The secrets of La Zagaleta

Luxury and privacy is the aim of the game at La Zagaleta

Hollywood screenwriting legend William Goldman said it first and said it best – ‘Nobody knows nothing’. He was writing at the time about the seemingly random nature in which Hollywood functioned. Some films flopped, some were huge hits. Some actors and actresses became global stars, others continued to play the waiting tables game.

Well if the inner machinations of Hollywood are rather hard to comprehend, finding out who lives in the exclusive millionaire hideaway of La Zagaleta is a task that is shrouded in even more obduracy.

Because nobody knows nothing.

Hang on, let’s rephrase that. Plenty of people – from local gossips to internationally renowned newspapers – claim to know something: who’s in, who’s out, who’s interested, who’s been outed… but not even the Costa del Sol’s most exclusive estate agents have the complete picture. Which only adds to the enclave’s mysterious allure…

There’s a reason why nobody knows. While Marbella is certainly one of the world’s most popular resorts for the rich and famous, the very fact that everybody knows this tends to erode parts of its appeal. Celebrities that crave the attention and seek out the paparazzi at every opportunity love Marbella – they love the brashness of Banús and its not-so-subtle superclubs that dominate its frontline. It’s an easy and fun way to up their profile while topping their tan and practising their pout.

But not all celebs are the same, thankfully. Some choose to shun the limelight. Many, in fact, enjoy lives that are more closely related to our own – time with family and friends, good food, good laughs and good times – but are unable to do so in public because of the attention they invariably receive.

So a lot of their lives are spent behind not only closed doors, but gated communities, high walls and security checkpoints. So where to go to enjoy such privacy and exclusivity? Bel Air, certainly. Dubai – perhaps. Monaco has a certain old school charm, but tends to get a little too crowded during the summer months.

We can only speculate about who lives at La Zagaleta. To be honest that's half the fun.

Actually, Marbella is still where it’s at, even for some of the world’s most famous faces. It’s just, at La Zagaleta, we don’t even know that they’re there. The exclusive community has a number of private helipads, for one. Which means that – let’s say Hugh Grant for example – can land at Málaga in his private jet, board his helicopter at a private terminal, and be touching down at his luxurious La Zagaleta retreat in less than 30 minutes. And us ‘plebs’ on the Coast are none the wiser.

So we can only speculate who lives at La Zagaleta. To be honest, that’s half the fun. Just think – it is one of the world’s finest property developments, full of bespoke villas designed to within an inch of their owners’ specifications on plots that are more sprawling than a Peter Jackson film. Imagine what delights exist behind those security checkpoints on the dusty road from San Pedro de Alcántara to Ronda.

You can Google Earth it if you want, which should give you an idea of the scale we’re talking about here. But what it won’t afford you is a peek inside the homes, where another world awaits.

This is where Vladimir Putin is rumoured to enjoy summer pool parties and games of golf at his pal Yuri Luzhkov’s mansion (he being the – evidently generously remunerated – former mayor of Moscow). It is rumoured to be where Hugh Grant does indeed enjoy soaking up the Spanish sun. And those four children tearing around the place in their own mini Mercedes cars? Allegedly they go by the surname of a certain Beckham. And it’s plain sailing – apparently – for Rod Stewart, who has owned one of La Zagaleta’s most princely properties for years. We hear.

But then the hearsay will likely remain just that. It suits the entire status quo (the idiom, not the band – they’re not that successful) for nobody to know nothing.

It adds to La Zagaleta’s mystique and Marbella’s allure. And as for the celebs, well – they can carry on doing as they like, because nobody is going to find out anyway… Kate Middleton, take note!