershop.co.uk

Aloha College Students Achieve Impressive Results

MOMA Fifty Six Disco opens in Puerto Banús Hip new disco, MOMA Fifty Six, opened in the heart of Puerto Banús, attracting a bevy of celebrities including actor, Natalia Sanchez, stylist, Lorena Morlote and singer, Frank Camelot, to its doors. Guests marvelled at the disco’s stylish design and grooved away on the spacious terrace, enjoying lively music by Dominican artist, Mickey Dastinz.

After many years of experience in Madrid, MOMA Fifty Six opened its doors in Ibiza and now, it has upped the disco offering in Puerto Banús. Located in Antonio Banderas square, the disco boasts an indoor bar and a large outdoor terrace with a lounge. Partygoers can enjoy everything from House music, to Latin sounds and disco music. g www.moma56.com

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Aloha College students have once again achieved impressive IB Diploma results, with four students scoring 41 points or above.

Lydia Wade achieved an incredible 44 points and Claudia Martínez Madrid accepted a place at Oxford University with an amazing 43 points. These high scores are achieved by only 1.5 per cent of Diploma candidates worldwide. Aloha’s consistently outstanding results have allowed the vast majority of its students to gain admission to top universities in the UK, America, Spain and other countries. g www.aloha-college.com

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Luxury Army: New Luxury Online Store Created in Marbella “Passion is our fashion” is the motto of new luxury online store, Luxury Army, born and bred in Marbella with the aim of offering clients from Spain to Qatar and Bahrain, a select list of luxury items by brands including Nialaya, Amova, Gemco, N&I, Rubber B, HD3, Ovel, Pasotti, El tiempo es mío, La Baggage, Luxury Army Exclusive, Dremic and Wintex. Luxury Army also specialises in products with a low demand, creating and personalising accessories to satisfy the needs of discerning clients. The key to Luxury Army’s success is the exclusive design of all its products. g www.luxuryarmycom

Cath Kidston Now at El Corte Inglés Puerto Banús Rotary Club Marbella Raises €26.000 in Fundraising Gala The members of the Rotary Club in Marbella recently celebrated their 28th annual fundraising gala at Finca La Letitia in Marbella, raising some €26.000 for needy associations and individuals in the Marbella area. After a splendid dinner, guests enjoyed a fun-filled raffle, featuring hundreds of gifts donated by philanthropists. A special award was given to entrepreneur, Carmen Morales, for her loyalty to this important gala. g www.rotarymarbella.com

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Famed British fashion house, Cath Kidston Ltd, is now selling its latest collections at El Corte Inglés in Puerto Banús. In addition to bags and accessories, keen fashionistas will also find a bevy of accessories for the home, as well as stationery, sleep ware and kids items. Cath Kidston is present in an array of countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

gwww.elcorteingles.es

Javier Barrio Brings his Designs to Marbella Talented interior and fashion designer, Javier Barrio, creator of the brand Javier Barrio Fashion Lounge Vip, recently brought his talent to Marbella by taking part in Woguers, an event which brings together top fashion and style bloggers from all around Spain.

Barrio exhibited his designs and gave a well attended speech, where he was joined by style makers the likes of Charo Izquierdo (Director of Grazia magazine), Raquel de Gómez y Molina and Laura Carandini of GHD.

g www.jbfashion.es

Players Take Home €37.369 at the Casino Marbella The Poker Summer and Jackpot Paradise tournaments took place at the Casino Marbella recently, with winners taking an amazing €37.369 home in prizes. The Cirsa.es league and Mini Bounty tournaments awarded €19.835, while the Jackpot Paradise competition awarded two jackpots worth €10.032 and €7.502.

g www.casinomarbella.com ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 / 107

Wine, Women and Fine Cuisine at El Lago Restaurant The Vino y Mujeres de Andalucía group (Women and Wine Group of Andalucía) recently held its sixth Wine and Women Meeting at El Lago restaurant, sharing their love for fine wine and good food with Marbella’s Mayor, María Ángeles Muñoz. The undoubted star of the event was Ronda wine producer, Cortijo los Aguilares, whose oenologist, Bibi García, delighted those attending with a fantastic wine tasting. Cortijo los Aguilares was founded in 1999 and its 2010 Pinot Noir recently won the Gold Medal at the Mondial de Pinot Noir in Switzerland for the second time in a row, beating 1,300 other winemakers for the winning prize. g www.restauranteellago.com

ArtBanus.com International Gallery Restaurant Opens on the Golden Mile ArtBanus.com is a new international art gallery which launched at the Canard Oasis Business Centre on the Golden Mile.

Featuring beautiful works by a selection of international artists, the gallery also functions as a restaurant, offering French and international cuisine, light refreshments and an array of duck specialties. The gallery’s grand opening featured the works of great artists from Argentina, Germany, the USA, Iceland, Russia and South Africa.

g www.artbanus.com

Sergio Scariolo: Book Presentation at FNAC Spain’s national basketball Director, Sergio Scariolo, is best known on the Coast for his charitable endeavours but he recently revealed his passion for basketball at the launch of his book, Hablando en Plata: Las Razones De Un Entrenador. The book, which delves into the world of top level sports coaching, features a prologue by Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro.

g libros.fnac.es

PSYcH-K Workshop at Fuengirola If you aim to improve your communication skills or sales figures, you’d like to be more creative and organised, or you wish you could study better, lose weight or learn to relax, the two-day PSYCH-K Workshop may be just what the doctor ordered. Held by renowned practitioner, Eva Sandoval, the workshop will teach you how to use the PSYCH-K method to change the information in your subconscious and remove all obstacles to true progress. The workshop will run from September 28 to September 29. g At Andasol,

Paseo Marítimo Rey de España 6, Local 9, Fuengirola from 9:30am to 6pm. Tel: 606 362 385. lacasazulpamis@gmail.com

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ROYAL INVESTMENT CONSORTIUM The ROYAL INVESTMENT CONSORTIUM is a merger of wealthy families and family Trusts domiciled in the United Arab Emirates, China, Russia and Italy. It was founded in 1828 by several wealthy families in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Initially the consortium started as a merchant bank operation, providing loans to local business. Slowly they began acquiring private banks and then moved to developing financial products for investors. Currently the consortium does business in 92 countries. Since 1984, the President of Royal Investment Consortium is Dr. J.F. Rottmann, who heads the offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahamas, Bermuda, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Seychelles and Virgin Islands.

Due to the increasing demand for Offshore-Banking Services in Spain, the consortium has decided to incorporate a daughter company in Mรกlaga, named Royal Investment Consortium (Spain) S.L., and to open an office in Marbella during this year. This company will concentrate on the following main fields of business: ZZ Formation of Offshore-Companies and Trusts for Spanish residents and non-residents.

ZZ Opening of Offshore-Bank Accounts for Spanish residents and non-residents at banks in Latin America and South America, in the Caribbean Islands, in Europe, North Africa and the Far East.

ZZ Legal Consulting and Tax Consulting for Offshore-Business Deals, together with reputable lawyers and tax advisers from Mรกlaga and Marbella.

ZZ Creation of tax-efficient offshore-solutions for real estate owners and real estate buyers in Spain.

Dr. Rottmann states: "We offer a tailor-made solution for each asset and money problem and we will help our clients from Spain to save and to increase their assets and their funds by means of Offshore-Banking Services".

g Further information: royalinvestmentconsortium@gmail.com www.royalinvestmentconsortium.com

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 / 109

The Lecheritas Shine at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala Local child pop sensation, The Lecheritas, were recently asked to perform at the Global Gift Gala by no less than Eva Longoria! The group (comprising Franciska, Dominique and Angelina) were joined by Charli Floyer, whose beautiful voice is feautured on The Lecheritas’ hit single, Take Me to Marbella. g www.facebook.com/TheLecherita

Hong Kong Anniversary Party and Raffle for Cudeca Hospice

Unicaja Banco Renews its Commitment to Costa del Sol Companies Unicaja Banco has once again showed its support for Costa del Sol companies, by signing new agreements with a host of business associations in Benalmádena, Estepona, Fuengirola, Marbella, Mijas, Nerja, Torre del Mar and Vélez-Málaga. Unicaja has agreed to offer specific financial services and conditions to entrepreneurs from these associations and to grant micro-credits to entrepreneurs with viable business projects. g www.unicaja.es

Cudeca supporters from the Jardín Botánico Urbanisation in La Cala de Mijas, held a charity party to celebrate the first anniversary of Hong Kong Restaurant, also located at Jardín Botánico.

Restaurant owner, Sofia Wu, dazzled diners with a delicious four-course menu and charity raffle, which helped raise €1.150 for Cudeca. Mark Driver, from the Snack Attack bar, hosted the evening and presented a plaque to Sofia for her continuous charitable support. Local celebrity, Arran Harding, wooed the ladies with his soulful voice and Astra gave an impressive Belly Dancing performance. A budding magician also did his share for Cudeca, charging €1 per card trick and raising another €70 for the Hospice Centre. g

www.cudeca.org

First Kawasaki Jet Centre Paddle Tennis Open at Los Naranjos Club

British Football Clubs Train at La Cala Resort The great weather on the Coast and the magnificent grounds at La Cala Resort were the perfect excuse for busy football teams, Barnsley Football Club and Bolton Wanderers FC to take a break from the UK and hone their skills under the sun. The Resort, after all, offers so much more than golf; it houses its own football field, built according to FIFA specifications. La Cala Resort also celebrated its first Solidarity Golf Tournament, donating five kilos of food to Caritas for every player who signed up for the tournament, which took place at the 18-hole Asia golf course. g www.lacala.com

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Popular new paddle tennis club, Los Naranjos, recently hosted the highlight of the paddle tennis summer season in Marbella: the first Kawasaki Jet Centre Paddle Tennis Open. The tournament featured male, female and mixed categories, with winners taking home racquets and gifts from trendy paddle sports brand, Corus. Kawasaki, a world leader in motorbikes, also designs stunning jet skis, which are displayed at Motonáutica Marbella. During the tournament, guests and players alike took a dip in the Los Naranjos pool, lunched at the laid-back restaurant and enjoyed free physiotherapy treatments from Clínica Fusión Health. g Tel: 952 816 105.

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10th Edition of Butterfly Skin Golf Tournament and Gala Raises €25.430

Vincci Estrella del Mar 5* Beach Club Celebrates the Bar Beach Experience

For the 10th year in a row, DEBRA Spain celebrated its butterfly skin golf tournament and fundraising gala. The tournament saw some 62 players enjoying a lively game of golf at Marbella Club Golf in Benahavís. Afterwards, a fun awards ceremony and gala dinner were enjoyed by some 171 guests, who won fantastic gifts during a fun-filled raffle draw. Diners also enjoyed live performances from flamenco group, Desplante, and Joaquín Escriña, also known as DJ Cuqui.

The evening was a huge success, raising some €25.430 for DEBRA Spain. g www.debra.es

One of the highlights of the summer season was undoubtedly the ‘Bar Beach Experience’ party, celebrated at the Beach Club of five-star Marbella hotel, Vincci Estrella del Mar 5*. The event, which took place every Thursday, featured live music by Cuban group, Club Havana, as well as a spectacular Latin dance show and fashion show by Fashion Villa. The event was sponsored

by Moët & Chandon Ice, the only Champagne in the world meant to be cooled down with ice!

g www.vinccihoteles.com

Look Your Best introduces EMS Technology to Puerto BanÚs

Summer Parties and Tennis at Trocadero Arena Restaurant

Real. Tel: 952 865 579. www. trocaderoarena.com

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BFB International Image Consultants Opens in Marbella

BFB International Image Consultants has just launched in Marbella, bringing helpful advice to men and women in Southern Spain who require assistance in projecting the best possible image, style and social and business etiquette.

Founder and Director, Berta Balmes, trained in London and perfected her art while working in LA, Houston, Florence, Munich and Madrid. Due to her extensive international experience, she is highly qualified to offer business coaching, personal shopping and body and colour analysis services to her clients. Berta also provides courses for universities and unemployed people, helping the latter secure employment. g Tel: 663 793 671.

www.bfbimageconsulting.com

© Réka Vidats

Trocadero Arena restaurant recently held a fun-filled party called Guest, attended by a bevy of Spanish celebrities and presenters, including Luján Argüelles, Kiko Matamoros and Manolo Santana, who likewise selected Trocadero Arena to hold a press conference for a fun summer tournament held at the Manolo Santana Racquets Club.

Trocadero Arena also recently launched its new chiringuito, where diners can look forward to traditional tapas with a twist, courtesy of the culinary talents of Head Chef, José Antonio Carmona. g Playa de Río

Look Your Best body forming studio opened last month in Puerto Banús to offer fast, targeted, effective personal training. The studio combines muscular stimulation technology (EMS), a gentle and bespoke 20 minute workout and nutritional advice for maximum results. The impulses, combined with exercise, activate 90 per cent of muscles, so one 20 minute session is equivalent to 90-120 minutes in the gym, without straining tendons or joints.

EMS technology can be tailored to the goal of the individual, whether this be burning calories, losing weight or improving endurance and strength. Studies have also shown that EMS is an effective way to combat back pain, recover from injury and treat incontinence.

g www.lookyourbest.es

The PadelnSports Club The PadelnSports Club at the Estepona Polígono in Estepona has recently been acquired by Padel Pro, German Schafer (former No. 36 in the world, UK Technical Director and current Advisor to the Swedish National Team) and his business partner, Tony Lee. Having spent the past five years looking for the 'right' padel club, the opportunity to own one of the best indoor padel clubs from Gibraltar to Málaga, proved too good to miss.

Now, padel enthusiasts can play rain or shine, free from the blazing sun or pouring rain, all year round. From this month onwards, Indoor Padel at PadelnSports will be open Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 11pm at weekends.

With four glass courts and professional coaching from German and his team, Indoor Padel at PadelnSports also offers court hire, coaching for groups, individuals and schools kids, and advice on padel equipment and a choice of rackets. The club also offers excellent changing facilities and showers. Additional features include the 'Rincon de Carlos' sports café, the children's creche and the fantastic Crossfit Studio under the expert instruction of qualified instructor Diego Sommariva.

Indoor Padel at PadelnSports is proud to sponsor resident professional and World No. 20, Gonzalo 'Godo' Díaz.

In 2014, the club will host its third International Invitation Tournament, with teams from Germany, Sweden, Holland, the UK and Spain competing.

Times g The event is set to attract players, officials n i n er Ope and supporters from all around Europe to the New Septemb m, p m sunny climes of Estepona. fro am to 11 day.

9:30 ay to Fri pm to The owners of Indoor Padel at PadelnSports 4 Mond 2pm and nds! also own C.F. Inter Marbella football club e to k (based in Elviria) and will be organising inter10am m at wee p 8 club padel and football tournaments, even padball. One of these days, having fun will be the number one priority!

Their aim is to greet you with a smile and invite you to play padel, do some crossfit or even just drop in to use the Internet cafe and meet the famous Carlos!

SH S FLA S E R P STOP

g C/ José Martin Mendez, 13, Poligono Estepona. Tel: 951 965 597.

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM JULY 2013 / 113

C.F. Inter Marbella The new management team at C.F. Inter Marbella are preparing for the up-coming season with great excitement. Following the change of ownership of the club in the summer, newly appointed Director of Football, Jeff Wood, can't wait to get started. Jeff also coach to Wales U-21s, the team which recently played Finland and scored a 4-0 win over the Malta U-21s. He is returning to Marbella with a clear mandate to take the club forward. “I am really looking forward to returning to Marbella and putting our exciting plans into action. C.F. Inter Marbella will be the most professional junior football club on the Coast and will provide a high-level learning environment, which will also be highly enjoyable. We will ensure that players have the best possible opportunity to realise their ambitions with fully qualified coaches (Jeff has a EUFA A licence) and exit routes to all levels of football in Spain, the UK and other European leagues. We shall be offering International tournaments in Spain and abroad and this will be combined with a comprehensive football education and lifestyle programme to run alongside a professional standard coaching plan.”

It has been far from a quiet summer, with Damien Grimshaw joining the club. Damien has brought his 'Aztec wizards' coaching team along with him, as well as a group of boys and girls aged three upwards, to act as a ‘feeder club’ offering younger players training and friendly matches leading on to competitive football in the Federal and Local Leagues with C.F. Inter Marbella. In other words, football for players of all ages and all ability levels.

Another significant initiative for the club is to promote girls’ football, both as part of mixed teams with boys and 'girls only' teams. One Mum commented to Jeff: “In local schools, the boys play football and the girls wear flamenco dresses!”

C.F. Inter Marbella aims to change that and the main photo may give a clue as to how we feel about that generalisation. Perhaps the boys have a thing or two to learn about wearing flamenco dresses – bit more difficult to get your shin pads on, hey, guys!?

When asked the question, “Why do you like playing football?”, Club Captain Sara Paterson replied, “I like that my team mates respect me despite the fact that I am a girl. To be chosen Captain of my team by all the boys and of the club makes me feel special. Football is a sport that I love and connect with, and when I was little I used to play with my brother. It seems I have come a long way!"

