The History of La Zagaleta and its founder.

And what a history!

As a real estate agent it is always interesting to be aware of the news in the neighborhood. But also to know the history of the homes we sell, the urbanisations, the neighborhoods, …

Enrique Pérez Flores is the founder of La Zagaleta, the most exclusive urbanization in Europe, as stated in the statement on his death. He was born in Moguer (Huelva) on August 3, 1923 and died in Estepona (Malaga) on Sunday October 11, 2020 due to natural causes. He was the honorary president of the luxurious resort, built on the old estate of Adnan Khashoggi in Benahavís, known as La Baraka. Space that he acquired in 1990 with a society of friends after the Arab’s fall from grace. La Baraka was bought after the property embargo by the accusation in the United States of being one of the largest arms traffickers in the world.

Don Enrique, as he was known in La Zagaleta, studied high school in Seville and entered the University in 1940. He then prepared to enter what was then called the Official Customs Academy, from where he left in 1947 with his degree in member of the Special Optional Body of Customs Technicians, later integrated into the Body of Finance Inspectors.

Enrique was Director of Commerce in the Economic Delegation of the High Commission in the former Protectorate of Spain in Morocco, until independence in 1956, although he remained until 1960 between Tetouan and Tangier in a service commission under the orders of the Spanish Ministry of Commerce. He was the one who led the withdrawal of the peseta in the international zone of Tangier.

In May 1960 he went to Zurich (Switzerland), where he founded various companies, always inclined towards international finance. He participated in the negotiation that established reciprocity between Spain and Switzerland for the creation of banks. In these struggles he obtained the first license for a Spanish entity in Switzerland. Thus he founded the Banco Exterior, of which he would be president until 1990.

Khashoggi Hunting Estate

In 1991, retired as a banker, with a group of friends he built La Zagaleta, after buying the Khashoggi hunting estate for the equivalent of 36 million euros. The initial plan was to build 3000 homes in a privileged location on the way up from Marbella to Ronda in Benahavis. However, Enrique Pérez Flores changed the model for an urbanization of just 420 houses, offering 25.000 square meter plots with all the luxuries imagined.

Two golf courses, an equestrian center, a heliport or the clubhouse, which is only accessible to owners authorized by the rest of the club members, complement a place with extreme security measures, spectacular views and a rural setting where the deer, roe deer and wild boars hop around happily.

His son, Ignacio takes over

The management of the company located in London, which controls the urbanization and which is developing a second Zagaleta on the Valderrama land in Castellar de la Frontera (Cádiz), passes to his son Ignacio Pérez Díaz as executive president, at the group’s offices that Don Enrique continued to visit until his death to manage his companies in Zurich.

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Source Sevilla abc & picture by La Zagaleta