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Laguna (Village), Estepona

Laguna Village reopened for the summer 2024 season © Michelle Chaplow
Laguna Village reopened for the summer 2024 season

Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach is a frontline beach complex in the El Padron district of Estepona on the Costa del Sol. Opened in the summer of 2024 on the 13.000m2 site of the former Laguna Village complex. It features interesting eco-friendly architecture, a wave design roof that reflects the sea and stunning interior design. Surrounded by palm trees and lush vegetation. The large swimming pool from the original Laguna Village complex has been retained. The Laguna Village and Laguna Beach brands have been dropped in favour of just 'Laguna' and Costa del Sol.

Laguna Beach, unlike Laguna Village is no longer a retail centre where visitors are welcome to wander around, it primarily consist of the Sublim Beach Club and Kai Japanese Restaurant for which reservations are recommended. The complex is definitely geared towards an high spending clientele.

The architecture is said to be inspired by Sierra Bermeja and is by local Archidom Studio in San Pedro, Marbella. Other local projects are The Beach in La Reserva Sotogrande and Nido Beach Club west of Costa Natura, Estepona.

Front line dining at Laguna Village's beach club restaurants Sublim and Kai © Michelle Chaplow
Front line dining at Laguna Village's beach club restaurants Sublim and Kai

Sublim Beach Club
Sublim, the Beach Club is the heart of Laguna where Puro Beach once stood. There are many different areas and plenty of entertainment to the Beat and Rhythm of the Dj's tunes. The pool has been redesigned to be an infinity pool overlooking the sea. there are sun bed options, food and the freshly made drinks.

Kai Japanese Restaurant
Japanese Restaurant with a Mediterranean Soul. Authentic Japanese restaurant by Recardo Sanz that blends tradition with modern flair. Nestled between Sublim, the beach and Lagunas gardens, it offers a lively ambiance.

Lio Laguna Marbella
Lío Laguna is the sister restaurant to the established Lio Ibiza which features a modern interpretation of a cabaret show in which international artists entertain and the waiting staff also perform vignettes, creating a interaction and a captivating atmosphere. Assumed to open for the 2025 season.

Ecoalf
Ecolf the eco-friendly sustainable clothing brand has an outlet at Laguna.

Several units were unoccupied in 2024.

A 2007 photo of Laguna Village in Estepona shows the pool at Puro Beach Club, the entrace area was formerly a boutique shopping centre offering luxury and designer brands. © Michelle Chaplow
A 2007 photo of Laguna Village in Estepona shows the pool at Puro Beach Club, the entrace area was formerly a boutique shopping centre offering luxury and designer brands.

History of Laguna Village & Laguna Beach

The Laguna Village complex which opened arounf 2005 was mainly known for the Puro Beach beach club with large swimming pool and chill out music and sun beds, both bythe pool and on the beach. There were two other beach areas Camuri restaurant which had more reasonably priced sun beds and Claro Restaurant and Beach Club with its "Earthy Chic" style restaurant and cocktails served on the Chill out Terrace.

There were nine restaurants in Laguna Village to choose from; Carmen, Amigos Grill, La Pappardella Sul Mar, Palapa, Terra Sana Express, Top Thai and within the Puro Beach Club, Claro Beach Club and Puro Beach Marbella.

There were nine restaurants in Laguna Village to choose from; La Boutique, Deha, Chilly, Dreamsgirl, Elle Morgan Boutique, Elle Morgan Beach, Enrico, Justy, Sonia Troyano, Saint Tropez, Viva La Moda. Other shops included, Newsagent, Real-estate, Dentist, Boats.

The original Laguna village complex was distroyed by fire on the afternoon of Saturday 29th August 2020. The bush fire started 500m away on the mountain side of the coast road in the area of the derilect amusement park called Prado World which is now a residential development. It was atributed to an electric fault in a small house in which squatters had run a cable over the grassland 100m from another dwelling. A couple were arrested and later relaeased on bail. The strong wind that afternoon carried burning embers over the coast road landed on the tile roof of Kimpinski Hotel and on the thatched roofs of the Laguna Village buildings. The thatch roof quickly caught fire and there being no tile supporting under-structure, quickly fell in and distroyed the interior shops. The Estepona Mayor visited the site and declared Laguna Village would be reopened for Summer 2021. Demolition and cleaning up of the site was carried out in November 2020 and no further news was forthcoming.

On 23th December 2021 the Spanish digital newspaper 'El Confidential' published that Trilantic the Venture Capital fund and owners of The Pachá Group, had formed a joint venture with GAT Inversiones owned by the Seville businessman Rosauro Varo (about Rosauro Varo in Spanish) to develop a luxury tourism macro-project at the old Laguna Village site. Rosauro Varo was the owner of the Puro Beach Club that was located at Laguna Village. According to El Confidencial, the Triantic/GAC joint venture has already acquired the land from the Swiss/German developer SAUER. The idea proposed by the new owners was to invest 25 million euros in order to transform it into "the largest luxury club in Spain". With Laguna village's 13,000 square meters plus a larger 1,200 square metre of beach concession it would be divided into six zones: yacht club, beach club, kids paradise, restaurant-club, retail, entertainment and shopping with complementary experiences. It stated it is expected that it could open its doors in 2023. The Spanish Government anounced on the 23 December 2021 that it had given Pacha Group a 18 million € bail out due to the Coronavirus pandemic crisis in the entertainment industry.(Source in Spanish)

On the 15th July 2022 the foundation stone was layed for the Laguna Village 2.0 project. Pablo Alberca (Director of Operations) and Rosauro Varo (President) of GAT inversiones the owners of the Puro Beach Club that was within the original Laguna Village. Together with Josep Antoni Escandell (General Manager) of Groupo Pachá and José Maria García Urbano (Mayor of Estepona) and Elías Bendodo (Junta de Andalucia) signed a letter which together with newspapers of the day was sealed within the first or foundation stone. The Mayor explained that although there had been a delay in laying the foundation stone, the project was well advanced and unlike other development the second stone would be laid on Monday. He was obviously speaking figuratively as construction did not start until late September 2022 by contractor B SOLIS. The steel framed structure and wave roof was complete by June 2023. Attempts to open for the Summer 2023 season were abandoned and it was partly opened with a soft launch in early Summer 2024.

 

PARKING

There was ample parking in the winter but in the summer the parking situation was impossible due to the popular El Padron beach and Besos Beach Club (was Cruseo Chiringuito). In 2017 a barrier was introduced. There were 51 free parking places in the entrance area mainly occupied by beach. A barrier system was introduced in 2017 to protect another 171 parking spaces. This barrier was left open in Summer 2014

Coastal Path

The Malaga coastal path joined Laguna Village with the Kempinski Hotel by a wooden bridge constructed in 2016. This provides for a nice stroll from Laguna Village westwards to Estepona La Rada seafront and beyond. Eastwards the path is complete past the River Guadalmansa.

Opening Hours - Summer 2024

Sublime Beach Club 11.00 to Midnight

Kai Japanese Restaurant Noon to Midnight

Contact

Tel: 952 79 81 72 email: [email protected]

Location

Playa Padron, A-7 km 159, Centro Comercial Laguna

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