114 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

” Girls Wear Flamenco Dresses! d an all otb Fo ay Pl ys Bo ain “In Sp This is in no way intended to be either a racist or defamatory comment, simply the words of a disappointed parent with a daughter desperate to join the boys on the field of dreams.

At C.F Inter Marbella, the intention is to dispel this urban myth and offer professional training and

football to girls of all ages and abilities.

They had some fun at the training ground recently; to make the point‚ check out the fun photos taken!

g If you are interested in learning more about C.F. Inter Marbella or just in getting your shooting boots on, contact Tel: 646 427 589. Also, info@intermarbellacf.com

New Season Training • C.F. Inter Marbella is proud to announce its training schedule for the 2013/14 season.

• Once again, 'Inter' will be entering teams from U-10 upwards in the Federal and Local Leagues.

• Thank you all for your support, which is very much appreciated by Director of Football Jeff Wood and his team!

• C.F. Inter Marbella is more than just a football club (¡Gracias, Barca!).

• We intend to promote the values of commitment, physical well-being, respect for ourselves and others and enjoyment in everything we do and at all times. Also, it is vital to remember that we are part of a team, which in turn is part of our club and our community.

New seaso training sta n rts Tuesday 3rd S e p te mbe at 5pm and will be everyr Tuesday and from 5pm a Thursday t Es Santa Maríatadio Las Chapas ,

g If you would like to learn more about the club, please contact us on Tel: 646 427 589. info@intermarbellacf.com

ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2013 / 115

THE PRO business Readers of The Times, The Financial Times or The Wall Street Journal will likely be familiar with one name which is strongly associated with the high-end real estate market in Spain: Lucas Fox. The company was founded in Barcelona in 2005 and has since established additional offices in the Costa Brava, the Maresme coast, Ibiza and Mallorca. It launched its Marbella branch four months ago and is already changing the face of real estate in the area, offering high-end properties in exclusive locations combined with a unique philosophy and brand of service.

LUCAS FOX

Upmarket Estate Agency Establishes itself in Marbella with Grand Designs for the Future WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY © KHPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

I

t is 9:30 am when Lucas Fox Marbella’s enigmatic Director, Stephen Lahiri, steps into our offices, exuding enthusiasm for a property he is about to show me: a heavenly villa in Sierra Blanca, which, I soon discover, encapsulates the essence of the Marbella lifestyle. Sweeping gardens, bursting with colour; a romantic private pool and a cinematic view of the sea beyond… a beautiful winding staircase leads me to the spacious bedrooms on the upper floor, where ample terraces offer panoramic views of the Mediterranean. Priced at £3.4million, it epitomises the essence of property sold by Lucas Fox: exclusive high quality villas and luxury apartments for the discerning international client.

Stephen is no newcomer to the scene, having devoted over 11 years to managing sales teams in the real estate industry both on the Coast as well as in the Middle East, and Asia. Consultancy is another of his specialities, since he spent five years as an International Management Consultant in London and three years as Commercial Director for a Facilities Management Company. “My career was going well in London,” he says, “but I decided to turn my back on the rat race and come to Spain because I was attracted, like many others, to the terrific weather and quality of life.”

After establishing an excellent reputation in the real estate sector, Stephen re-connected with a former colleague, Stijn Teeuwen, a Dutch lawyer who founded Lucas Fox with British lawyer, Alexander Vaughan, in 2005, and who deemed the year 2013 as “precisely the right time” to launch in Marbella. Lucas Fox publishes comprehensive six-monthly reports, which indicate a positive future for the Marbella property market. Apart from the traditional Northern European Market, the company has recently seen increased interest from international clients (including from Russia, China, India, the Middle East and the USA), owing to a combination of factors including, says Stephen, “the good value for money of property on the coast compared to other exclusive areas

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in Spain and the excellent quality of life in this area”.

Indeed, the statistics indicate that prices are starting to bottom out. Lucas Fox predicts a small increase next year, particularly at the top end of the market. When it comes to turnover, Stephen cannot complain: “Over the last three years, the company’s turnover has doubled every year successively. In the first six months of this year our turnover is already greater than during the whole of 2012, which is very promising considering our peak sales usually occur in the last quarter”. The company now boasts a staff of more than 60 professional, multi-lingual real estate professionals, who deal in both residential and commercial sales, as well as long and short-term rentals in all of the areas they cover.

Another main attraction for foreign home buyers is the new law which grants automatic residency to non-EU nationals purchasing property in Spain worth €500.000 or more. “We have been receiving up to 20 enquiries a day from interested lifestyle buyers through our Residency in Spain joint venture with leading Spanish law firm ECIJA,” comments Stephen.

In Marbella, Lucas Fox specialises in highly exclusive areas such as La Zagaleta, Sierra Blanca, Los Flamingos and Puerto Banús.

“Most of our clients come via our website although around 40% are personal referrals from previous clients. The majority – both buyers and sellers – call us before a visit”. The company recently developed the first two of its Property Lounges, at its Headquarters in Barcelona and in Maresme, just north of the Catalan capital and is planning to open another one in Marbella in the forthcoming months “We believe this new concept in retail space reflects the company’s entrepreneurial philosophy and sets us apart from traditional estate agencies. The Lounges are designed to provide a more personalised service to our clients and a ‘friendly space’ where people feel uninhibited if they want to pop in for an informal chat with our staff”.

In addition to specialising in high end real estate, Lucas Fox has set up a Commercial and Investment Property division at its headquarters in Barcelona, in response to the growing demand from clients for upmarket hotels, commercial premises and land.

The company’s immediate plans include setting up further commercial divisions in London and Madrid.

At Lucas Fox, morale is certainly running high, spurred on by the keen interest from overseas investors and buyers in a lifestyle that is unique to this area of Europe.

g Urb. La Alzambra Local 3-1, Marbella. Tel: 951 319 994. www.lucasfox.com 8/22/13 3:28 PM

DANESA

LA

La revista danesa en España / Det danske magasin i Spanien

JANUAR 2013

NORSKE Det norske månedsmagasinet på Costa del Sol

Det

magasinet

S PA N I E N F Ö R S V E N S K A R

Sesongen er godt i gang på Europas sørligste skisportssted, Pradollano i Sierra Nevada.

Et ægte boutique-hotel

De vinder mere og mere frem, særligt i de europæiske storbyer, og nu også i de spanske.

La Danesa har studeret det hippe boutique-fænomen.

Mandesnak hos Mærsk

Torben Gram forlod sit job i Danmark til fordel for et liv i Spanien uden på forhånd at have arbejde, bolig eller kendskab til sproget.

• Intervjuer • Nyheter • Utflukter • Sport • Fakta • Kultur • Profiler • Politikk • Mote • Helse • og mye mer...

Jacob Haugaard er tilbage

La Danesa har mødt manden, som den 17. februar besøger Kysten med sit show ”Jacob – Solo”.

Spanske barn møtte Karius & Baktus

Siesta - myter og realiteter

Nesten 200 spanske barn og deres foreldre fikk nylig sitt første møte med de norske tanntrollene Karius og Baktus.

Du trodde kanskje at siestaen var en så inngrodd del av spansk kultur at ingenting kan rokke ved den. Tro om igjen!

Loja - en blomst blant torner Loja ligger 60 km vest for Granada, og det var selveste Isabel la Católica som i 1486, da byen overga seg til de kristne, kalte byen en blomst blant torner – “flor entre espinas”.

JANUAR 2013

Ecológico

Med inspiration hentet i Spanien og i Wien har Kirsten Vaupel begået sin første roman, og kan nu tilføje titlen forfatter til rækken af kulturelle hverv på sit farverige visitkort.

El Mercadillo

Les mer om aktiviteter på Costa de Sol i ¿Qué pasa?

Kirsten Vaupel debuterer med roman

Tomatkrig, vikingeslag og tyreløb, religiøse optog, pilgrimsfærd og menneskepyramider er blandt højdepunkterne på Spaniens kuriøse, kulturelle kalender.

en

Januari 2013

Sesong i Sierra Nevada

• Interviews • Nyheder • Bolig • Finans • Udflugter • Sport • Fakta • Kultur • Profiler • Politik • Mode • Helse

Kuriøse fiestas año 2013

sueco

Fler och fler upptäcker kustens kanske hälsosammaste marknad

Utflykt

El Escorial tronar på minnen om makt och historia.

Motor

Trike – trehjulingar för vuxna.

Resa

Läs ett vykort från Aten.

Profil

Lennart Lundquist är mannen bakom Internetsidorna Svenskar i Spanien.

Golf

Det nya året inleds med stora rabatter.

THE VIBE

Chopard Diamond Party at MC Beach Chopard always manages to make its mark on the summer season in Marbella and Summer 2013 was no exception. The famed jewellery marque held a swish party at MC Beach, delighting guests with sparkling jewellery pieces and a hearty buffet. www.chopard.com

“Big girls need big diamonds” – Elizabeth Taylor

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PHOTOGRAPHY i-marbella.com 8/27/13 11:55 AM

THE VIBE

Global Gift Gala at Nikki Beach Eva Longoria dolled up in a gorgeous Reem Acra dress, for one of the most glamorous events of the season: The Global Gift AfterParty at Nikki Beach. After raising funds for a number of important causes, including the Eva Longoria Foundation, the enigmatic actress showed that she also knows how to kick up her heels and enjoy the company of friends and loved ones.

“Among its other benefits, giving benefits the soul of the giver” – Maya Angelou

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THE VIBE

World Vision Charity Gala Dinner at Sea Grill The Hotel Puente Romano’s Sea Grill restaurant played host to the World Vision Charity Gala, to help raise funds for children around the world who are living in poverty. The Gala included a four-course dinner, Champagne, and live entertainment by the Gipsy Kings, Claude Challe and Gitane. www.puenteromano.com

“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble” – Bob Hope

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PHOTOGRAPHY i-marbella.com 8/27/13 11:56 AM

THE VIBE

Showroom Launch for Patricia Darch Luxury Sotogrande interior design and projects firm, Patricia Darch, officially launched its new showroom with an elegant cocktail event at the Blue Sotogrande Marina. Patricia Darch is known for its unique sense of style and highly personalised service. The team is excited about new projects planned for the upcoming months. www.patriciadarch.com

“The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living” – Henry Bertoia

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PHOTOGRAPHY khphotography.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY ©www.davidtoms-weddings.comñ 8/27/13 11:57 AM

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THE VIBE

Mesana ReOpens on the Golden Mile Gourmet restaurant, Mesana, reopened its doors recently at the Hotel Gvadalpín with an enjoyable cocktail attended by by a cross-section of Marbella society. Guests enjoyed a selection of delicious canapés and a fun caviar tasting session. At Mesana, we can look forward to enjoying authentic cuisine served with artistry and elegance, by the Italian head chef.

There is no sincerer love than the love of food” – George Bernard Shaw

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PHOTOGRAPHY serban tünde/ i-marbella.com 8/27/13 12:00 PM

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THE LEisure travel

Classic white sand beaches

Many dream of a trip to a Caribbean island paradise full of idyllic white sandy beaches, dramatic sunsets and laid-back vibes. The Dominican Republic brings those dreams within reach.

W

WORDS Michel cruz Photography Courtesy of the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism & FM CONSULTING

hen Christopher Columbus famously set foot on the island he was to name Hispaniola in 1492, he must have thought he had arrived in paradise, for all around was tropical bounty offset by white sand, azure waters and deep green vegetation. The Spanish were to claim and settle the eastern part of the island it shares with French-speaking Haiti, producing the nation we now know as the Dominican Republic.

Like Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Republica Dominicana is both Caribbean and Hispanic, and in classic Latin American style has had its fair share of independence wars, revolutions and dictators, yet since the 1970s it has been known as a stable nation popular with tourists from the USA and Europe.

Prominent among the latter are Spanish visitors, who find it easy to get around in the Spanish-speaking country.

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This close to the US, however, English is also universally spoken, especially in the resort areas along the east coast, ensuring the Dominican Republic’s status as the number one tourist destination in the Caribbean. In terms of sheer numbers of visits the country has no equal in the region, even among such classic Caribbean destinations as the Bahamas, Aruba, Antigua or Barbados.

The reason for this is not only the fact that at roughly the size of Switzerland the Dominican Republic is the second-largest country within the Caribbean region, but also because its resorts, while certainly luxurious, are more affordable than the smaller-scale tourism found in the Lesser Antilles. Thanks to this, La Republica Dominicana makes the Caribbean more accessible to visitors from around the world.

e l b i s s e c c a e d a m n a e b b i r a C e ...th

Crystal clear waters of the Dominican coast

Diving in Caribbean waters

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© FM Consulting

Punta Palmera resort at Cap Cana

The Spanish fortress guarding the entrance to Santo Domingo

Paradise Island

For those who wish to experience the tropical waters and beaches of the Caribbean, this is the alternative to the private domains of St Barths or Mustique. The hub of the Dominican Republic’s buoyant tourist trade lies along the east coast – in fact, the eastern tip of the island, probably very close to where Columbus first touched ground.

Here you will find expansive holiday resorts surrounded by subtropical vegetation, golf courses and, of course, classic white sand beaches complete with tall palm trees and those aquamarine waters. Although there are a number of major resort areas, such as Bávaro and Uvero Alto, the most famous by far are Punta Cana and the newer Cap Cana.

When visiting either don’t expect a large resort town like Marbella. While the little town of Punta Cana does provide a ‘home base’ for the resort area named after it, it is just one of several little towns situated close to a coastline that has become one of the leading tourist destinations in the Americas.

The resort area known as Punta Cana therefore consists of a succession of large, luxurious resorts that straddle a series of magnificent beaches and bays. Think big, think American, with state-of-the-art hotels that cater to every need, be it food, drink, pampering in the spa, massages within view of the tropical beaches, a round of golf, entertainment or water sports. The latter

covers the whole spectrum, from snorkelling and scuba diving to fishing, parasailing, surfing and sailing. It’s all laid on by the resorts themselves, which are largely selfsufficient and designed very much with holidaying families in mind. As a result, most visitors arrive at the nearby Punta Cana International Airport and go straight to their resort, where the majority will remain throughout their holiday.

Those that do so will get mild doses of local culture and colour from visiting performing groups, but if you want to see and experience the real Dominican Republic you will have to venture well beyond local attractions such as the Marinarium water park, the Seaquarium reef walking experience, Dolphin Island – where you can swim with dolphins – and romantic horseback rides along the beach.

Though newer, and even more ambitious in its design and facilities, Cap Cana offers much the same as Punta Cana, though in addition to all-you-want resorts, such as the outstanding Punta Palmera, a project being managed by Marbella-based FM Consulting and beautiful beaches, there are also golf courses and an impressive marina. A little more expensive perhaps, Cap Cana is aimed at international visitors, yet for those who wish nothing more than to immerse themselves in the sunny tropical splendour of the Caribbean it is nothing short of heaven.

Bringing tropical paradise closer

A Punta Cana resort hotel

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onl i ne&oi nes ol ut i ons

ma r k e t i nga sy ouha v ene v e r s e e nbe f or e. . .

www. me di a t i x . e s i nf o@me di a t i x . e s

Cap Cana marina

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Punta Espada Golf Course, Cap Cana

Beyond the resorts type of shrew) and a rodent called the Hispaniolan Hutia. For the rest, the country’s most spectacular fauna can be found in the sea, in the form of turtles, dolphins, sharks, whales and also manatees and dugongs. The main source of inspiration for many a boat trip or aquatic tour, they are also sometimes spotted from aboard the party boats that ply the coastal waters.

A little further west of the national park is Altos de Chavon, a pretty artist’s retreat complete with galleries and restaurants. Created in the style of a classic European village, you would be forgiven for thinking that you’ve stepped into little Italy on the edge of the jungle, but in reality this pretty village and popular tourist attraction is simply the product of the creative spirits that inhabit it. If Altos de Chavon is quaint but a little ‘unreal’, then the nearby city of La Romana will bring you a little closer to the authentic Dominican Republic.

Though also home to an extensive resort area, including the luxurious Casa de Campo, La Romana is a fair-sized city with all the hustle and bustle of a small Latin American metropolis.

For the real thing you should not hold back but head further westwards to the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo. This lively city of around a million inhabitants is where the heart and soul of the Dominican Republic can be found, and within it are the varied elements that make up this Hispanic/Caribbean country.

Santo Domingo’s historic quarter at night

The artist’s retreat of Altos de Chavon

Plaza España, colonial Santo Domingo

Cap Cana beachside at Punta Palmera

© FM Consulting

Because of the humid heat of the summer months, when temperatures can easily run into the thirties amid humidity rates of 70 per cent or more, the most popular tourist season in the region is – not unlike the rest of the Caribbean – the period from December to April. It therefore coincides with our winter season, yet if you insist on coming here during the summer you might want to escape into the hills, where cooler climes and the occasional cover of clouds help moderate the heat.

Visitors wishing to experience some of the Dominican Republic’s culture and sights without planning to head too far inland could take a helicopter tour or safari tour down wild stretches of beach or inland. Here you will come across little villages which are representative of the real Dominican Republic. In true Caribbean spirit, friendly faces come with the territory, and as the locals are seldom shy or bashful expect them to be as inquisitive about you as you are of them.

