Alan Wentworth-Harley's Marbella Property Insider

It will be Europe’s largest outdoor swimming pool being similar to the one they have built in Chile. At a cost of €121 million the luxury resort is set to bring the biggest pool in Europe, with 450 homes scattered around it. The hectare and a half sit in Casares, Alcazaba Hills Lagoon will create a huge area for swimmers and for other water sports. Estimated to take eight months to build, some 350 new properties are part of the plans to be built alongside an existing 100 properties, which have sat unsold since 2009. Spelling great optimism for the abandoned development, the scheme plans to target wealthy European tourists, principally British, German and Dutch. The Estepona, Marbella and Mijas property landscape has seen a magnificent year with €376 million of investment scheduled in so far alone.

One of the world’s richest men here in Malaga for a weekend away in style. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen rolled into Malaga port aboard his 126 metre yacht, Octopus, to attend a business meeting with Pilar Lopez, president of the Spanish arm of the technology giant. With two helicopters, a submarine, swimming pool, music studio and basketball court, the superyacht is the 14th largest in the world. The ship is also known for its annual celebrity-studded parties hosted at Cannes film festival, where Allen and his band play for guests.

A two-day coffee-making championship, with the 17 best baristas from Spain battling it out to be crowned the nation’s finest. Each contestant had 16 minutes to prepare two pairs of coffees, one pair of cappuccinos, one non-alcoholic combination and one alcoholic combination. With over a 300-strong audience watching the entire process. 200 professionals competed in nationwide events to earn a place at this final, held in the impressive Palacio de Congresos, so they have a right to be annoyed if the music’s too loud. “Last year’s winner, who came from Asturias, was sent to Uganda on holiday to learn how they produce coffee beans. This year the prize is a week in Colombia.” The judges are all experts from around Spain, many of whom have previously competed in the event.

A consortium involving a Chinese investment fund, the Spanish construction company Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) and the holding company Credit Suisse have presented an offer for the licence for Puerto Banús, according to SUR. The proposed  offer of 200 million has been linked to the possible expansion of the area and according to sources consulted by SUR the deal could be made by the end of the year. Puerto Banus was built in 1970 by José Banús, a local property developer, as a luxury shopping complex and marina. It has since become one of the world’s most famous marinas attracting over 5 million visitors a year and becoming a local haunt for celebrities and the well heeled. The marina has 870 berths and is one of the most expensive marinas in the Mediterranean; the current king of Saudi Arabia, Salman, moors one of his boats permanently there. Puerto Banus is highly ranked alongside some of Italy’s most luxury Marinas such as Marina Grande in Ca...

       H ollywood actor Kevin Bacon has recently taken a short break on the Costa del Sol. The Apollo 13 star found a luxury Mijas villa to bring together his family from around the world. The Bacon family arrived for two weeks of sunshine in a luxury Villa in El Chaparral , costing around €20,000 per week. The 56-year-old father-of-two and his stunning actress wife Kyra Sedgwick, 49, managed to keep a low profile throughout the entire trip, staying in most of the time due to Bacon’s father-in-law being unwell. The Villa has been used by other celebrities, including Jermaine Jackson, earlier this year.

Spain is home to the second most UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves. It has some truly exceptional natural resources and you will find lots of natural attractions including lakes, mountains, valleys and forests. Spain has many national parks which are each distinctive in their own way, many of which are in Andalucía. El Torcal Park Nature Reserve is known for its strange natural limestone rock formations and is located 30km north of Malaga near Antequera, near the village of Villanueva de la Concepcion. The formations are easily accessible by car and it is possible to drive right into the heart of the park, some 1.100m above sea level. As well as the rock formations, there are also wildlife, flora and fauna in abundance, with over 30 varieties of orchids growing in the park. For those that want to explore the park by foot there are three routes, all marked out with different coloured arrows; green for the shortest route being 1.5km, yellow which...

With roads, airports and housing set for a billion-euro makeover. Up 23% on the previous year’s investment, Minister for infrastructure, transport and housing, Julio Gomez-Pomar, has identified Andalucia as an integral cog in the country’s economic recovery. “Andalucian construction companies are to stay tuned,” he said. “They must contribute to economic growth in Spain, it is integral to the nationwide recovery. “Andalucia is one of the places where most investment has been undertaken in quantitative terms and in relative terms of growth, we have made a strong investment.” A total of €456 million will be used for road works, €730 million on rail and €239 million on airports. Meanwhile €111 million will be allocated to housing in the region.