Estepona is a smaller town further down the coast. It is bypassed so traffic wise, its not like some parts of Marbella. Less developed (though not by much), for people wanting to get further south (for golf), the town has obvious advantages and for more culture, staying in Estepona puts everywhere between the town and Gibraltar within an hour or so travel.

We chose a smaller development some 15 minutes from Estepona. Duchesa. Its (at the moment) the last development before Sotogrande and has apartments built round a small harbour and two beaches, was well as villas and more apartments lining the fairways of the golf course. The much more Spanish town of Sabinillas adjoins Duchesa.

We booked through Duchesa Care for an apartment in the Castillanos Complex, two groups of apartments surround two swimming pools and just above the golf course (2004 - £370-£850 per week). For the non-golfer, you could get away without a car as its only a 10 minute walk to the harbour with a supermarket and a number of bars and restaurants. There is also a gym and a number of boutiques. The two beaches run either side of the harbour both clean and not over populated with bars. The walk back to Los Castillanos has a short steep hill though and you need to add in the cost of a taxi to and from the airport to the resort - approx £50 ew but Duchesa also hire cars.

Duchesa Care have apartments at the harbour (Penthouse - 2004 - £450-£825) and luxury villas as well (2004 - £1000-£1800) . The Castillanos complex is very well fitted and has pretty big apartments with sea views from the balconies. There is satellite TV and the two gardens are sun traps - it was a pity that the heating in the pools wasn t on for late October as daytime temperature can still reach the 20s.

If you want to go supermarket shopping, the nearest superstore is about 10K away - there is a great selection of little shops in Sabinillas though and the supermarket in Duchesa Harbour has a complete range of the basics for self catering. Food, from restaurants in the harbour ranges from an English cafe , through Italian, Indian and a pretty good Chinese and a number of family style bars. With an Irish pub just a short walk, there is enough to keep you entertained for a week - if you don t need big town night life.

The Duchesa golf course is OK, worth a visit or using for late afternoon / early afternoon social or fun golf. Its built into and round the hillside and conditions are fine though the design can be a bit frustrating. Our first review is of the majestic Valderrama itself, about 20 minutes away from Duchesa. Opportunities to play at this wonderful course are limited and it is a premium green fee but if you get the opportunity, take it. You will be going to the No 1 rated golf course in Continental Europe. Expect the best and you won t be disappointed.

To contact Duchesa Care

Duquesa Care S.L.( Spain )

Tel : 952890267

Fax: 952893066

duchesacare@yahoo.co.uk

Duquesa Marketing UK LTD ( FLIGHTS AND HIRE CAR)

Tel: 0208 979 1003

Fax :0208 941 4566

duchesa.mark@btinternet.com

Valderrama is one a group of six courses within a few minutes of Sotogrande - the others are Sotogrande itself, the first (the doyen) of championship venues on the Coast del Sol, there is Almenara (see below for a review of the new nine) and on either side of the 340, Alcaidesa and San Roque (the latter has been the venue for Tour School for the European Tour). To complete this sextet is a nine hole municipal, the Golf Club La Canada .

Almenara, has an established 18, with two distinct nines. The new nine doesn t really start until the approach to the 3rd with the lake coming in on the right and behind the green. The 4th is a brave players par five whilst the next is an excellent long four. Six and seven are two very tough holes, the first a placement par four with an all or nothing approach. Its then the same as you will need all your ball striking to cross the lake and then find the top level of the very small target. The 8th is a dogleg par five and the ninth another medium length par four with a tiered fairway. With what looks like plenty of building to come around the fairways, this will become a pretty tough resort golf nine holes.

These six courses are actually in the Province of Cadiz, and just 20 or so km from Gibraltar, a second airport option for coming to this golfing dreamland. Cadiz is well worth a visit, a day off from golf and the same can be said of the centre of Malaga and of Gibraltar. On a seven day holiday, there is enough golf for two rounds a day without lots of travelling or you can mix golf with lots of leisure and keep coming back, year on year. With a number of courses having 27 holes, for the more dedicated but the not ultra-fit handicapper, this is a play option which can suit either extreme.

Look out for more reviews and contact info on courses along the coast - This will include La Quinta, three nines well up in the hills above Marbella - its a hilly but good, Los Naranjos, built in 1997 and just recently substantially renovated, the wonderful Parador del Golf which is so close to the airport you could almost go for the day from the UK, and Rio real which is very good, long established but a bit expensive.