Cultural voyeurism aside, the region offers unforgettable natural sights such as waterfalls, coral reefs and the tropical beauty of the Parque Nacional Del Este. Among the greatest attractions of the latter is Isla Saona, the kind of paradise Robinson Crusoe would have liked to have been stranded upon. Here you will be able to spot large tropical insects, brightly coloured amphibians of the region, and if you’re very lucky, rare endemic species such as the Hispaniolan Solenodon (a

The best scuba diving site in the Dominican Republic

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Jarabacoa highland country

Casa de Campo marina

Water sports off Punta Cana

There are the old churches, lofty monuments and historic buildings that hark back to an era of Spanish colonisation, continued historically in the grand neoclassical façades of government buildings and the cool glass towers of the financial district. If they represent the European – and American – side of the Dominican Republic’s heritage then the sprawling, tight-packed barrios are where the indigenous, African and Mestizo elements that form the main ingredients of the Dominican Republic’s population come to life.

Punctuated by a colonial city that has some of the oldest European-built structures in the Americas, it is within the concrete blocks that you will encounter the rhythm of merengue and bachata, washed down in the evenings with Presidente beer or local rum. Here the Latino and Afro-Caribbean worlds come together in a way not dissimilar to Cuba, yet Dominicanos and Cubanos alike have their own distinct national character.

Poverty and crime are a fact of life in Santo Domingo, as in large parts of the world, but the people also have that amazing capacity to laugh and enjoy themselves with the help of little more than music and good spirits – and not necessarily the alcoholic variety either.

From typical Caribbean idyll along the tropical coastline to a Latin American vibe

in the cities, there is yet another side to this small but surprisingly diverse country.

Though the Afro-Latino culture is just as predominant in the sleepy rural countryside of the Dominican Republic, this is also where remnants of the colonial past and its precursor – the culture of the Taino and Arawak Indians – are still discernable.

Deep into the mountainous interior lies a popular attraction that embodies all of these elements. First settled in a distant past by indigenous Taino Indians, the town of Jarabacoa still draws its name from a people who have long since disappeared – eradicated by the arrival of Europeans and their diseases, against which the Indians had no immunity, and absorbed into the flood of European and African blood.

Though its location in the central highlands makes Jarabacoa a thriving agricultural centre, it is popular with visitors because of the many spectacular waterfalls that create natural swimming pools within a climate that makes the town famous in the Dominican Republic as ‘The City of Everlasting Spring’. Whether you decide to explore deep into the cities and countryside of this compact nation or prefer to remain within the comfort and languor of its beachside resorts, the Dominican Republic is a country where the exuberant and spicy Latin and Caribbean worlds meet within an accessible tropical setting. e

Golf on the edge of the ocean

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Chinese, Japanese and Teppanyaki

N E Z

The most luxurious Asian restaurant on the Costa del Sol, and the only place to sample the best glazed duck among many other delicacies

c/Lirios

NUEVA ANDALUCÍA

CASINO < San Pedro

CN340, km 174

PUERTO BANÚS

Marbella >

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday for lunch.Take away available. Private parking. Fabulous outdoor terrace.

Reservations T: 952 817 691 C/ Lirios, 10b. Nueva Andalucía, located opposite. Playas del Duque, Puerto Banús.

Come to Calahonda to enjoy the best, most authentic Asian cuisine, including Chinese, japanese and Thai delicacies, as well as the fine fare from our Teppanyaki table.

Some of our most distinguished clientele include members of the Chinese Royal Family and the Chinese Consulate

centro Commercial Los Jarales, 6, Calahonda • Tel: +34 952 935 818

Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday for lunch. Take away available. Private parking.

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met

RESTAURANTS / REVIEWS / NEWS / WINE / CHEFS / GUIDE

The Gourmet: Discover Indian cuisine with a Mediterranean twist at Chowka, delight in authentic Italian cuisine at Rosmarino, discover all the latest happenings on the local food scene and meet Master Chef, José Antonio Carmona of Trocadero Arena!

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Chowka

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Rosmarino

140 Food News 142 Chef’s Profile: José Antonio Carmona of Trocadero Arena 144 The Story of Rum

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FINE BELGIAN DINING ON THE COAST! RESTO

EL COTO

BELGIAN RESTAURANT бельгийский ресторан

Open every day Ctra. de Ronda Opposite Madroñal, nº 3 29679 Benahavis Tel: 952 786 688 открыты ежедневно дорога Ronda напротив Madroñal, No 3, Benahavis телефон: 952 786 688

RESTO

MYTILUS BELGIAN RESTAURANT

BELGIAN SPECIALITIES Mussels and fries, steak tartare, vol au vent etc.

Open every evening.

Saturday & Sunday open all day.

Puerto Deportivo Sotogrande

Tel: 956 790 212

EN M A FL

EL NIÑO

RESTO

ng W ry eni e O Ev y Ev a EE SH nd FR O u S C

BELGIAN RESTAURANT

(PREVIOUSLY DON QUIJOTE RESTAURANT) Calle Rosa Linda 2, El Rosario, Marbella.

Open every evening.

Saturday & Sunday open all day.

Tel: 952 836 469 belgianresto@gmail.com • www.belgianresto.com WEB COMING SOON 168 ElCoto.indd 1

6/20/13 12:23 PM

restaurant THE GOURMET Just when you thought you pretty much had it all figured out, the possibility of novelty, change and wonder arise and you realise that you’re always starting over. This was very much my sensation after my first meal at Marbella’s trendiest new hotspot, Chowka, which renewed my passion for culinary discovery, dazzling me with flavours, aromas and sensations that were familiar and new all at once.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY © KHPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

Chowka

Indian Cuisine Succumbs to World Seduction

C

howka opened just before the summer, the fruit of great enthusiasm on the part of its Founder, famed restaurateur Ram, who achieved no less than a gastronomic coup in finding a Chef that would turn our idea of what an Indian restaurant should be, on its head: Ravi Deulkar, formerly Chef of trendy Michelin-starred London restaurant, Trishna, who also headed Vineet Bhatia’s Rasoi in the City. At Chowka, Ravi reinterprets traditional tapas dishes, adding an Indian touch to local and international dishes and doing just the opposite: reworking traditional Indian delights with local, seasonal produce.

Chowka is one Indian restaurant you needn’t feel guilty about dining at, since heavy ingredients like cream and butter are substituted by light, fresher alternatives that capture the essence of Indian flavour: its spice, without leaving diners with a heavy feeling or a sense of guilt.

The restaurant’s décor reflects its modern outlook on cuisine; style abounds in the interiors, graced with statues of an elephant (and a happy looking Buddha), wooden furniture and vibrant fabrics. By night, cosy turns into spectacular, with torches lighting up the comfy terrace, where sizeable sofas, invite you to sit back with your loved ones and ‘feel the love’ in the food and ambience.

The atmosphere at Chowka was just as I expected it to be, having heard the rave reviews from colleagues and friends: it was buzzing.

Families, couples, groups of friends, everyone seemed swept up in the laid-back, friendly vibe (the waiters are fantastic and Manager, Emma, warm like sunshine).

Chowka’s menu seemingly invites you to choose from one of two experiences. On the one hand there are a host of ‘tapas’ starters – tempting selections such as grilled garlic scallops, an almond fig tikki, assorted pakora and much more. These inspire a ‘sharing’ concept, since each dish is so tempting and different from all the rest, that ordering a varied selection of tapas and sharing them over beer or a glass of wine is called for. Then there are the dishes from the Mother’s Kitchen list, with mains such as lamb curry, seafood biryani and grilled seabass inspiring individual enjoyment. Salads and sides are also available.

My dining companion and I opted to share three of Chowka’s most popular dishes, upon the suggestion of Antony, Chowka’s friendly Marketing Manager. We were delighted with a complementary serving of an infinitely light poppadum, served with a series of sauces that made our mouths water for more: a cool lime and mint dip, a mango chutney, natural tomato dip and spicy lime chutney – each different in intensity and spiciness yet each was simply delicious.

As a starter, we shared the chilli squid: Ravi’s original take on a true Malagueño classic: chopitos (batter-fried squid). The batter was infinitely lighter, almost like a tempura, and the squid wonderfully tender. This dish is testimony to Ravi’s ability to take a classic and not just reinterpret, but improve it, in this case by mixing coriander and green pepper into the batter, adding a touch of spice which traditional chopitos now ‘officially lack’.

Ravi did the same with our second order:

the tandoori sardines, unabashedly inspired on Coastal classic, espetos (charcoaled sardines), made infinitely more flavourful by previously marinating the fish in a gentle chilli paste and cooking it in a tandoori oven.

The jumbo prawn (which truly does justice to its name in terms of size), stuffed with lime and coriander, contained a combination of flavours that was spicy, slightly sweet and tangy all at once, simply irresistible.

Chowka has a wonderful dessert selection, with everything from a sticky mango rice pudding to fresh strawberries with chilli, cumin and lime granite ending your meal on a sweet note. Having heard about Ravi’s homemade ice-cream, however, we opted for a three-scoop selection of originally flavoured varieties –cool coconut, sweet mango and nutty saffron and pistachio, served in buttery homemade cones which hit the spot on a warm summer’s day.

The team at Chowka have once again made the grade when it comes to defining what the discerning diner demands: wonderfully flavoured food with a big surprise factor, served by capable hands at a very reasonable price. As dish after dish exited the kitchen, piping hot, a smile couldn’t help but cross my face as the originality and great thought placed into each dish, at once so Mediterranean yet so true to Indian tradition, crossed my mind.

g Open every day from 12:30pm to 4:30pm for lunch and 7:30pm to late night for dinner.

Bulevard Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 380. www.chowka-marbella.com 170 ReR Chowka.indd 137

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THE ART OF FINE THAI CUISINE RESERVATIONS: 952 818 392 Open Every Evening for Dinner Ctra. de Cรกdiz Km. 175 PUERTO BANร S (Behind The Shell Petrol Station) Marbella www.thaigallerymarbella.com

TAI PAN chinese cuisine polynesian bar

Serving Marbella in a Select Atmosphere for Decades.

Tel: 952 777 893 / 952 775 500 Puente Romano, Fase 2, Marbella.

Open Daily for Dinner from 8:00 www.taipanmarbella.com

SUKHOTHAI Exquisite Royal Thai Cuisine

Tel: 952 770 550 Open Mon-Sat. C.C. Marbellamar, L-3A. Marbella. www.sukhothaimarbella.com

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restaurant THE GOURMET

Rosmarino is somewhat of an Italian tradition in Marbella.

Launched in 1999, the original restaurant upon which Avelino and Cristina’s growing reputation was made could be found in Avenida Las Cumbres, Elviria. It is here that they became known for honest, beautifully crafted Italian dishes that covered the full range of seasons.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY © KHPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

R

An Italian tradition B

efore long Rosmarino was the Italian restaurant in the Elviria area – a reputation it has maintained ever since – but soon people were coming from further a field as well. Such was the success that the restaurant moved from its more rustic/traditional venue to a stylish and sophisticated new setting in the heart of Elviria.

The transformation in ambience was notable.

Rosmarino had grown into a refined and elegant dining venue with an impressively designed décor, but one thing that never changed was the food. At the heart of this is an approach to its creation that is at the core of what Avelino and Cristina do. Their love for food, and Italian food in particular, produces a dedication that goes all the way from the creation of the menu to the sourcing of fresh seasonal ingredients, the preparation of Italian classics the Rosmarino way, and finally the equally important issues of planning, organisation and service.

THE NEW ROSMARINO

Together, they are the ingredients that go into the Rosmarino experience – and the same applies at their new premises in the Centro Comercial Pino Golf de Don Carlos next to the Elviria shopping centre. Called Rosmarino della Piazza, it offers the food and dining experience that has made Rosmarino so renowned in Marbella, but adds a large terrace area that’s just perfect for our long summer season.

The new Rosmarino, therefore, continues its proud culinary traditions yet combines it with a delightful al fresco ambience in summer and cosy setting in winter. On the night we went to visit, the popularity of the new setting was plain to see. After some aperitifs we decided upon Italian wines to accompany us on our Italian journey and selected a Pinot Grigio Garganega from Trentino, in the high north of the country. This crisp and fruity white wine by Donini comes in at about the same price

as the house wine, so it gives you the choice of Spanish or Italian wines without hurting the budget.

We think that’s a nice touch, and were also rather taken with the starter courses we ordered, which included a beautifully soft and savoury foie gras with compote of figs. Also highly appreciated were the tartare of avocado, tomato, feta cheese and smoked salmon – a summer classic – and the gorgeous handmade ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and a creamy truffle sauce. Last but not least was the beautifully presented figs and Parma ham, another perfect summer dish – all of which went down wonderfully well with the Pinot Grigio as the sun coloured first orangey pink and then blue before succumbing to a balmy nightfall.

Look out for the day’s specials, to which both the foie gras and the figs and Parma ham belonged, as did the beautiful spaghetti with large carabinero prawns. Other highlights included the pappardelle with veal, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and ruccola – a Rosmarino favourite – and veal Scallopini Parmigiana with San Daniele ham and cheese, while yours truly had the Cod Sicilian style. Its savoury flavour was offset with a spicy sauce, which when accompanied by the Piccini Chianti Classico produced a wonderful coming together of flavours.

Now was the time to relax, enjoy the summery ambience, the company, and look forward to the closing chapter of a great Italian meal. For this we opted for classic crisp lemon sorbets, Rosmarino’s very own modern take on the Tiramisu and the rich flavours of a hazelnut panna cotta with chocolate ice cream. How Italian is the combination of hazelnut and panna cotta, while the gelato was so clearly not merely chocolate-flavoured but actual chocolate transformed into ice cream. A dessert for lovers of food, as is the whole Rosmarino experience. Go in summer to enjoy the piazza atmosphere and find a hearty Italian welcome and warming dishes in the restaurant in winter. This is the tradition of fine dining that Rosmarino has built its name on.

g C.C. Pinogolf, Elviria. Tel: 952 850 148. www.rosmarinodellapiazza.com

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THE GOURMET news

grand opening of

MOSAIK4

Sitio de Calahonda, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 930 440.

WORDS Marisa CUTILLAS

La Wine Mandrágora and Dine Day

Haute cuisine restaurant, La Mandrágora, will be holding its first Wine and Dine Day on Thursday, September 12 at 6pm. The event will comprise a food and wine pairing experience, aimed at bringing foreign residents closer to the art of matching the right wine to the restaurant’s sophisticated range of dishes. The event will be led by a wine expert from the prestigious Abadía - Retuerta wine cellar. g El Zoco del

New Look for

Thai Bangkok

Themed Nights at

Salotto

Thai Bangkok is a classic when it comes to delicious Thai cuisine but now is a better time than ever to head for its doors, since it boasts a brand new look (the interiors are more stylish than ever and the terrace an inviting place in which to enjoy an al fresco meal at an incredibly reasonable price). Thai Bangkok now has an All You Can Eat option from the à la carte menu for just €19,95 (€24,95 with drinks included). g Plaza de

Blue Gourmet, which runs 20 gourmet restaurants at magnificent beach destinations around the world, recently opened its newest ‘must visit’ venue in Marbella: Mosaik4, inspired by a wide range of cultures and moments in time.

The restaurant is divided into four areas: Al Jaima features both indoor and outdoor areas where you can enjoy the finest gastronomy. Al Andalus invites you to discover the colorful mosaic of cultures through a host of international dishes, from Mediterranean delights to Thai infusions, Moroccan twists, Japanese Sushi and Arabic treats. The Sky Bar on the top terrace provides the perfect setting for after dinner drinks, while The Orchid Room offers a private dining experience. g Avda. Manolete, esquina C/ Los Lirios,

Marbella. Tel: 952 929 467. www.mosaikmarbella.com

Popular Italian restaurant, Salotto, is pleased to offer special themed nights for families, friends, couples and wine lovers!

Monday is all about the family: enjoy a delicious dinner and the restaurant will invite you to dessert (this offer is valid for a minimum consumption of €125 – the family should have at least two adults and two children). Tuesday is Wine Day: hone your wine tasting skills through a host of special promotions and events. Wednesday is all about Romance: enjoy an intimate meal under the light of the moon for only €95 per couple. Finally, Thursday is Women’s Day: visit Salotto with your friends and enjoy a 20 per cent discount on the total price (The discount is valid only for groups of women ordering from the à la carte menu. Drinks are excluded). g Avda. Del Prado s/n, Edif. Sport

Café, Marbella. TEl: 952 818 112. www.salottomarbella.com

las Orquídeas, C/ Iris, 11B, Edif. Excelsior 1, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 813 603.

If you are a frequent visitor to Tarifa, then you’re probably a fan of Italian dining institution, Trattoria de Tarifa, founded by Paolo ‘Poppa’ Pozzato, who recently opened a branch on the Costa del Sol, called Trattoria de Marbella. Diners can experience the very best in traditional Italian cuisine. Star dishes include the pizza (made with 24-hour, double-fermented pizza bases), pasta with truffles and cheese sauce, risottos of all kinds (the frutti di mare is to die for), oven-cooked sea bass, Ossobuco alla Milanese and the home made Tiramisu. Almost all ingredients are imported from Italy, including the flour, cheese and tomatoes.

