EL CORTIJO DE LOS CABALLOS

El Cortijo de los Caballos sits in a quiet valley near the white village of Benahavís, inside the municipality of Estepona rather than Marbella itself. San Pedro and Puerto Banús are a short drive away, and the Costa del Sol beaches under five minutes by car. Tall cypress and pine trees screen it from the lane.

It was once an equestrian centre. The present owners turned the old stables into 11 casitas and a three-bedroom cottage, keeping the Moorish lines and dressing the rooms in a mix of Spanish and Moroccan style. Around 1.4 acres of palms, tropical planting, lawns and shaded courtyards wrap a lagoon-shaped pool, and the whole villa is rented privately.

Ceremonies take place in the Ceremonial Garden, a secluded corner at the back of the estate, under a white gazebo or beneath a huge rubber tree. Guests then move to the pool bar for cocktails and canapés, sit down to dinner on the lawn beside the pool, and dance on the covered main terrace with its marquee and lounge bar, lit with fairy lights and lanterns.

From June to September the limit is 120 guests including children, and in spring and autumn the venue suggests 60 to 80. Music stops at midnight midweek and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. The sample package includes a minister for a blessing, so ask the team about legal ceremonies.

The main villa has 14 en-suite bedrooms and sleeps around 35 with extra beds, every casita with its own terrace and most with a kitchenette. The Pool Room, beside the ceremony garden, usually serves as the bridal suite. Next door, the Casa Grande sleeps 11 with its own pool and jacuzzi, and two smaller casitas add a few more beds, bringing the total to around 50.

Between parties there is a 10-person outdoor jacuzzi, table tennis, darts, and a string of golf courses within half an hour. The venue's own driving directions start from Málaga airport along the AP7, and there is a second route in from Gibraltar.