A BEACHSIDE PARADISE: LA MORERA PLAYA

Featuring the seductive styling and landscaping of Melvin Villarroel, La Morera Playa is a rare oasis of parkland greenery set in a spectacular frontline beach location at Los Monteros. It’s a combination not often seen these days.

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY: CHARLY SIMON

We’re all familiar with the truism that says ‘location, location, location’ is the overriding feature in real estate, but a key element of it is the fact that the very best settings are always taken first. Given the choice, those who come first will invariably opt for prime locations right on the beach – and Marbella is certainly no exception – so while there are many luxurious properties available it is very hard to find a modern home in such a top frontline beach location. La Morera Playa is one of the most exciting newly released developments in Marbella exactly because – for a combination of reasons – it offers just that.

The open-plan layout creates elegant living spaces

Even in the early 2000s, when the project broke ground, its situation in a peaceful, private beachside setting was considered to be so special that it warranted only the very best design, construction and specifications. As a result, the 45 luxurious apartments and penthouses that make up La Morera Playa were laid out in small, elegant blocks set within large sections of semitropical gardens through which water features flow. Melvin Villarroel, the celebrated architect commissioned to give shape to the project, was known for his sensual Moorish-inspired style and the wonderful green zones and cascading rock pools he created.

Breezy, spacious bedroom suites with open sea views

A VILLARROEL MASTERPIECE IN A ONE-OFF LOCATION

La Morera Playa marks one of the high points of Villarroel design on the Costa del Sol, and what he created here was a private parkland of lush greenery and beautifully detailed, spacious homes right by the sea. The views take in a wide expanse of Mediterranean Sea shimmering brightly under blue skies, tracing the sandy shoreline towards the Bay of Marbella in an area that is home to the finest sandy beaches and dunes in all of the Costa del Sol. For all this, it’s a very peaceful spot with very little passing traffic, which makes La Morera Playa somewhat of a personal paradise for those fortunate enough to call it home.

La Morera Playa – a parkland oasis on the beachside

When built, the complex fell under the municipal planning provisions of the 1998 (2000) PGOU, but when the latter was annulled by the Junta de Andalucía regional government in 2010 and Marbella automatically reverted to the 1986 PGOU, it suddenly found itself on ‘nonurban land’. This meant the required licences could not be obtained and the project remained in a legal limbo. The fund's administrators who acquired 31 luxurious properties in La Morera Playa, instructed Caracuel Abogados to prepare the documentation needed for final legalisation, and the SAFO (Suelo Asimilado Fuera de Ordenación) status is due to be issued by the Marbella town hall’s planning department by early 2021, in line with the refurbishment and updating of the luxury homes.

The properties provide a rich canvas for decoration and furnishing

“This will effectively inscribe La Morera Playa into the existing urban plan of Marbella,” says Antonio Caracuel, of Caracuel Abogados, “on top of which final ratification will come when the new PGOU is approved, which we also expect for 2021.” The official re-launch of La Morera Playa will take place in December 2020 with the release of 31 stunning apartments and duplex penthouses, with the on-site sales office open 10am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, and Saturdays by appointment.

Fine materials and opulent detailing make for luxurious bathrooms at La Morera Playa

“We’ve seen much excitement for this project, say Mary Dunne and Lawrence Maeck, of MPDunne – Hamptons International, the official commercial agent in charge of promoting La Morera Playa. “Investors and private buyers are truly enthusiastic about the opportunity it represents.”

Professional high-specification kitchen

MODERN LUXURY IN A BEACHFRONT LOCATION – A RARE COMBINATION

They refer to the unique blend of modern home and classic frontline beach location, and now that La Morera Playa’s legal status is assured, it opens up the chance to acquire luxurious apartments and penthouses that combine the best of all worlds, including an abundance of space, material quality and finishing that, like the location, is hard to find these days.

Bathroom with a view

This, in combination with beautifully modernised and refitted homes with gorgeous open-plan interiors and panoramic terraces, is a winning formula – especially when you factor in ample green spaces, lovely water features, unbeatable sea views, gated security and luxurious gym and spa amenities on site.

In a region where the past decade has been dedicated to the more minimalist, more compact high-tech kind of home, La Morera Playa is a reminder of many of the things we love best about Marbella while also offering the latest comforts, technologies and refinement. As Mary Dunne says: “There is a lot on offer out there right now, but nothing quite like La Morera Playa.”

MPDUNNE – HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL Centro Expo Loc.11-12, Bulevar Alfonso Hohenlohe, Marbella. Tel (+34) 952 866 072. info@lamoreraplaya.com www.lamoreraplaya.com