La Trattoria de Marbella opens daily for dinner, from 6:30pm ‘til late.

g C/ Las Malvas, Edif. Online, Local 14, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 817 591.

La Trattoria de Marbella the AUthentic taste of italian cuisine

© khphotography.co.uk

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THE GOURMET profile

C

armona looks in his 20s but is actually thirtysomething, a proud husband and father whose sense of family is the fuel that sparks his work ethic and enthusiasm. It didn’t take the culinary wiz kid long to work out his life’s calling; he was just 16 when he took up his dad’s suggestion to enrol in what was then Marbella’s premier cooking school: Hotel Escuela Bellamar. It was here that he learned the basics of cooking, though his first official job was in the kitchens of La Hacienda, a Mecca for savvy diners run by the skilled hand of Paul Schiff. Here, he would meet Paul’s daughter, Cathy, “a fine pastry and dessert Chef who was a Professor of mine at cooking school and who these days, supplies much of Trocadero’s restaurant dessert selection”. Carmona additionally honed his craft at family owned bar, El Canuto in San Pedro, and afterwards, at La Campana restaurant. The latter, he says, was “the place I first really grew to love cooking. I worked there for two years, learning the bases of French cuisine and awakening my senses to fine dining. I learned to make classic sauces like a smooth Hollandaise, and also discovered Norwegian delights which were totally new to me”.

Fuelled by this new inspiration, Carmona went on to work at some of the Coast’s top establishments, including the Hotel Las Dunas (where he was mentored by a Michelin-starred Chef) and the Hotel Cortijo Blanco (where he held the post of Chef de Partie). “At this stage, I was still preparing what I would call basic cuisine,” he admits, defining a second turning point in his career: “My experience at

Restaurante Casa Fernando in San Pedro introduced me to premium quality fish like Almadraba tuna or top-of-the-range sea bass”. Two years later, he would meet a man who would be decisive in his rise up the culinary ladder: Dioni, owner of Trocadero Playa and Trocadero Arena. “I spent three years at Trocadero Playa working as Sous Chef and it was there that I met (two-Michelin starred Chef) Dani García, who dines at the restaurant frequently. He

asked me to help him with a new project: heading the kitchens of La Moraga in Puerto Banús”.

Thus began a fascinating relationship with one of Spain’s most lauded chefs. García took Carmona’s breath away with his avante-garde creations, and entrusted the young Chef with the important task of opening five La Moraga restaurants along the Coast. Despite a highly fruitful relationship with García, Carmona didn’t hesitate to accept the unique opportunity to forge his own signature style when Dioni offered him the post of Head Chef at Trocadero Arena.

Carmona’s cuisine can be described as “classical, traditional, Andalusian and Mediterranean, bearing touches of Oriental and international traditions.”

Carmona also has a great respect and love for French gastronomy.

Delights to watch out for in his new tapas menu reflect his flair for culinary fusion. Take the foie, quintessentially French, served with a sweet Spanish membrillo Santa Teresa. Says Carmona, “Earlier in my career, I travelled extensively around Spain. More recently, I accompanied Dani García to Brazil, where we were dazzled by starred Chef, Gastón Acurio.”

The latter was clearly a source of inspiration for what is one of the most solicited items on the menu: the salmon strips with a citric vinaigrette and a confit of cherry tomato; a ceviche-like dish which nevertheless cedes the starring role to freshly caught fish from the Mediterranean. The spicy Moroccan culinary tradition also finds its way into Carmona’s creations, in temptations like the ‘crystal toast’ with hummus and tuna belly in extra-virgin olive oil. For a truly original take on a traditional Andalusian dish, few choices can beat the peach gazpacho made with a fruity Arbequina extra-virgin olive oil, or the ajoblanco piñacolada: cool, fresh and definitely Caribbean in inspiration.

Carmona admits to being fascinated with his profession, though hopes to find the time to take a small holiday soon and head for the cool climes of Northern Italy to enjoy good food in the company of those he loves the most: his family. He is, in the end, a Chef with a true knack for finding balance, a crucial element of a fully lived life.

José Carmona

AN ANDALUSIAN WITH HIS EYE ON THE WORLD WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TROCADERO ARENA

José Carmona, Head Chef of seaside dining haven, Trocadero Arena, meets me in an exotic Moroccanstyled nook in the far corner of his buzzing restaurant, iced coffee in hand and a beaming smile across his face. He is taking the first break of the day, for this is the peak of the summer season and he and his staff have been bracing themselves for the lunch hour and working on the finishing touches for Trocadero Arena’s new offering: tasty tapas by the sea at their chiringuito, just a few metres away from the main restaurant.

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THE GOURMET wine

‘RUM

Goings On WORDS AJ LINN

“ I

n the hierarchy of distilled drinks, brandy is undeniably king. It has always been the preferred tipple of aristocrats and captains of industry, not to mention writers and artists. Whisky surely comes next in the ranking for its noble connections and sheer universality, while gin is a social climber that started as the cheapest tipple in town and was blamed for almost everything bad that happened to the working classes in industrialrevolution England. But it is probably due to its marriage with tonic water that made it the favourite ‘medication’ of Her Majesty’s forces overseas, that gin has attained the very heights of respectability to the point where it is currently the drink-of-choice in many countries. Vodka is of course the preferred drink-to-get-drunk on throughout the ex-Soviet block and they are weaned on it.

So where does rum fit into the pecking order? Rather like gin, its humble beginnings gave it a bad start in life, and although Marco Polo claims to have been offered a rum-like drink in what is now Iran, the first distillation of rum from molasses almost certainly took place in the Caribbean in the 17th century. For its capacity to ‘mount up unto the head’, this early rum was called ‘kill-devil’ on Barbados, where English colonists had settled.

Its history is inextricably linked to some of the most picaresque episodes in history, as the names of some brands demonstrate: ‘Nelson’s Blood’, ‘Kill Devil’, ‘Rumbullion’. And while the pirate vessels that crisscrossed the Caribbean were allegedly fuelled by it, that rum was very light and probably diluted to reduce the alcohol content. The demand for rum from the Caribbean was directly responsible for the expansion of the slave trade as a means of supplying the labour required for the sugar cane plantations, and at one time or another practically every Caribbean island made rum, whether under British, French or Spanish rule. Mexico, Central America, Venezuela and even West Africa have their versions. Unlike other spirits and wines, there are

no universal standards, and rums can be light in colour and strength, or over proof (75 to 80 per cent), so you never know what you are getting until you drink it.

All rum is colourless initially. Whites are mainly used as mixers. Golden and Amber rums have been aged in oak casks and are smooth and mellow, while Dark Rums, together with Añejo and age-dated rums, can be 10 years old or more. These heavier and pricier rums will have come from the less efficient pot stills rather than the more commercial continuous stills.

There is speculation about how rum got its name.

The most amusing theory is based on the fact that early distillations were bitter and the first time most people drank it they made a face and cried ‘Rrrrhum!’

If the Royal Navy had not captured Jamaica in 1655 it is possible her sailors would never have had rum served as the daily tot. Wine and beer tended to go off during a voyage but rum came through in all weathers, although it was not until too many drunken matelots started falling out of the rigging that it was customarily watered down.

Even though the senior service’s daily rum ration was abolished years ago, it is still issued on special occasions and splice the main brace indicates a double ration.

Rum has an abundance of stories, legends, and lies related to it. For example, Nelson’s body was not stored in a barrel of rum for the voyage back to England after his death at Trafalgar. It was brandy, and nor did the cask arrive at Portsmouth empty because the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the barrel through which to drink the liquid. But it is rumoured that there was a smile on the face of the corpse when it was uncasked.

There seem to be many rum fanatics in Spain, and they are very choosy about what they drink. I have been kindly rebuked for offering regular brands when I should have had available 15-year old Añejo or one of the other popular options that contains honey. Well, I didn’t know anything about rum – then… e

Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest-...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

Drink and the devil had done for the rest-...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!

Louis Stevenson

”

Z Barbados produces light, sweetish rums and is probably the oldest maker in the world.

Z Cuba produces light-bodied, crisp, clean rums that cannot be sold in the United States.

Z The Dominican Republic is notable for its full-bodied, aged rums.

Z Haiti makes heavier, fullflavoured, smooth-tasting, rums that are double-distilled in pot stills. There is also an underground moonshine industry that supplies voodoo religious rituals.

Z Jamaica is unique in having official classifications of rum, ranging from light to very fullflavoured.

Z Martinique usually ages its rum in used French brandy casks for a minimum of three years. Rhum vieux is frequently compared to high-quality French brandy.

Z Brazil produces vast quantities of mostly light rums of which Cachaça is the best-known example.

Z Venezuela makes a number of well-respected barrel-aged golden and dark rums.

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theguide

RESTAURANTS / CINEMAS / GOLF / GYMS /

Price guide ::::::: per head for a three-course meal with wine

RESTAURANTS ::: AMERICAN ::: HARD ROCK CAFÉ

Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. C/ Ramón Areces, esq. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 908 024

Jacks Open seven days a week from noon till late.

Puerto Banús, Tel: 952 813 625, Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 563 673

Mr. gourmet burger Open from 6pm ‘til late every evening. Avda. Luis Braile 20, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 785 257

TENNIS / SCHOOLS

under €25

€25 – €40

Open from 9am Monday to Saturday and Sunday from 11am for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centro Plaza, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 861

::: ARGENTINEAN ::: Buenos Aires South

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. C/ Virgen del Pilar, 6, Marbella.

Tel: 952 779 297

€60 plus

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Ronda (El Madroñal), San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 786 688

El niño Open every evening. Saturday and Sunday open all day. Calle Rosa Linda 2, El Rosario, Marbella. Tel: 952 836 469

mytilus

Clericó

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Plaza de Los Naranjos, Puerto Sotogrande. Tel: 956 790 212

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Antonio Belón, 22, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 683

::: FRENCH :::

Tango

ROUTE 66

Open daily for dinner except Sundays.

Puerto Banús (opp. the car park). Tel: 952 812 358

Open 10am until midnight every day. Plaza Antonio Banderas 17/29, Puerto Banús. Tel: 951 136 333

::: BELGIAN :::

Yanx

€40 – €60

El Coto

rendez vous Open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6pm and Sunday from 9am to 2pm. Closed Tuesday.

Avda. del Prado, Aloha Gardens, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 813 912

Valderrama Restaurant Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only and on Sunday for Buffet Lunch. Apartado 1, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 132.2 Sotogrande, Cádiz.

Tel: 956 791 200

::: GREEK :::

Casa mono

Red Pepper

Open Monday to Saturday from 1pm to 11pm. C/ Calderón Estébanez 19, Marbella. Tel: 952 774 578

Chateau Mona lisa

Open daily for both lunch and dinner.

Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 812 148

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera 8, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 808

::: GRILLS :::

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Asador Criollo Grill Open nightly for dinner. CN340-A7, km. 166, Cancelada, El Saladillo. Tel: 952 784 463

Asador guadalmina Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Guadalmina Alta, C.C. Guadalmina, Local 3, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 883 003

El Carnicero Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Pueblo Viejo Cancelada. Between San Pedro & Estepona.

Tel: 952 886 307

El Carnicero 2 Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 176, Marbella. Tel: 952 867 599

El Gaucho Open daily for dinner from 7.30pm. Galerías Paniagua. Sotogrande. Tel: 956 795 528

el rancho del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Benabola 4, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 252

Grill del puerto Open for lunch and dinner every day. Muelle Ribera 47H, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 686

MARBELLA CLUB GRILL Open every night for dinner. Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Old Town Grill Open Monday to Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch. C/ San Lázaro, 3, Pza. Victoria, Marbella.

Tel: 952 867 306

Sunday. Puerto Deportivo de Marbella, Locales 37-40, Marbella. Tel: 952 865 940

Open daily for both lunch and dinner. Casa No.7, P. Banús. Tel: 952 812 090

Restaurante Rancho

safFron

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. Cádiz, exit Las Chapas. Tel: 952 831 922

Open from 7 pm ‘til late night every day. Parque de Elviria, local 7-9, Las Chapas (take second exit, after Hotel Don Carlos), Marbella. Tel: 952 830 146

The Grill House restaurant Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday.

C.C. Cristamar, Local 32, Puerto Banús. Tel: 951 319 842

::: INDIAN ::: Chowka

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Avda. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 380

Jaipur palace

de la Miel, s/n, Benalmádena. Tel: 902 102 675

Bar d’o restaurant & Lounge Open daily from 11am to 2am (3am on weekends).

Avda. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, Edif. Milla de Oro, Local 567, Marbella. Tel: 952 821 229

beach house

::: INTERNATIONAL :::

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Coto de los Doles, Carril del Relojero, Elviria, Marbella.

Tel: 952 839 458

Open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday and for dinner only on Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Urb. Nueva Alcántara, Edif. Mirador, Bloque 4-B, Marbella. Tel: 952 783 714

Open Monday to Sunday for dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 868 898

Albert & simon

alberts Open daily for lunch and dinner. Puerto Cabopino.

Tel: 952 836 886

beckitts Black and white Marbella Open daily for lunch and dinner. Muelle Benabola, under the Torre de Banús, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 815 607

Open every night except Tuesday for dinner.

CN340, km 194, next to Camping Cabopino, Marbella. Tel: 951 310 004

alumbre

boulevard

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Strachan 11, Málaga. Tel: 951 500 022

Open for dinner from 8pm. Avda. La Fontanilla, esquina Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 583

Jaipur Purple

Amanhavis

Brunings

Open daily for dinner. CN 340, km. 166, Estepona.

Tel: 952 888 353

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday from 8.00pm. Calle del Pilar 3, Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 7 pm.

Las Palmeras 19, San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 786 156

Open daily for dinner from 7pm. Conj. Buenavista, L 21-22, Avda. de España, Calahonda. Tel: 952 931 829

amigos

CAFÉ DE RONDA

Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday.

C/ Málaga 3, Benahavis. Tel: 952 855 175

Massala

aroma

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Avda. Ramón Gómez de la Serna 23, Marbella.

Tel: 952 862 149

Open daily for dinner. 57, Duquesa de Arcos (Sabinillas seafront). Tel: 952 897 358

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Moncayo 23, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 665 502

Mr. india

baboo lounge and restaurant

Little India

Piratas flame grill

Open daily from 6pm. Milla de Oro (next to Da Bruno a Casa), Marbella. Tel: 952 867 868

Open every day for lunch and dinner except

Mumtaz

Open every day for lunch and dinner, closing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 8pm. Ctra. Arroyo

Café del mar Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Coral Beach s/n, km. 176, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 299

Cafetería ke Open daily for lunch and dinner. Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, s/n. Tel: 956 790 333

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THE GUIDE Price guide ::::::: per head for a three-course meal with wine camurí Open daily for lunch and dinner. CN340, km 176, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 533

capitán Open for lunch and dinner every day except Wednesday. C/ Avila, Blq. 5, Local 1, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 799 635

Casa Tua Open every night for dinner. C/ Ortiz de Molinillo 14, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 951 712 227

Casanis Open every day from 6pm except Sundays.

C/ Ancha, 8, Marbella. Tel: 952 900 450

celima Open every day for lunch and dinner. Hotel Hermitage, Ctra. de Casares, Casares.

Tel: 952 895 639.

cerrado del águila

€25 – €40

€40 – €60

€60 plus

Puente Romano. Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Open daily for lunch and dinner. CN 340, km. 199, Miraflores Playa. Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 587 550

Don Leone

EL OLIVO

GD Gourmet deli marbella

Open every night for dinner. Puerto Banús, Marbella. Tel: 952 811 716

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. At Marbella Golf & Country Club. CN 340, km. 188, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 500

Open 9:30am to 9pm from Monday to Friday and Saturday from 12am to 6pm. Closed Sundays.

Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe 7, Marbella. Tel: 952 774 049

Dynamic Café Open Monday to Sunday for lunch. Ctra. de Istán, km. 0.9, C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 775 021

El Bolero Open every night for dinner from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, CN 340, km. 127, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

El Campanario Open every day for lunch. Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. CN 340, km. 168, Estepona.

Tel: 952 880 126

El Corzo Open daily for dinner. Hotel Los Monteros, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 187. Tel: 952 771 700

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Urb. Cerrado del Águila, Camino del Acevedo, s/n, Mijas Costa. Tel: 951 773 521

EL JINETE

cortijo fain

El lago

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Ctra. de Algar, km. 3, Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz. Tel: 956 704 131

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner. Urb. Elviria Hills. Avda. Las Cumbres s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 832 371

Cosy

EL MIRADOR

Open every night for dinner from 7pm. Paseo de Las Palmeras 25, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 951 087 899

Open for breakfast every day. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Resort. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona.

Tel: 952 809 500

del mar

el oceano beach hotel restaurant and spa

Open daily for lunch and dinner. At the Hotel

under €25

Open daily for dinner except for Friday. Ctra. La Cala Golf, km 45, La Cala de Mijas. Tel: 952 119 170

El Restaurante del Casino Open every day for dinner from 8pm-4am. Hotel Andalucía Plaza s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 814 000

Fabiola

Ctra. de Mijas, km. 1, A-387, Alhaurín El Grande.

