EL MADROÑAL

Adjacent to La Zagaleta lies El Madroñal, an estate comprising 6 separate gated entrances and covering an area of some 600 acres, perched atop olive, cork, and pine-covered ridges. Home to approximately 150 private villas, many of them on large plots, the El Madroñal estate was originally owned and developed by the Parladé family, part of Marbella royalty, and later sold on to Thierry Roussel.

During the 1980s, the Saudi multi-millionaire Adnan Khashoggi fell in love with the area and purchased the estate, which was subsequently divided and led to the creation of the developments known as Reserva de Alcuzcuz, El Madroñal and La Baraka, later known as La Zagaleta.

Due to its exclusive, private location, El Madroñal continually attracts the international jet-set, high-profile politicians and businessmen, plus the usual plethora of A-list celebrities

The community was home to the El Cortijo recording studio, memorable as where artists such as the Icelandic star Bjork composed her iconic track ‘So Broken’ in 1997 Mariah Carey and Cher also stayed here during their album creation El Madroñal was also a retreat for several members of Hollywood royalty, including the quintessential ‘Hitchcock blonde’ Madeleine Carroll