The sun is fluctuating in the shy morning mist. From the balcony of the room the view could not be more pleasant. There can be no better gift than to see the sunrise between the sea, the calm mountain and the still sound of the fig tree plantations that oxygenated the area in the last century. In the afternoon, the sun sets, generating an explosion of infinite colours that take us from calm to joy, from contemplation to the pleasure of living in the moment.

It is not easy to turn a business into a sustainable one, but Higueron Hotel has set its mind to it and is succeeding. Located at the Costa del Sol, near Malaga, with its 360 sunshine days a year, this hotel has decided to reinvent itself by signing up to an honest commitment to the environment and an economic plan that has a positive impact on the local economy. The plan is to inspire through flavours, design and art made in Spain.

VISIONARY GASTRONOMY

Without a doubt, our first wish is to meet the "chef del caviar". Diego Gallegos runs the Sollo restaurant, awarded with a Michelin Star and a Green Star, committed to sustainable cuisine. Gallegos works with a creative and unique cuisine, using unique raw materials of the highest quality, produced by aquaponics, which means that 90% of what can be tasted in the restaurant comes from its own resources and is completely sustainable. Aquaponics guarantees complete traceability of the product, from sowing and breeding to the dish. 

Flavour and conscience combine perfectly. Chef Diego Gallegos has a culture of subsistence farming that is evident in the aquifer where the chef raises and meticulously cares for his raw materials.

The chef kindly shows us around his sustainable hub, where we can observe a model of integrated fish and vegetable farming to obtain a permanent supply, controlling times, sizes and the quality of the species, depending on the season. For the first time in the sector, thanks to the futuristic vision of Diego Gallegos, Higueron Hotel houses a hydroponic farm. All the products served in the restaurant come from this fish farm and the vertical organic garden also created by the chef.

Sollo Restaurant offers the first organic caviar in the world. This is Caviar de Riofrío, the first caviar in the world organic certified. 

HOW SUSTAINABLE CAN BE A BIG HOTEL

After our interview with Diego, we stroll around to discover the architecture of the Hotel. It is a nod to Andalusian traditions but in a minimalist way. The white merges with crystals that change colour with the passing of the hours. The clay tile typical of the roofs of the white houses of Andalusia is used as a sieve for the stainless steel grille on the façades. The cork of the fig trees blends with the Mediterranean oak in the rooms. Rocks from the adjoining Mina de la Trinidad create the structures that screen the light from the west to the reception area. Local stones decorate the columns in the lobby. The thatch becomes curtains, letting the light enter at dusk, as a call for calm.

By the pool, the book falls asleep on a Balinese bed in the shade of the olive tree, which is part of a brilliantly landscaped garden with indigenous flora. The fountain sounds tirelessly amidst a flamenco song. The sun caresses our tired skin. The evening breeze brings us the smells of the fields of Andalusia. Is this what the caliphs felt in the last centuries of the Alhambra?

CONTEMPORARY ART

Local art and culture permeates our nightly tour through the hotel. We meet renowned local and national artists through a carefully selected collection of artworks that includes creations by artists such as Antoni Tapies, Malaga-born Enrique Brickman, Francisco Leiro and Lita Cabellut, among others. Javier Rodríguez, CEO of Higuerón Resort, architect and art lover, is the person behind this brilliant selection of more than 400 works.

The exterior hall is guarded by Moscón, a work by Francisco Leiro, a Spanish artist and sculptor of international renown. Made of polychrome wood with a Picassian touch, the sculpture is an allegory of human vulnerability and fragility. 

Our favourite artwork is a painting from the flamenco singer Camarón, painted by Lita Cabellut. The Spanish painter is one of the most sought-after in the world today. We are also impressed by the most iconic works of the famous sculptor Francisco Leiro, Sayon 1 and Sayon 2, two 120-metre high figures made of chestnut wood.

It is time to sleep. We close our eyes. Lithographs by Enrique Brickmann are hanging in front of us. The painter from Malaga is present in prestigious museums such as the MoMa in New York, Reina Sofia or the Albertina in Vienna. What an inspiration to achieve dreams!!!