Tel: 951 254 520

girasol Open daily for dinner from 6.30p.m. Avda. del Prado, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. Tel: 952 813 859

Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sundays for lunch. Cortijo Los Canos, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro, CN-340, km. 132, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 695 114 / 619 694 484

güey

Finca Besaya Open daily for lunch and dinner. Urb. Rio Verde Alto, s/n. Tel: 952 861 382

Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 7pm.

Closed Monday. Local 1A. Puerto de Cabopino.

Tel: 952 837 483

Finca El Forjador

Herrero del Puerto

Open daily for lunch from 1-4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Ctra. de Casares, km. 10. Tel: 952 895 120

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Casas de Campos, 1, Málaga. Tel: 952 122 075

Finca las brasas

hotel marbella club buffet

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Ctra. FuengirolaMijas, between CN 340 and highway. Tel: 952 580 513

Open nightly for dinner. Plaza de las Orquídeas 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 929 250

hermosa

Open every day for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Galeria San Pedro

Ikni Banús

Open from 11am until midnight. Closed Sundays.

Avda Las Palmeras 15, San Pedro Alcántara.

Tel: 952 780 927

Open daily for for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C.C. Cristamar, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 978

fonda restaurante el postillón

Open every evening for dinner. Playa del Rodeo, Marbella. Tel: 951 319 372

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7:30pm to 11pm.

karma

il mare

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Open every day from 10am until late. C/ Las Violetas 7, Conjunto Andalucía Garden Club, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 815 736

dinner. Arena Beach, CN 340, km. 151.2, Estepona. Tel: 952 792 734

dinner. Marbella Club Hotel. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n. Tel: 952 822 211

La Terraza

Messina

khala

Open everyday lunch and dinner. Golf Hotel Guadalmina, Marbella. Tel: 952 882 211

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. Avda.

Severo Ochoa, 12, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 895

La Terraza

MOJO

Open daily for dinner. La Cala Resort, La Cala de Mijas, Mijas. Tel: 952 669 000

Open from Monday to Saturday for dinner from 8pm ‘til late. Monte Paraíso Golf, Marbella. Tel: 951 217 272

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. NH Alanda Hotel, Marbella. Tel: 952 899 600

LA biznaga Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch only. Ctra.

Ronda, km. 46, Urb. Las Medranas, local 4, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 951 275 750

la brisa Open for dinner Thursday to Monday from 7pm. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km. 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

La cabaña del mar Open every day for lunch and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona CN 340, km 159, Playa El Padrón, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

LA CANTINA DEL GOLF Open for breakfast and lunch until 8pm. Closed Sunday. Flamingo Golf Club, Cancelada, Benahavís. Tel: 951 318 815

La Loggia Open daily for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks. Hotel Villa Padierna & Flamingos Golf Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 166 (Cancelada exit), Benahavís. Tel: 952 889 150

La Veranda Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.

Hotel Villa Padierna, Urb: Flamingos s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 150

La Verandah Open week days for dinner at 7:30pm and weekends for lunch and dinner, closed Tuesdays. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 136. Playa Guadiaro, Torre-guadiaro, Cádiz. Tel: 956 615 998

mosaik4

Open daily from 12pm to 3am. Avda.

Manolete, esq. C/ Los Lirios, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 929 467

mozaic Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday. Urb. Las Chapas, Marbella. Tel: 952 839 901

Miraflores Golf Restaurant

La veranda lobby bar Open every day for lunch and dinner. At the Kempinski Hotel Bahía Estepona. CN 340, km 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

Open daily for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 199. Urb. Riviera Golf. Tel: 952 931 941

los arcos

NUEVA CAMPANA

Open every night for dinner. Hotel Meliá La Quinta, Urb. La Quinta Golf s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 000

Open daily for lunch and dinner, except Tuesday. La Campana, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 041

los bandidos

Nueva Kaskada

Open every night for dinner. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 915

Open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Urb. La Montua, C/ Chorreadero 39, Marbella. Tel: 952 864 478

La Menorah

Mc café

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and

Open every day for breakfast, lunch and

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Sunday. C/ Granada, 44, Málaga. Tel: 952 227 486

Open daily for lunch. Avda. Lola Flores s/n, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 137

Sea grill

under €25

Closed Wednesdays. Arena Beach, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 151, Estepona. Tel: 952 796 320

At the Puente Romano Beach Club. Open daily for lunch and dinner. CN340, km 187, Marbella. 952 820 900

tanino

shanti-som – amrita

Terra Sana

Open for lunch and dinner every day. C.C. La Colonia, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 583

Open Monday to Thursday from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, Friday and Saturday from 1:30pm to 4.30 pm and 8pm to 10.30pm. Ctra. de Ojén, km 22, A355, Marbella-Monda. Tel: 952 864 455

POCO loco BEACH

shiraz

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Playa Hermosa, CN 340, Km 189, Marbella.

Tel: 952 836 170

Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Puerto Deportivo, Local 15, Marbella. Tel: 952 778 334

Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nueva Andalucía next to the Casino.

Tel: 952 906 205. Marina Banús, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 817 977. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona.

Tel: 951 901 050. C/ Camilo José Cela s/n, Marbella.

Tel: 952 772 686.

polynesians

Skina

Open Monday to Sunday from 5pm to 2am. Urb. La Alcazaba, CN 340, km 175. Tel: 952 816 100

Open for dinner Monday to Saturday. C/ Aduar 12, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 765 277

puente romano beach club

SMALL WORLD CAFé

OCHO Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

C/ Moncayo 12, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 460 232 / 648 502 822

passion café

Open daily for lunch. Blvd. Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ctra.

Istán, km 1, C.C: Le Village 15, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 046

PURO BEACH

Suave

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Laguna Village, Playa El Padrón, CN 340, km 159, Estepona. Tel: 952 800 015

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Paseo Maritimo Rey de España 93, Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 866 627

Restaurante royal

SUite

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the Hotel Torrequebrada, Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 441 414

Dinner and afterwards dance to music by resident DJ. Thursday to Saturday. Hotel Puente Romano, Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Rojo

Swing

Open every day for lunch and dinner except

Open from 12-4pm and 7.30pm until midnight.

€25 – €40

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. CN 340, km.168, Benamara, Estepona. Tel: 952 883 259

The Clubhouse Bar & Brasserie Open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Urb. Los Naranjos de Marbella, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 844

The meeting room Open 9am to 11pm every day except Sundays.

Avda. Ricardo Soriano 1, Local 1 (Edif. Portillo), Marbella. Tel: 952 772 577

€40 – €60

€60 plus

trocadero beach Open daily for lunch and dinner. Playa de la Carolina, Marbella. Tel: 610 704 144

Venta garcía Open daily for lunch and dinner every day except Monday. Ctra. de Casares km 7, Casares.

Tel: 952 894 191

What’s cooking deli and takeaway Open daily from 10am to 7pm. C.C. Guadalmina, Local 34, Marbella. Tel: 952 886 748

zozoI Open Monday to Saturday for dinner from 7.30pm12am. Plaza Altamirano 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 858 868

::: ITALIAN ::: Al Dente

Open 7 days a week for dinner. Closed on Mondays.

Urb. Jardines del Puerto, local 12, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 906 181

Amore e Fantasía

The orange tree Open every evening from 6:30 pm-11 pm. Plaza General Chinchilla 1, Plaza de los Naranjos, Marbella. Tel: 952 924 613.

Open every day for lunch and dinner from 7pm onwards. Muelle Benabola, Casa 5A, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 464

tikitano

Aretusa

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. Guadalmansa, CN340, km 164, Estepona. Tel: 952 798 449

Open daily for dinner. Front line P. Banús.

Tel: 952 812 898

Trocadero arena

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Frontline Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 813 357

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Torre Real Beach, Marbella. Tel: 952 865 579

Carpaccio Caruso

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Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday 7pm until midnight. Avda. de la Constitución, corner C/ Andalucía, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 782 293

Tel: 952 937 882

Luna Rossa

Frascati Open daily for lunch and dinner. Plaza de Los Naranjos s/n, Sotogrande. Tel: 952 790 392

Open daily for both lunch and dinner, closed on Sundays. Paseo Marítimo Benabola, local 12, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 543

casa tua

gold restaurant

MADE IN SARDINIA

Open every evening for dinner. C/ Ortiz de Molinillos 14, Marbella. Tel: 951 712 227

Open every day from 10am to 12 am.

Complejo Benabola 13, Beach Side, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 929 055

Open every night for dinner. C.C. Cristamar, Avda. Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 906 608

Da Bruno Open all day. Pasta Da Bruno: Avda. Ricardo Soriano, 27, Marbella. Tel: 952 860 348 – closed on Sunday. Da Bruno Cabopino: CN-340 Km. 194,7. Tel: 952 831 918. Da Bruno a Casa: Marbella Mar, Local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 857 521 – closed on Sunday. Da Bruno A San Pedro: Avda. del Mar, local 1E, San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 860 – closed on Monday. Da Bruno Sul Mare: Edif. Skol, Paseo Marítimo, Marbella. Tel: 952 903 318/19. Da Bruno Mijas Costa: Ctra. de Mijas, km. 3.6, Mijas. Tel: 952 460 724

la fiorentina

Metro

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. El Pilar, Local 11 (opposite the Crown Plaza Hotel), Estepona. Tel: 952 816 526

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 446 460

la pappardella di estepona

Open daily for lunch and dinner. At the Caleta Hotel. Catalan Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 76501

Open every day for lunch and dinner from 1pm to midnight. Puerto Deportivo de Estepona. Tel: 952 802 144

LA pappardella sul mare Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 807 354

Da Paolo

la trattoria de marbella

Open everyday for lunch and dinner. Muelle Ribera, casa G-H, local 43, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 453

Open nightly for dinner from 6:30pm. C/ Las Malvas, Edif. Online, Local 4, Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 817 591

De Medici

Leonardo da vinci

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Urb. El Pilar, C.C. Benapilar, Estepona. Tel: 952 884 687

Open every night for dinner. Urb. Doña Lola, Local 21-22, Calahonda, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 934 667

Don Giovanni

Lombardo’s

Open nightly for dinner. At the Finca Cortesín Hotel Ctra. Casares, km. 2, Casares.

Open daily from 7pm. Galerías Paniagua, Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 795 924

nunos

O mamma mia Open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner. At El Corte Inglés Food Hall, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990

Pizzeria Picasso Open daily from 12 noon. Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 813 669

portofino laguna village Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. C.C. Laguna Village, Estepona. Tel: 952 808 035

Ristorante Regina Open every night for dinner and Sunday for lunch. Edif. La Ruleta, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 529

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Rosmarino della piazza Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

C.C. Pinogolf de Don Carlos 34, Elviria. Tel: 952 850 148

salotto Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Avda. del Prado, Via 1, local 2, Aloha Golf, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 112

terraza dual

under €25

€25 – €40

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Hotel Puente Romano. Tel: 952 820 900

Osaka Open every day 13:30-16:00 & 19:30-24:00.

CN-340, km. 166 (Benavista). C.C. Costa del Sol. Tel: 952 885 751

RestaurantE asiático Bangkok

Open every day for lunch and dinner. C.C. Marbellamar s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 250

Open daily for lunch and dinner. P. de las Orquideas, C/ Iris, 11B, Edif. Excelsior no. 1, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 813 603

trattoria l’impronta

Sakura

Open daily for lunch and dinner except on Tuesday. Avda. Salamanca, Edif. San Pedro del Mar, Local 14, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 785 943

Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Jardines del Puerto, L.5, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 536

Villa Tiberio

Open daily for lunch and dinner. C.C. Costa del Sol, upper level. CN-340, km. 166 (Estepona). Tel: 952 888 710

Open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 799

::: Mediterranean ::: Sala mirador

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Monte Paraíso Golf, Casa Club, Camino de Camojan s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 457

tempora Open nightly for dinner. C/ Tetuán 9, Old Town, Marbella. Tel: 952 857 933

::: Oriental ::: Asia Food

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Comercial, Pinares de Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 850 060

asiatico zen Open every day for lunch and dinner except Tuesday lunch. C/ Lirios s/n, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 691

Dragón de Oro

Sapporo

Sukho Thai Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday.

Centro Comercial Marbellamar.

Tel: 952 770 550

Sushi des artistes Open every day for lunch and dinner. CN 340, km 178.5, Marbella. Easy parking. Tel: 952 857 403

Sushi Katsura Open for lunch from Monday to Friday and for dinner from Monday to Saturday. C/ Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 863 193

Tai Pan Open seven days a week for dinner. H. Puente Romano, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 177, Marbella. Tel: 952 777 893

Ta-kumi Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Gregorio Marañón 4, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 839

Open every day from 12.30-4pm and 7pm until midnight. Closed Monday lunchtime.

Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 141, Urb. Hacienda Guadalupe, Manilva. Tel: 952 890 956

Teppanyaki samurai

golden wok Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. Marbellamar, Marbella. Tel: 952 866 840

Open seven days a week for dinner from 8pm. CN-340, km.175, Edif. Rimesa, Bajos, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 392

KABUKI raw

Thai Style

Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. At Finca Cortesín Hotel. Ctra. Casares s/n, Casares. Tel: 952 937 800

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Avda. Playas del Duque s/n. Edif. Gaviotas IV, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 813 675

Kaiden Sushi

tHapa thai

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Com. Guadalmina Alta, Guadalmina 4, local 2, lower floor, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 896 508

Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Urb. Puerto Deportivo 13, Edif. Poniente, Estepona. Tel: 951 318 445

Kama Kura

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Centro Plaza, Kiosk II, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 672 028 210

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8-11pm. The San Roque Club, Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 127, San Roque, Cádiz. Tel: 956 613 030

Makitake Open daily for lunch and dinner. C/ Ribera s/n (above disco Seven), Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 811 592

meca Open every day for lunch and dinner.

C.C. Pino Golf, Don Carlos, Local 1, Elviria, Marbella. Tel: 952 830 365 / 658 646 829

Namazake

Open daily for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Manolete 20, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 816 549

Thai Gallery

top thai

Tse yang Dimsum club Open daily for lunch and dinner except Sundays. At El Corte Inglés Food Hall, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 909 990

Wasabi Open daily from 1.30 pm for lunch and dinner. C.C. Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 908 577

Wok Away Open every day for lunch and dinner. Avda.

Julio Iglesias, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 907 304

€40 – €60

€60 plus

Wok Buffet Open every day for lunch and dinner. Urb. El Pilar, 22, Estepona. Tel: 952 887 092

Wok Wang Open every day for lunch and dinner. C/ Camilo José Cela, C.C. Plaza del Mar, planta 0, local 1, Marbella. Tel: 952 925 478

::: SCANDINAVIAN ::: Skandies

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7pm to 11pm.

Closed Mondays. Avda. Antonio Belón, 26 (behind the lighthouse), Marbella. Tel: 952 776 323

the little mermaid Open daily from 9.30am to 5pm except Sundays. C.C. Centro Plaza, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 929 181

::: SEAFOOD :::

cervecería ostrería santiago Open daily for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Marzo, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

El Barlovento Open from 11am-4pm and 7.30-11pm every day except Mondays. Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, Cádiz. Tel: 956 790 370

La fishita Open Tuesday to Saturday from 1pm to 11pm and Sunday and Monday from 6pm to 11pm.

C/Las Violetas, Local 7, Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 813 598

Restaurante La Marina Open every day from 1-4.30pm and 8pm until midnight. Paseo Marítimo s/n, La Atunara, La Linea de la Concepción, Campo de Gibraltar. Tel: 956 171 531

La Torre Open daily for lunch and dinner. Muelle de Honor, Club de Mar, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 811 561

Marisquería La Pesquera Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Plaza de la Victoria, Old Town, Marbella.

Tel: 952 765 170

Restaurante El bote Open every day for lunch and dinner.

Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 660 084

Santiago Open daily for lunch and dinner. Paseo Marítimo, 5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 078

::: SPANISH ::: Bahía

Open every evening for dinner. At Hotel Don Carlos. Avda. Zurita s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

beach club restaurante grill Open every day for lunch. Hotel Fuerte, Castillo de San Luis s/n and Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa, Plaza José Luque Manzano s/n, Marbella. Tel: 902 343 410

Casa de la era Open every evening for dinner. Ctra. de

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Ojén, km 0.5, Marbella. Tel: 952 770 625

Casa Fernando Open from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 853 344

El Portalón Open Monday to Saturday for lunch 1-4pm and dinner from 8pm-midnight. Ctra de Cádiz, km 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 827 880

Hacienda

11.30pm. Avda. Miguel Cano 11, Marbella. Tel: 951 245 889

CINEMAS & THEATRES

AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL MIJAS Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas.

Tel: 952 590 380

AUDITORIO MUNICIPAL TORREMOLINOS Plaza de España, Recinto Ferial.

