Sotogrande has laid out its summer 2026 season, brimming with sport, food and culture stretching to September across this sought after Andalucía destination, half an hour west of Marbella and within sight of Gibraltar.
The season opened in June with the thud of hooves at Ayala Polo Club and the LIV field at Real Club Valderrama, but the heart of it lies ahead.
Polo, Golf & Sailing
Polo dominates the calendar. The 55th International Polo Tournament runs across July and August, building to the Gold Cup from 17 to 29 August, one of the great fixtures of the European summer.
On the fairways, The Alto Club opens its Golf Summer Camp from 6 July to 28 August for six to sixteen year olds, while out on the water the Real Club Marítimo keeps sailing lessons and wingfoil going all season. Inland, the Alcornocales natural park offers a quieter kind of sport, with a guided night ride by e-bike through the cork-oak country of La Almoraima, unhurried and low to the ground (25 July, 20 August).
The golden hour
Sotogrande knows how to celebrate summer evenings. At The Beach, La Reserva Club, the Après-Beach sessions have become one of the rituals of the summer, DJ HONDO’s deep house drifting over the sand as the light turns (10 and 31 July, 8 and 22 August).
Up at The Alto Golf Academy, an open-air cinema plays out under the stars for families, four animated titles chosen for balmy summer nights, including The Angry Birds Movie (16 July), Open Season (29 July), WALL·E (5 August) and Ferdinand (19 August).
And every Sunday, along with Wednesday and Thursday evenings through July and August, the Mercado Nocturno de Levante turns the marina into the social centre of the resort, with local craft, fashion and food laid out by the water.
Music and flamenco
Much of the summer’s culture gathers at the five-star SO/ Sotogrande. A tribute to Queen arrives first, sung by the eighteen voices of Granada Gospel Sounds in the hotel’s amphitheatre (24 July).
August brings Andalusian Nights, staged for SO/ alone, where the dance and song of Flamenco Bataná and the horsemanship of David García fill the Rocío Garden (7 August). Then the Vallejo family travels down from their Templo de Flamenco in Granada’s Albaicín for a second year running, bringing Noche Flamenca to the amphitheatre (21 August). At the IXO Tapas & Bar the music runs weekly all summer, rumba on Fridays, a flamenco cuadro on Saturdays and Spanish guitar on Sundays.
A sensory refuge
Set into the hills among gardens that look out to the Mediterranean, the SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Wellness is the destination for a rejuvenating reset. Its thalasso-inspired design spreads across more than 3,500 square metres, rooted in the landscape of Cádiz. Salt from the bay and native plants such as rockrose and everlasting run through the signature face and body treatments, alongside a hydrothermal circuit built around relaxation, detox and revitalisation, plus cryotherapy and flotation. For those who prefer to keep moving, open classes cover Pilates, Tai Chi, core work, GAP, step, cross training and stretch golf.
Mediterranean dining
Eating out is one of the joys of the Sotogrande summer. At Cortijo Santa María 1962, the Michelin-starred chef Nicolás Isnard has created a new Al-Andalus concept, the historic flavours of the south reread with a contemporary eye, each dish connecting past and present. From 1 July his Tuna Festival returns, the great fish of the strait taken through menus of three, five and seven courses. Down at The Beach, Ancala brings nikkei and Mediterranean cooking together, still a rarity along this coast. Its “Entre Granos” menu reflects the Mediterranean habit of eating slowly and sharing, seasonal starters followed by a choice of five freshly made rices and a homemade dessert, all of it in front of the sea.
The Beach itself remains one of the icons of the summer, 2,800 square metres of sand and open pool, while beside it the 17,000-square-metre sports lagoon at La Reserva Club gives over the season to kayak, paddle surf and more.
Information
The full summer programme runs to September. More information here:
sotogrande.com