Tel: 952 379 521

Open from 1-4.30pm and 7.30 -11pm. Closed on Sunday afternoons and Mondays. Urb. La Alcaidesa, La Linea de la Concepción. Tel: 956 582 700

AUDITORIO PARQUE DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN

La máquina

Garcia Morato, s/n. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 786 968

Open daily for lunch and dinner except Sunday. At El Corte Inglés Food Hall, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 909 990

La Meridiana del alabardero

Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

CENTRO CULTURAL EL INGENIO CINESA LA CAÑADA La Cañada. Marbella.

Tel: 902 333 231

cines gran marbella Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 810 077

cinesur Open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays. Camino de la Cruz, Marbella. Tel: 952 776 190

La Taberna del Alabardero Open everyday for lunch and dinner except Monday. San Pedro Playa, Urb. Castiglone.

Tel: 952 785 138. Also at Ctra. de Ronda, km. 167, San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 265

Mesón el adobe Open daily for lunch and dinner except Tuesdays. Avda. La Fontanilla, Edif. Balmoral, Bajo 3, Marbella. Tel. 600 003 144

mi taberna

C.C. Miramar, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 198 605

MULTICINES ALFIL Avda. Camilo José Cela, s/n.

Fuengirola. Tel: 952 800 056

MULTICINES MEDITERRÁNEO Mijas. Tel: 952 663 738

PALACIO DE LA PAZ Recinto Ferial. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 589 349

TEATRO ALAMEDA Calle Córdoba 9, Málaga. Tel: 952 213 412

TEATRO CERVANTES Ramos Marín, 199, Málaga. Tel: 952 224 109

TEATRO CIUDAD DE MARBELLA

Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. CN340, km 178, Marbella. Tel: 952 827 880

Plaza Ramón Martínez, Marbella.

Tel: 952 903 159

taberna del volapié

Emancipación 30. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 474 542

Open daily from 11.30am to midnight. C/ Ramón Areces, Cjto. Marina Banús, Blq. 3-4, Local 7, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 542 820

VERACRUZ CINES

Tragabuches Open from Tuesday to Sunday for both lunch and dinner.

C/ José Aparacio, 1, Ronda (pedestrian street between bullring and Parador). Tel: 952 190 291

TEATRO SALON VARIETES

Veracruz. Estepona. Tel: 952 800 056

YELMO CINEPLEX Plaza Mayor. Tel: 902 220 922

GYMS & SPORTS CLUBS ALHAMAR GYM

C.C. Alhamar, CN-340 km 197.

Tel: 952 934 684

ATENAS

::: VEGETARIAN :::

Barquilla 1. Marbella.

Tel: 952 776 240

loving hut

AZTEC COUNTRY CLUB

Open daily from 10.30am to

Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

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under €25

€25 – €40

€40 – €60

€60 plus

Tel: 952 934 477

C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 902 362

Gran Hotel Benahavis

CENTRO DEPORTIVO EL FUERTE

HOTELS

Huerta de Rufino, Benahavís.

Tel: 902 504 862

CENTRO DE YOGA Y SALUD INTEGRAL

Don Carlos resort, leisure & spa

CN340 Km 174. Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 812 000

Ramón y Cajal 21. Marbella.

Tel: 952 773 804

CN340, Km192. Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

h10 Estepona palace

finca cortesin hotel, golf & spa

CENTRO PLAZA GYM

Crtra. Casares, Casares. Tel: 952 937 800

Avda. del Carmen 99, Playa de Guadalbón, Estepona. Tel: 952 790 040

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 817 074

Gran hotel gvadalpín puerto banús

Av. El Fuerte s/n. Marbella.

Tel: 952 861 624

Cerrado del águila Mijas Costa, Málaga. Tel: 951 773 523

CLUB DEl SOL

Arroyo El Rodeo, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella.

Tel: 952 899 700

H10 Andalucía Plaza

HM gran hotel costa del sol La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa.

Tel: 952 587 710

Hotel El Fuerte

Tennis /paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

Gran Meliá Don Pepe José Meliá s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 770 300

Avda. El Fuerte, s/n. Marbella. Tel: 952 861 500. Spa & Beauty Miramar. Tel: 952 920 000

Dynamic training centre

hotel los monteros

Hotel Fuerte Miramar Spa

C.C. Le Village, Marbella. Tel: 952 775 021

CN 340, km 187, Marbella. Tel: 952 771 700

FITNESS CENTRE NEW STYLE

Hotel Meliá La Quinta

Amapolas, s/n Nueva Andalucía.

Tel: 952 817 916

Urb. La Quinta Golf, Marbella. Tel: 952 762 000

Pl. José Luque Manzano. Marbella.

Tel: 952 768 400.

Spa & Beauty Miramar. Tel: 952 768 410

Hotel Puente Romano

Hotel Meliá Marbella

Fuerte Gym

CN340, Km179. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

CN340, Km 175. Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 810 500

Avda. El Fuerte, Marbella. Tel: 952 861 624

Hotel Torrequebrada

Hotel Playa Bonita

GIMNASIO ESTADIO

Avda. del Sol s/n, Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 446 000

CN340, Km 217. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 442 840

Hotel Triton

Hotel Princess Playa

Avda. Antonio Machado, 29. Benalmádena Costa. Tel: 952 443 240

Paseo Marítimo. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 944

Kempinski Hotel bahía estepona

CN340, Km176,6. Marbella. Tel: 952 899 600

HOTEL PUENTE ROMANO

CN340, Km159. Estepona. Tel: 952 809 500

NH Marbella

CN340, Km77,5. Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

La Cala resort

KRAV MAGA SELF-DEFENCE CENTRE

La Cala de Mijas Tel: 952 669 000

C/ Conde Rudi, s/n. CN340, Km 178. Marbella.

Tel: 952 763 200

At Hotel Pyr, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 655 689 455

Marbella Club Hotel

Parador de Ronda

CN340, Km 180. Marbella. Tel: 952 822 211

Plaza de España, s/n. Ronda. Tel: 952 877 500

MANOLO SANTANA RACQUETS CLUB

hotel Villa Padierna

Ctra. de Istán, Km 2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

CN340, Km 166, Exit Cancelada. Benahavís.

Tel: 952 889 150

pierre & vacances CALEDONIA GOLF resort

MARBELLA GUN & COUNTRY CLUB Monda. Tel: 952 112 161

vincci selección estrella del mar

MARBELLA SPORT

CN340, km 190.5, Marbella. Tel: 951 053 970

Km 171.5. San Pedro Alcántara.

Tel: 952 788 315

Alanda Carib Playa

MULTI SPORT

CN340, Km 194. Tel: 952 902 537

CN340, Km185, Urb. Golf Rio Real s/n.

Marbella. Tel: 952 765 732

Avda. Picasso 27. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 782 801

Alanda Club Marbella

Sunset Beach Club

CN340 Km 192. Marbella. Tel: 952 902 537

New Concept Training

Almenara Golf Hotel & Spa

Avda. del Sol, 5. Benalmádena Costa.

Tel: 952 579 400

Trav. Huerta de los Cristales, Marbella.

Tel: 952 828 217

HAPPY DIVER’S CLUB Atalaya Park Hotel, Marbella.

Tel: 609 571 920

Monte Paraíso Country Club, Camino de Camoján s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 866 843

NH Alanda Hotel & Spa

CN340, km 165, Cancelada exit. Estepona.

Tel: 952 889 999

playabella spa gran hotel Urb. Costalita s/n, Estepona. Tel: 959 528 253

SENTIDOS Hotel

Tamisa Golf Hotel

02 CENTRO WELLNESS

Avda. Almenara s/n. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 582 000

Camino Viejo de Coín. Km 3.3. Mijas Golf.

Tel: 952 585 988

Plaza del Mar. Marbella. Tel: 952 900 420

Amanhavís Hotel & Restaurant

TRH el paraíso

P-E SPORTS CLUB

C/ Pilar 3. Benahavís. Tel: 952 856 026

CN340, km 167, Estepona. Tel: 952 883 000

Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Aloha Gardens, N. Andalucía. Tel: 952 818 357

Atalaya Park Hotel

qi sport

CN340, Km 168,5. Estepona.

Tel: 952 889 000

Urb. La Alzambra, Marbella. Tel: 952 907 090

barceló Marbella

SATURNIA REGNA

C/ de Granadillas, s/n. Urb. Guadalmina Alta, Marbella. Tel: 952 889 099

Marbella Tel: 952 761 475, Elviria. Tel: 952 834 835

Hotel diana park CN 340, km 168.5, Estepona.

Tel: 952 887 659

HOTEL PYR MARBELLA

SEVEN STARS SCHOOL

CN340, Km207. Fuengirola. Tel: 952 922 000

Avda. Rotary International, s/n, Puerto Banús.

Tel: 952 817 353

Tai Chi & yoga. Pasaje Estrecho, Estepona.

Tel: 952 923 055

Benabola Apart Hotel

NH SAN PEDRO

Benabola. Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 815 000

SPORTCLUB ROUTE 66

blue Bay banús hotel

C/ Jerez 1, San Pedro de Alcántara.

Tel: 952 853 040

Ctra. Mijas, 1.5km. Fuengirola.

Tel: 952 461 648

CN340, Km173. N. Andalucía. Tel: 952 811 517

SPORTING CLUB ATALAYA PARK HOTEL

Golden Mile. Marbella. Tel: 952 824 500

el oceano beach hotel

CN 340, km 173, Puerto Banús, Tel: 952 906 105

CN340, Km 168,5. Estepona. Tel: 952 888 212

TICKET-TO-RIDE

Miraflores Playa, Torrenueva, Marbella.

Tel: 952 587 550

Cristamar, Pto. Banús. Tel: 952 905 082

Golf Hotel Guadalmina

MUSEUMS

Vitality studio

Guadalmina Baja. Marbella. Tel: 952 882 211

Beatriz Palace & Spa

Coral Beach

sisu boutique hotel puerto banús

Basilica Vega del Mar San Pedro Alcántara. Tel: 952 781 360

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THE GUIDE Angela’s School Ages 6-14. Marbella. Tel: 952 823 042

british school of marbella Ages 18 months-8. Marbella. Tel: 952 779 264

Ages 3–10. Marbella.

Tel: 952 773 248

Swans international school Sierra blanca

Málaga. Plaza de la Iglesia, 9am-1pm

Saturday Coín C/ Urbano Pineda, 9am-1pm

Calahonda International College

Ages 11–18. Marbella. Tel: 952 902 755

La Cala

TLC Tutorial College

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

Ages 3-18. Tel: 952 930 080

Maro

Calpe School

Ages 13-18. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 933 249

Ages 2 1/2–11. San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 029

wendy kindergarten

Mijas Costa

Childrens placE Bilingual nursery

Ages 4 months - 5 years. Marbella.

Tel: 952 772 910

Nueva Andalucía

Atalaya, Estepona. Tel: 952 928 444

Street Markets

Next to the bullring. Park near CN340 and walk upwards, 9am-1pm

Colegio Alemán

Monday benahavís

Sunday benahavís

Ages 3-18. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 417

Arts & Crafts. Village Square, from 8pm

Arts & Crafts. La Ermita Park, from 10pm

Colegio Las Chapas

Marbella

Estepona

Ages 5–18, girls school. Elviria.

Tel: 952 831 616

Fairground (Avda. de Juan Alameda), 9am2:30pm

Fuengirola

Colegio San José Guadalmina

Tuesday Churriana

Recinto Ferial, 9am-2:30pm

9am-1pm

Next to Rosaleda football stadium, 9am-2pm

Colegio Alborán Ages 3-18. Ricmar. Tel: 952 839 645

Tel: 952 883 858 Estepona.

Tel: 952 800 148

Close to the Nerja Caves, 9am-1pm Las Lagunas, 9am-2pm

Puerto Deportivo, 9am-1pm

Málaga

Dolphin Nursery

Fuengirola

Ages 6 months-5 years. San Pedro.

Tel: 952 799 563

Recinto Ferial (close to the CN340, on the same side as the bullring), 9am-2:30pm

Sotogrande

Ecos College

Monda

Ages 1–18. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 027

C/ Los Huertos, 8am-2:30pm

English InteRnational College

Nerja

TENNIS CLUBS

Ages 3–18. Elviria. Tel: 952 831 058/9

C/ Chaparil, 9am-1pm

Hijas de María Auxiliadora Ages 3-12. Marbella. Tel: 952 771 396

Wednesday Alhaurín de la Torre

III language schools

Avda. del Limón, 9am-2pm

San Pedro. Tel: 952 778 492 Marbella. Tel: 952 822 191 Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 908 558 Estepona. Tel: 952 794 059

benahavís

Urb. Bel-Air, Estepona.

Tel: 952 883 221

Arts & Crafts. Village Square, from 8pm

Club deL Sol

Benalmádena Costa (Second hand items) Recinto Ferial, 10am-2pm

Tennis/paddle classes. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595

At the Marina, 9am-1pm

Aztec Country Club

Urb. Riviera del Sol, Mijas-Costa.

Tel: 952 934 477

bel air tennis and paddel club

Inlingua Language School

Calahonda

Club de tenis don carlos

Bonsai Museum

All ages. Marbella. T: 952 774 942

Calypso, 9am-2pm

Parque Arroyo de la Represa. Marbella.

Tel: 952 862 926

the InteRnational SCHOOL of ESTEPONA

Estepona

Hotel Don Carlos, Avda. Zurita, CN340, km 192. Marbella. Tel: 952 768 800

Avda. Juan Carlos II, 9am-2:30 pm

Club Internacional de Tennis

Bull-fighting Museum

Ages 2-12. Estepona. Tel: 952 884 789

Istán

Plaza de Toros. Estepona.

At the entrance to the town, 9am-2pm

Ctra. Cádiz, km 173. Marbella.

Tel: 952 813 341

Museo Cortijo Miraflores

Laude San pedro international college

La Cala

Club Madroñal

Marbella. Tel: 952 902 714

Ages 2–18. San Pedro. Tel: 952 799 900

Recinto Ferial, 9am-1pm

Benahavís. Tel: 617 647 223

Museo de Bella Artes

Mayfair Academy

Club Nueva Alcántara

C/ San Agustin 8. Málaga. Tel: 952 218 382

Museo del Grabado

Ages 4-18. Atalaya Park, Estepona.

Tel: 952 784 923

Thursday Alhaurín El Grande

Hospital Bazán. Marbella. Tel: 952 825 035

Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra

By the Guardia Civil Offfices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

Museo de la Villa

Ages 3-16. Marbella. Tel: 952 770 077

Málaga

Plaza de la Libertad 2. Mijas. Tel: 952 590 380

Performing Arts Academy

Museo Ralli

Ages 3-18. Marbella. Tel: 952 906 865

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre. 9am-1pm

Urb. Coral Beach. Marbella. Tel: 952 857 923

Peter Pan School

San Pedro

Museum of Málaga Wines

Ages 0-3. Bilingual nursery. San Pedro. Tel: 952 782 051 Benalmádena. Tel: 952 562 103

By the sports pavilion, in the Divina Pastora district, 9am-2pm

Museum of Miniatures Carromato de Max

Saint George’s School

Torre del Mar

Ages 2-8. San Pedro. Tel: 952 786 606

Avda. Europa, 9am-1pm

Ctra. de Istán, Km 2. Marbella.

Tel: 952 778 580

El Compas. Mijas. Tel: 952 489 500

Sotogrande International School

Torremolinos

Marbella hill tennis club

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation

El Calvario, near Town Hall, 9am-1pm

Plaza de la Merced 15. Málaga.

Tel: 952 060 215

Ages 2–18. Sotogrande.

Tel: 956 795 902

Vélez Málaga

Avda. El Fuerte, Marbella.

Tel: 659 677 539

Picasso Museum Málaga

St. Javier’s International School

Carrera 39. Ojén. Tel: 952 881 453

Palacio de Buenavista, C/ San Agustín 8.

Málaga. Tel: 952 127 611

Roman Public Baths Gualalmina Baja. Tel: 952 781 360

sChools

Aloha College Ages 3-18. Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 952 814 133

Opposite the Guardia Civil Offices, City Centre, 9am-1pm

San Pedro Alcántara.

Tel: 952 788 315

Hofsaess tennis academy Monte Elviria (next to German School).

Tel: 952 835 812

Lew Hoads Tennis Club Ctra. de Mijas, Km 3,5. Mijas.

Tel: 952 474 858

Manolo Santana Racquets Club

marbella playa tenIs CN340, km 189, Marbella.

Tel: 657 619 630

Ages 1-7. Marbella. Tel: 952 823 457

Friday Benalmádena

Stagecoach Theatre Arts School

In the area between Tivoli World and the Plaza San Pedro, 9am-1pm

Urb. Miraflores, Km 199. Calahonda.

Tel: 952 932 006

Ages 4-16. Tel: 952 900 453

Calahonda

Puente Romano TEnnis club

Sunny View School

Calypso, 9am-2pm

Marbella. Tel: 952 820 900

Ages 2–18. Torremolinos. Tel: 952 383 164

Las Chapas

royal tennis club marbella

Swans international school el capricho

La Víbora, 9am-2pm

El Rosario, Marbella.

Tel: 952 837 651

Rincón de la Victoria

Miraflores Tennis Club

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WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

Heading for the Caribbean with Your Pet? PULL OUT THE COCONUTS! Coconut oil has come to be one of the most popular choices for cooking among health-conscious chefs and home cooks. Despite the fact that it is technically a ‘saturated fat’, it mainly comprises lauric acid, an extremely useful fat which is used to prevent and treat a plethora of diseases including diabetes, chronic fatigue, hyperthyroidism and irritable bowel syndrome. The good news is that the health benefits of coconuts can be enjoyed by your dog or cat as well. Online shop, Coco Therapy, has a wide range of coconut-based snacks made up of organic fruits and vegetables, dehydrated coconut meat and organic coconut oil. The crunchy concoctions act as a powerful digestive aid and are so delicious, Rex and Kitty will be gobbling them up in seconds. Coco Therapy also has a beautiful, extra-virgin organic coconut oil which heals cuts and scrapes and soothes insect bites and stings, making it a handy little item to carry in your pet’s emergency kit. i www.cocotherapy.com

Is your pet home alone for various hours and does this lead them to cause major damage to your furniture, or constantly bark or meow, much to your long-suffering neighbours’ dismay? If so, it’s time to purchase your very own PetCube: a new robotic gadget invented by Alex Neskin, proud ‘father’ to Rocky – a mischievous little dog who would run to the front door every time Alex set off for work, barking and howling for hours on end. Alex figured out a great way to keep Rocky entertained: by playing their favourite game, in which Alex

pets THE GUIDE pointed a laser beam at an area of the floor and Rocky ran after it. The device comprises a robotic camera, which captures all the action, and a laser beam, which is powered by your Smartphone; this way, even if you’re at the office, you and your pet can indulge in a fun ‘cat-and-mouse’ game while you’re at work and they’re at home. PetCube boasts a 160º wide-angle camera which streams a 720-pixel video, a low-intensity laser, speakers and a microphone.

The device will be ready for sale this autumn. i www.petcube.net

KEEP A HIGHTECH EYE ON YOUR PET WITH PETCUBE

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THE GUIDE what’s on EVENTS CONTINUED FROM August Until September 7 TOUCH ME CABARET – MARBELLA

R. Gascat Events presents Touch Me Cabaret: a dinner show mixing the art of burlesque and acrobatics, at Avda. Príncipe Salman s/n, Puerto Banús (500m from the Shell station).

For tickets, www.ticktackticket.com

Until September 14 ART – MARBELLA

Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday LANGUAGE WORKSHOPS – MIJAS PUEBLO

Spanish/English and English/Spanish conversation with fellow native speakers, 10:30am to 12pm and 6:30pm to 8pm.

Mondays in La Cala, Tuesdays in Mijas Village and Thursdays in Las Lagunas.

At the Pensioner’s Day Centres. Further information on meeting points, Tel: 952 589 010. www.mijas.es

Yusto/Giner Art Gallery presents Colour of Emotions, an exhibition of works by artist from Madrid, Mónica Sánchez-Robles. The artist utilises a series of photographs, light boxes, luminous typographies and projectors to analyse how emotions and colour interact with human beings. www.yusto-giner.com

Every Monday and Wednesday YOGA – MARBELLA

Until September 16 ART – MARBELLA

LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE – MARBELLA

The Gallery Houses of Art Marbella presents New Works, an exhibition by contemporary artist Zhuang Hong Yi, which invites audiences to a journey across space and time. www.marbellaartgallery.com

Until September 29 DENNIS HOPPER – MÁLAGA

Actor, Director and Photographer, Dennis Hopper, presents an exciting narrative of black and white shots that captures the cultural revolution that took place in the US in the 1960s. At the Museo Picasso de Málaga. www.mpicassom.org

Until October 6 PICASSO – MÁLAGA

Pablo Picasso: Family Album brings together a significant set of portraits from the private collections of Picasso’s works. Produced between 1906 and 1970, many works are inspired by the female companions with whom Picasso shared his life. www.mpicassom.org

NEW AND REGULAR EVENTS Monthly on different days AMERICAN CLUB – MARBELLA

The American Club Costa del Sol Chapter meets monthly for excursions, sports and social events. Tel: 952 772 789. www.americanclubcostadelsol.com

AMIGOS DE LA CULTURA – COSTA DEL SOL

Meets at different times and places for lunches, lectures, concerts, ballet, theatre, opera, etc. Further information, Tel: 669 445 809. smartkidsmarbella@gmail.com

Every Monday SALSA CLASSES – MARBELLA

Learn how to shake your hips like a true Latino at El Campanario, under the guiding hand of professional dancer, Rafa. At 7:30pm. Prior booking is necessary. Tel: 952 904 233. www.elcampanariogolf.com

Lori Sjollema teaches Gentle Hatha Flow yoga on Mondays at 10:30am and Intermediate Vinyasa Flow on Wednesdays at 10:30am at the Manolo Santana Racquets Club.

Tel: 639 845 285.

Integral Psychotherapist Gabriella Kortsch helps you with everything from relationship breakdowns to depression, poor communication with loved ones or financial stress, at her weekly group meetings, from 7:30pm to 9pm. For information on locations, info@advancedpersonaltherapy.com

Every Tuesday JIVE – ESTEPONA

Learn to dance and feel confident on the dance floor at the three-hour jive dance sessions led by Colin and his team from Jive Spain at TikiTano restaurant. People of all ages attend every week and you don’t have to bring a partner or reserve a space. Just come along and join the fun! Tickets cost €10 per person.

For precise times, www.jivespain.com

Every first Tuesday of the month INTERNET – MARBELLA

Café Ideas is an informative event that takes place from 9:15am to 11am at the Hotel Meliá Banús, aimed at entrepreneurs who would like to learn more about how the Internet and online networking can grow their business.

Entrance costs €15. To reserve your spot, Tel: 952 902 961. info@studioideas.es

Every Second Tuesday of the Month JAZZ – ESTEPONA The Coast’s Jazz Appreciation Society meets at Benavista Country Club at 8pm. Classic videos followed by a live jazz performance then dinner. To book, Tel: 952 888 106.

Further information from Brian Parker, Tel: 669 504 942.

Every Third Tuesday of the Month FLORAL ART CLUB – ESTEPONA

Meets 3-5pm monthly with NAFAS demonstrators at El Campanario Golf & Country Club. Further information from Marilyn Pemberton, Tel: 952 928 197.

Every Wednesday TOASTMASTERS CLUB – MARBELLA Weekly meetings of this public speaking organisation, 7:30pm at Aloha Gardens,

Every second Saturday of the month ECOLOGICAL MARKET – ELVIRIA

The Guadalhorce Ecological Association will be holding an organic fruit and vegetable market in front of the Supersol in Elviria. www.guadalhorceecologico.es

Nueva Andalucía. Further information, www.toastmastersmarbella.com

SALSA – MARBELLA

If you’re feeling the Latino vibe, brush up on your salsa moves at Buddha Bar Marbella’s special salsa nights (featuring the Nicolás Valiente Dance Academy), which take place every Wednesday at 10:30pm.

Tel: 655 480 748.

FLAMENCO – MIJAS

Every Wednesday at 12pm, a dazzling flamenco show takes place at the Plaza Virgen de la Peña in Mijas Pueblo. www.mijas.es

Every first Wednesday of the month CULTURE AND COCKTAIL – MARBELLA

The Association of Art and Culture Marbella holds a monthly cocktail at Magna Café, Magna Marbella Golf, from 8pm-10pm. Tel: 627 833 262. www.artandculturemarbella.com

Every Wednesday and Thursday CINE CLUB – MARBELLA

Cine Club Buñuel presents films in their original language at the Marbella Instituto Río Verde at 8pm and 10:15pm. Tel: 952 774 638.

Every Wednesday and Friday MARTIAL ARTS – MARBELLA

Taekwondo expert Justin Menchen, who studied and received First Dan in Los Angeles (from Master Keith Jones) teaches Taekwondo to children and adults, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at MGM gym. Further information, Tel: 666 756 692. www.marbellataekwondo.com

Every Thursday NETWORKING – MARBELLA

weekly breakfast meeting, which features presentations, discussions and introductions of new members. At 8am at the Hotel Senator in Marbella. To become a member, www.marbellabusinessgroup.com

JAZZ – MARBELLA

Enjoy magnificent jazz music by Agustín Carrillo, Oliver Lepinat and Markus Schneider at Trocadero Arena restaurant from 10pm onwards. Tel: 952 865 579. www.trocaderoarena.com

Every first Friday of the Month CINE CLUB – ESTEPONA

Top films shown weekly in Spanish or original soundtrack at Padre Manuel Cultural Centre, 9pm. Tel: 952 802 002. www.estepona.es

MODS & ROCKERS – MARBELLA

Enjoy a fun evening filled with mod (garage and soul) and rockabilly (rhythm and blues) at Pub Maverick in Marbella’s Old Town. Tel: 951 506 227. info@activesoundproductions.com

Every last Friday of the Month COFFEE MORNING – ESTEPONA

ADANA animal rescue charity coffee morning at Plaza Manilva (outside Longman’s Bookshop) 11am – 2pm. Kennels open 10am – 5pm Monday – Friday and 10am – 2pm Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Further information, Tel: 952 797 405/ 606 274 206. www.adana-estepona.com

BUSINESS LUNCH – MARBELLA

Marbella Business Institute invitation-only lunch club for local and visiting Business people, active and retired. To apply, see www.marbellabusinst.com

The Marbella Business Group holds its

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Every Saturday MARKETS – PUERTO BANÚS

Head for the Puerto Banús bullring every Saturday for a fun street market featuring everything from clothing right through to music, accessories and home ware. Starts at 9am and ends at 2pm. www.marbella.es

ART CLASSES – MARBELLA

Talented artist, Ricardo Alario, teaches budding artists to paint and draw using oils, acrylics, water colours, etc. Tel: 952 859 671. www.ricardoalario.com

yoga teaching course, with the aim of bringing teachers closer to their own body, mind and spirit. The course will comprise both practical and theoretical lessons. To book a space and for precise times, Tel: 951 279 240. www.yogajivadaya.com

Friday September 6, Wednesday September 18, Thursday September 26, Friday September 27 ENCORE! THE 3 TENORS – FUENGIROLA, PUERTO BANÚS, ESTEPONA, MIJAS

Enjoy a beautiful art exhibition and art sale from 6pm to 11:30pm at Plaza de la Encarnación, Marbella. The event, organised by the COART Association in conjunction with the Marbella Town Hall, brings local artists and art buyers together in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. For further information, asociacioncoart@gmail.com

Paul Anthony, Stephen Lloyd-Morgan and Raúl D’Abreu perform classical favourites like La Donna e mobile, Caruso, Funiculi Funicula and more at the Salon Varietes Theatre (Tel: 952 475 542) on September 6, La Sala Piano Restaurant (Tel: 952 814 145) on September 18, TikiTano restaurant (952 798 449) on September 26 and Restaurante Valparaíso (Tel: 952 485 975) in Mijas on 27th. www.encoretenors.com

ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEG MARKET – MARBELLA

Saturday September 7 HISTORY – MARBELLA

ART – MARBELLA

If healthy, pesticide-free fruit and veg are your thing, don’t miss out on this hip market. At the Paseo de la Alameda from 10am to 2pm every Saturday. www.marbella.es

YANELA BROOKS – ESTEPONA

Marbella’s Diva of Disco and Soul, Yanela Brooks, performs at La Cabaña del Mar Beach Club at the Hotel Kempinski Bahía Estpona.

Enjoy a three-course dinner while Yanela belts out your favourite pop and R ‘n B hits. From 8pm to 1am. www.kempinski.com

SINTILLATE – MARBELLA

Enjoy a VIP Terrace Party with Sintillate, featuring live DJ music, Champagne and a chic ambience at Tibv in Puerto Banús.

To book a table, www. sintillate.eventbrite.co.uk

Every First Sunday of the month OPEN DAY – MIJAS PAD animal shelter, Cerros del Águila, welcomes visitors from 12pm-3pm.

Further information, Tel: 952 486 084. www.padcatsanddogs.org

Friday September 6 FUNDRAISING DINNER – MIJAS

Kim’s Animal Rescue is holding a fundraising dinner at Valparaíso Restaurant at 8pm, to help all the animals in their care. Kim’s struggles every month to feed the evergrowing cat and dog population at the shelter so please do your share to help.

Tel: 602 698 958.

YOGA TEACHER TRAINING COURSE – MARBELLA

The Jiva Daya Yoga School will be holding a

The Marbella Town Hall presents Encuentros de la Historia: a series of guided tours of the Old Town. At 11am, join a group of budding historiographers at the Centro Cultural Cortijo Miraflores. Tel: 952 825 035.

Music festival – gibraltar

The Gibraltar Music Festival takes place at the Victoria Stadium. Featuring a host of artists including Emeli Sandé, Olly Murs, 10cc, Texas, Level 42, La Oreja de Van Gogh and Lawson. www. gibraltarmusicfestival.com

Sunday September 8 Stray dogs gala – alcaidesa

Support Spanish Stray Dogs by attending their gala dinner at Alcaidesa Golf Resort. Feauturing a fantastic Michael Bublé tribute act. Tel: 663 850 207. www.facebook.com/SpanishStrayDogs

Thursday September 12 VICENTE AMIGO – MÁLAGA

Famous flamenco composer and guitarist, Vicente Amigo, performs at the Plaza de Toros La Malagueta at 10pm. For tickets, Tel: 902 999 707. www.malagaentradas.com

Friday September 13 to Saturday September 14 WAGNER – MÁLAGA

The Málaga Symphonic Orchestra presents Der Ring, an Orchestral Adventure, by Richard Wagner at the Teatro Cervantes on Friday at 8:30pm and Saturday at 8pm. Tel: 952 224 109. www.teatrocervantes.com

Friday September 13 to Sunday September 15 THEATRE – FUENGIROLA

The International Theatre Studio presents Dirty Dusting, a risqué, laughter-filled evening about a chat line that really cleans up! At the Salon Varietes Theatre. Nightly at 8pm. Sunday at 7pm. Tel: 952 474 542.

Sunday September 15 ZARZUELA – MÁLAGA

Zarzuela in Female is the title of a show performed by Isabel Segarra and Sonia Martínez, which focuses on women in Spanish musical theatre in the 19th century. The duo will be singing pieces by renowned composers such as F. Barbieri, M. Fernández Caballero and J. Gaztambide. Tel: 952 224 109. www.teatrocervantes.com

Wednesday September 18 FLOWERS – ESTEPONA

The Estepona Floral Art Club presents a flower arrangement demonstration at TikiTano Beach Restaurant from 3:45pm to 6pm. Featured speakers are Elizabeth Rea and Ross McGookin.

Tel: 607 468 653.

Thursday September 19 WEST END MUSICALS – ESTEPONA

Enjoy a three-course meal plus a performance of songs from your favourite musicals by Natasha Alexa Kemball, Mike Sterling, Stephen Lloyd-Morgan and Adele Lee Peters, at TikiTano restaurant at 9:30pm. Tel: 952 798 449. www. westendmusicalsinconcert.com

Friday September 20 to Sunday September 22 YOGA WORKSHOP – MARBELLA

The 7th Yoga Costa del Sol Congress will be taking place at the Palacio de Congresos de Marbella, featuring internationally renowned experts including Nicaraguan yoga teacher, Ximena Gutiérrez. There will be a host of enlightening workshops as well as rehabilitation, yoga therapy and yoga for children sessions. www.marbellacongresos.com

Friday September 27 to Sunday September 29 SINFONITY – MÁLAGA

Sinfonity, dubbed as ‘The First Electric Guitar Orchestra’ in the world, is a magnificent show comprising 16 talented guitarists who lend their artistry to classical pieces by everyone from Bach to Holst, Vivaldi to Falla. At 9pm on Friday, 8pm on Saturday and 7pm on Sunday at the Teatro Cervantes. Tel: 952 224 109. www.teatrocervantes.com

Saturday September 28 OCEAN CLUB CLOSING PARTY – PUERTO BANÚS

Spend the last Saturday evening of summer with a bang at Ocean Club, as they celebrate the close of the 2013 season. The evening will feature excellent music, firework displays and more. The evening starts at 7pm. www.oceanclub.es

Saturday September 28 to Sunday September 29 PSYCH-K WORKHOP – FUENGIROLA

If you’d like to improve your communication skills, raise your sales figures, be more creative and organised, lose weight or learn to truly relax, head for the two-day PSYCH-K Workshop, to be held at Andasol, Paseo Marítimo Rey de España 6, Local 9, Fuengirola from 9:30am to 6pm. Tel: 606 362 385. www.lacasazulpamis@gmail.com

Sunday September 29 HALF MARATHON – MARBELLA

The Municipal Sports Foundation of Marbella joins the San Pedro Athletics Club and the City of Marbella Athletics Club in organising a half marathon of 21.09 kilometres. Runners aged 18 and above have until September 27 to sign up. The race will begin at the Pirulí at approximately 10am. www.marbella.es/ deportes

Sunday September 22 THE RAT PACK – FUENGIROLA

Martin Joseph, Dave Lee and Thomas Henry pay a tribute to Frankie, Deano and Sammy at the Salon Varietes Theatre at 7pm.

Tel: 952 474 542.

Tuesday September 24 LLADRÓ – MARBELLA

Discover Lladró’s latest collections at the Polígono Art Gallery at 8pm. Entrance is free. www.poligonogallery.com

Wednesday September 25 to Sunday September 28 FAIR – TORREMOLINOS

The Feria de San Miguel lights up the town of Torremolinos, in honour of their Patron Saint, Miguel. The fair will feature flamenco dancing and music, as well as fun rides. www.torremolinos.es

Saturday September 7 RAPHAEL – MÁLAGA

Spanish crooner, Raphael, sings at the Plaza de Toros de la Malagueta, as part of his Mi Gran Noche tour. Tickets can be purchased on Tel: 902 999 707. www.malagaentradas.com

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THE GUIDE stars

Russell Grantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s www.russellgrant.com

Monthly Horoscope September 2013

VIRGO August 24th - September 23rd

Your powers of attraction are formidable in the opening days of September. Take this opportunity to display your creative work, go on job interviews, and go on dates. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure to get an eager reception wherever you go. The days surrounding the 5th are ideal for updating your look in some way. Get a new hairstyle, revamp your wardrobe, or tone your body. The results will be impressive. A beautiful love letter, voice mail, or even a surprising text will arrive mid-month, and it will bring out your sensual side. Stop listening to your brain and heed the call of your body instead. The 19th marks a beautiful turning point in a romantic relationship. A commitment ceremony or exchange of rings will be in the stars. A teaching or writing job will be awarded to you at the end of the month.

Getting paid to share your expertise is your idea of heaven on earth.

The 19th marks a beautiful turning point in a romantic relationship 160 / SEPTEMBER 2013 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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ARIES [21 MAR - 20 APR]

Your impressive work ethic will put you in the spotlight in the early days of September. Your health gets a big boost on or around the 5th, when a few simple changes in your diet and lifestyle will bring relief from a stubborn ache or pain. Finding romance will be as easy as falling off a log as your love life takes a torrid turn during second week of September, helping you lure a very attractive lover into your web of amour. A difference of thinking throws a spanner into the smooth workings of an intimate relationship or friendship. There could be rows and ructions in the middle of September, which you might enjoy, but will actually have long lasting negative effects. The days surrounding the 20th are perfect for asking for, and accepting a leadership role at work or in your social circle. Money from a refund, dividend, or legal settlement will arrive in the final days of the month.

TAURUS [21 APR - 21 MAY]

The month opens on a lovely note, pushing you into a passionate embrace with an enthusiastic lover. If you’re looking for love, you’ll find it in a classroom, book club, or writing group. Your powers of attraction will be very strong throughout midSeptember; it will be easy to lure anyone you want into your boudoir. Ultimately, you will opt to make a serious commitment to someone who makes you feel secure, appreciated, and respected. A group project will come to fruition near the 19th, and your contributions will be singled out for favourable attention. Don’t be surprised if you’re offered to teach a class. Students will respond eagerly to your enthusiasm. You’ll prove that it is possible to have fun in the classroom. Signing a contract is well starred towards the end of September. If you don’t like the terms that are initially offered, you can negotiate better ones. All it takes is a little charm and a lot of persistence.

GEMINI [22 MAY - 21 JUNE]

The first days of September bring a great opportunity to overcome a stubborn fear once and for all. Put yourself in the hands of an expert who has an impressive track record curing problems of this sort. You’ll be amazed by the results. An addition to your family will arrive on or around the 5th; throw a big party to celebrate. It gives you great pleasure to provide a festive atmosphere for your guests. Turn a deaf ear to an etiquette-obsessed relative who thinks there is only one way to throw a party. You’ve developed your own style; go with it. Things start looking up around the 19th, when you’ll be given a raise, award, or promotion for a job well done. Your phone will ring off the hook once word spreads of your success. Treat yourself to some sexy undergarments as the month comes to a close. You’ll have a delicious chance to show off your purchases when September turns to October.

CANCER [22 JUN - 23 JULY]

Wonderful news about a project that is close to your heart arrives in the first days of September. Be sure to go out and celebrate with your friends and family. Fortunately, your loved ones are happy for your success, and will enter beautifully into the spirit of things. It looks as if you’ll get fame, money, and success as a result of a brilliant idea. Bask in the glory as long as it lasts. Too often, you underplay your accomplishments. Don’t make that mistake this time around. Let a loved one lead you into unfamiliar waters in mid-September. This is a great time to sample foreign cuisine, try unfamiliar authors, and visit new places. A

degree, award, or contract will be awarded to you in the final days of the month. This is your chance to capitalise on your expertise. Getting paid to teach a class or lead a team of creative people will give your ego a muchneeded boost.

LEO [24 JULY - 23 AUG]

Your financial outlook will improve greatly in the beginning of September. At long last, you’ll be able to treat yourself to an expensive luxury that was previously out of reach. Go ahead and splurge on an overseas trip, hi-tech kitchen appliance, or new computer. Onlookers may judge you for being extravagant, but they don’t understand your deep appreciation for the finer things in life. You never take possessions for granted. A teaching or writing opportunity could come your way over the next few weeks. You’ll soon attract a devoted following. Students respond eagerly to your warmth and enthusiasm. Trust your instincts regarding your health in the waning days of September.

Visiting a homeopath or trying a holistic therapy will yield impressive results. It will be such a relief to be rid of a nagging ache or pain. As an added bonus, your sex drive will return with a vengeance. Take advantage of it!

LIBRA [24 SEPT - 23 OCT]

Trust your instincts regarding a domestic matter in the opening days of September.

This is your chance to make some productive changes to your household, whether it’s redistributing duties, hiring a cleaner, or building an extension. Just because you’ve lived a certain way for years doesn’t mean it is serving your interests now. Be willing to move with the times and adopt a lifestyle that is more in keeping with your needs and values. Money from a job well done will come with you during the middle weeks of September, helping you buy some antiques and vintage goods. Surrounding yourself with beautiful things from another period inspires your creativity. Pay careful attention to your dreams towards the end of September, as one will inspire an impressive work of art. Projects involving music, poetry, and photography are looking particularly apt. There is a good chance you will get paid for your work, which is a little like earning a salary to have fun.

SCORPIO [24 OCT - 22 NOV]

A glowing testimonial or recommendation will open doors for you in the first days of September. Be sure to ask an influential friend for a letter of recommendation. Your social circle will expand to include some well-travelled people around the 5th. These new acquaintances will introduce you to some exciting artists, cuisines, and traditions. Let them lead you into unfamiliar waters. A relative will ask for your honest opinion mid-month. Be as tactful as possible, as this family member is a lot more sensitive than they appear. A passionate romance will heat up towards the end of the month. The two of you will decide to deepen your commitment to each other, making more time for intimate pursuits. Seal the deal by getting a makeover.

Update your hairstyle, add some fashionable items to your wardrobe, and invest in some sexy lingerie as September draws to a close. Your efforts will get a very enthusiastic reception.

SAGITTARIUS [23 NOV - 21 DEC]

Early September is perfect for taking a public stance about a moral issue.

You’re sick and tired of watching bullies

push powerless people around. You may not realise it, but people have tremendous respect for your opinion, and will rally to your side once you defend the underdog.

An executive will throw flirtatious glances your way on or around the 5th. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, if you so desire. An expert will offer to take you under their wing mid-month. Studying alongside this authority figure will give you valuable experience. Be ready to have your ego cut down to size! The closing days of September are great for buying or selling a piece of property. Any such deal will result in great prosperity. It’s possible a youngster, elderly relative, or roommate will join your household, making it a much happier living situation.

You thrive on good company.

CAPRICORN [22 DEC - 20 JAN]

Your sex appeal is at an all time high in the first half of September, opening doors that were previously sealed shut. Opportunities to write, travel, and study will abound.

If you’re single, you will meet someone special while exploring an exotic country. Be on the lookout for an intelligent homebody who makes you laugh. The two of you will hit it off like strawberries and cream. You’ll have to keep your cool this month. Unleashing your temper will harm your reputation. Make it your mission to remain calm under fire. Your good mood will return on or around the 19th, when you receive a license or certificate. Once you have permission from the powers that be, you’ll be able to expand your sphere of influence. The end of September is ideal for throwing a party. Get in touch with an old friend who is celebrating a birthday. This gathering will turn out to be the social event of the season.

AQUARIUS [21 JAN - 19 FEB]

Your sex appeal is at an all time high at the beginning of September. Use it to lure someone special into your web of intrigue. If you’re single, you’ll meet someone special at work, the gym, or school around the 7th. Keep your ears open for somebody with a goofy laugh. Their silly sense of humour is incredibly endearing, and will help you loosen up. You should take the lead in an intimate relationship mid-month. Push your amour into taking a professional risk, even if it means experiencing a temporary financial setback. The best things in life require a leap of faith. You’ll get paid more than you expected on or around the 19th, helping you make some big improvements to your home.

Take this opportunity to install a state of the art kitchen or bathroom. You’ll attract lots of favourable attention towards the end of September. Be sure to look your best before attending a glittering party.

PISCES [20 FEB - 20 MAR]

An intimate partnership gives you added confidence in the first half of the month. Take this opportunity to pursue a childhood dream. Don’t let critics deter you from your goal. Your detractors are just jealous that you’ve decided to take control of your destiny. The days surrounding the 5th are perfect for going on a romantic trip. Head for a place known for its natural beauty. A little greenery will restore your good spirits, and inflame your passion for one another. Discussions about money will be tense mid-month. Your ideas about finance are very different from those of a business or romantic partner.

Resist the urge to heap shame or blame on each other.

The sooner you enact a compromise, the happier you both will be. The results of a self-improvement programme will be impressive around the 19th. Don’t be surprised when you attract a bevy of admirers as a result. It’s easy to fall in love with an achiever.

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FAMILY FUN ANCRAA Giant Donkeys Cuddle

a donkey or become a volunteer to help save this humble but threatened animal. CN 340, km 164, Finca los Pajaritos, Estepona.

Tel: 952 790 511 Bioparc Fuengirola Award winning zoo covering Madagascar, Africa and the Far East. C/ Camilo José Cela, 6. Tel: 952 666 301. www.bioparcfuengirola.es Black Box Teatro Dramatic Arts School for all ages. C/ Notario Luis Oliver 6, Marbella. Tel: 952 779 172. www.blackboxteatro.com Born to be Wild Jeep and dolphin eco-tours for the whole family. Open 9am-8pm. Blue Dolphin Beach Club, Estepona Beach. Tel: 639 720 246 Cable Ski Marbella Water ski cable system and pool. Open 11am-9pm (closed Mondays).

Urb. Las Medranas, San Pedro.

Tel: 952 785 579 Camelot Fun play centre in La Cañada with a wealth of games and activities and qualified child minders. Special events include baby and toddler mornings and a baby grow clinic, for mums to be and newborns. Ctra. de Ojén s/n, Marbella. Tel: 952 764 766 Crocodile Park Educational park with more then 300 monsters. Pose with baby crocodiles. Open 10am6pm. C/ Cuba, 14, Torremolinos.

Tel: 952 051 782 Danzzas Ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, theatre craft and hip-hop for kids. Classes at the Manolo Santana Racquets Club and at Plaza Gym. Contact Fiona on Tel: 663 646 040. www.danzzas.com El Refugio del Burrito Donkey sanctuary just 40 minutes north of

Málaga. Open 11am-7pm. Fuente de Piedra, Málaga. Tel: 952 735 513 Flamenco Classes Children aged 5 to 8 can learn to dance flamenco with Isabel Gil, a professional dancer. Classes on Monday and Wednesday at the Nueva Alcántara Tennis Club. Tel: 952 788 315 Funny Beach Kids paradise with go-karts, trampolines, minimotorbikes, mechanical bull.

Open daily. East side of Marbella.

Tel: 952 823 359 Galaxia Versatile and fun play centre for children of all ages, with separate areas indoor and outdoor.

Mega slide, mini planetarium, birthday parties, summer camp.

Life size characters. C.C. Guadalmina, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 885 530

Ice Skating Rink and Indoor Swimming Pool New sports

centre with public ice skating, indoor pool, children’s pool. Avda.

García Lorca, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 050

Inter Marbella Football Academy Football Academy for

boys and girls of all ages, just opposite La Cañada in Marbella.

Training is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Call Craig on Tel: 609 310 409. www.intermarbellacf.com Karting Club Málaga Go-kart circuit for kids and adults who feel a need for speed. Open 10ammidnight. Ctra. De Coin, Mijas Costa. Tel: 952 581 704 Kids Multi-Sports Club A plethora of sports for children of all ages and abilities, from tennis through to football, cycling and skateboarding. Parties with games, activities and bouncy castles. Urb. Parcelas del Golf, Avda. del Prado,

Nueva Andalucía. Tel: 656 618 712 Kidz Kingdom Fun play centre and birthday party area for kids, with a mini disco. Urb. Bel-Air, CN 340, km 166.2, Estepona.

Tel: 952 925 936

Kidz Kingdom 2 – Space City

Space theamed play centre for daily visits or parties. Life size Barney and Sponge Bob. Urb. El Rosario, CN 340, km 188.5, Marbella.

Tel: 952 839 275

Le Petit Milk & Roses

Pampering sessions for little girls, including manicures and dress-ups.

C/ Estebañez Calderon 6, Marbella.

Tel: 952 859 223 Little Fishes Swimming classes for newborns to 3-year-olds in Marbella, Estepona and Riviera.

Tel: 686 498 561/ 607 875 949. www.littlefishes-spain.com

Little Gem Swimmers

Swimming courses for babies and toddlers in Benalmádena. Contact Emma on Tel: 628 567 129. www.littlegemswimmers.com

Marbella Stage School

Kids can take accredited courses in dance, drama, musical theatre and singing after school on weekdays and all day on Saturdays. Tel: 952 906 865. www.marbellastageschool.com Musical Babes Babies and toddlers aged 6 months to 3 years enjoy singing, playing simple instruments and playing games.

Tel: 952 853 027. Los Jazmines 11, Bajo B, Nueva Alcántara, San Pedro de Alcántara. www.brainwaves-spain.com

NMA The Nelson Music Academy Kids aged 4 to 12 are

introduced to music in its funnest aspects. Classes on Tuesdays

and Thursdays from 5pm to 7pm, Saturdays from 11am to 1pm.

Edif. Jupiter 44, Local 3, C/ Jesús Cautivo, Los Boliches, Fuengirola. Tel: 952 478 416. www.nelsonmusicacademy.com Original Dolphin Safari The original dolphin safari, established in 1969! Daily sailings from Marina Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 71914. www. dolphinsafari.gi Parque La Batería Kids will have fun in this park, built in the civil war era and featuring four replica cannons, underground bunkers and passageways. Urb. Montemar Alto (near the train station), Torremolinos.

Plaza Mayor Family entertainment with multi-screen cinema, bars, restaurants, bowling alley and kids play area. Málaga.

Tel: 952 247 580 Scouting Kids will have fun being a boy or girl scout. The programme followed is the same as that in the UK. Tel: 680 870 270 Sealife Centre See 2 metre long sharks. Touch pools and walkthough glass tunnel. Open daily 10am-6pm. Benálmadena Port.

Tel: 952 560 150 Selwo Adventure Park Over 2,000 animals, 4x4 tours, plus adventure activities. Open 10am9pm. CN340 Km 162.5, Estepona.

Tel: 902 190 482 Selwo Marina Dolphins Exotic birds, penguins and virtual reality shows. Open 10am-6pm. Parque de la Paloma, Benalmádena.

Tel: 902 190 482 Stagecoach Renowned performing arts school for singing, dancing and acting skills. The academy is open to four to 16-year-

olds. Tel: 952 900 453/666 838 213. www.stagecoach.es Steam Train Ride Enjoy a steam train ride crossing the Andalusian mountains with a scenic trip from San Roque to Ronda.

Tel: 952 931 186 Swim Bebé Swim Swimming classes for under 4’s and AquaNatal classes for mums-to-be.

Tel: 617 520 588 Teleférico Benalmádena Cable car to top of Calamorro mountain, falconry, trekking and horseriding.

Arroyo de la Miel. Open 10am-6pm.

Tel: 902 190 482 Tennis Camp Tennis lessons for kids from 4 years on, with professional coaches. Open 10am1pm. Club del Sol, Calahonda.

Tel: 952 939 595 The Music House Kids learn, grow and have fun making music. Open to children from 2 years on. Edif. San Pedro del Mar, Blq 7, local 12, San Pedro de Alcántara. Tel: 952 785 515. www.themusichouse.es Tivoli World Biggest amusement park on the Costa del Sol. Open daily from 1pm. Avda. de Tivoli, Benalmádena. Tel: 952 577 016 Trenecito de Marbella Take a relaxing train ride to view the main sights of Marbella. Daily 10am-1pm. Paseo Maritimo.

Tel: 639 765 981 Yaina’s Park Indoor play centre with staff speaking Scandinavian, English and Spanish. Open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm.

Children’s parties, parent’s coffee shop with pool tables, television, food. Avda. Gamonal 4, Edif. Hercules, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. Tel: 622 005 068

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