by 
Cabopino is the part of the coast that people who know the coast choose when they stop needing to be seen. It has a marina, a beach that is protected rather than developed, and a golf course running through the middle of it — and because it sits between Marbella and Calahonda rather than on top of either, it has stayed quiet in a way that is now difficult to find west of Málaga.
Cabopino Gardens is a project of twelve detached villas on the frontline of that golf course, built by Iberis Projects — a Marbella builder with thirty years and, by their own count, five hundred completed projects behind them. The developer now lists four of the twelve as still available — Villas 2, 8, 11 and 12 — and presents them as the last four.
That is worth a closer look, because a project at this stage is a different proposition from a project at launch. The road is in. The neighbours are known. What is left is the residue of a scheme that has been selling for years — which usually means the remaining units are the ones with a compromise, and occasionally means they are the best ones. Here it is a mixture of both.
| Villa | Plot | Living | Total built | Terraces | Price | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa 2 | 1,116 m² | 580 m² | 835 m² | 255 m² | €4,250,000 | HZR5360578 |
| Villa 8 | 1,415 m² | 600 m² | 859 m² | 398 m² | €5,995,000 | HZR3597038 |
| Villa 11 | 1,152 m² | 476 m² | 926 m² | 180 m² | €4,550,000 | HZR5354980 |
| Villa 12 | 1,150 m² | 545 m² | 836 m² | 193 m² | €5,750,000 | HZR5354977 |
All four are five bedrooms with five en-suite bathrooms and a two-car garage. Prices are the current asking prices on the individual listings, not a project starting price.
Villa 2 — the entry point, and the smallest garden
Five bedrooms, 580 m² of living space, 835 m² built, on a plot of 1,116 m². The terraces come to 255 m² across the house, and there is a private pool and a double garage. It is the least expensive of the four at €4,250,000.
What you are buying here is the address without the surplus. The living area is generous — second largest of the four — and the plot is the smallest. With a house of this footprint on 1,116 m², the outdoor space is arranged rather than expansive, and the pool sits close to the house. For a family that lives indoors and uses the terrace for dinner, that is fine. For anyone who wants a lawn, it is the wrong unit.
What we would ask for is the plot plan with orientation marked. On a frontline golf scheme the difference between one side of the fairway and the other is the difference between afternoon sun and none.
See the full listing for Villa 2 — photos, floor plan and reference
Villa 8 — the largest plot, and the most house
1,415 m² of plot, 600 m² of living space, 859 m² built, and a basement of 258 m². Inside the basement: a playroom, a cinema and a sauna. Outside: 158 m² of terrace at house level and a rooftop terrace of 240 m² with a bar, an outside kitchen, a jacuzzi and a roof garden. There is one pool here rather than two, set within a garden the plan describes as landscaped.
At €5,995,000 this is the most expensive of the four and, on paper, the easiest to justify: it has the biggest plot, the most living space and the only basement with a cinema. It also has golf and sea views, which the developer states for this unit specifically.
The reservation is the one that always applies to a fully-loaded basement: 258 m² below ground is a great deal of space to heat, light and keep dry. Ask what the running cost is, and ask who maintains the jacuzzi on the roof.
See the full listing for Villa 8 — photos, floor plan and reference
Villa 11 — the largest build, the least living space
This is the unit that does not fit the pattern. It has the largest total build of the four at 926 m², but the smallest living area at 476 m² — 124 m² less than Villa 8, which is only 67 m² smaller overall. The difference sits in the basement and garage, listed together at 133 m², and in the garage being taken out of the living space rather than added to it.
On a plot of 1,152 m², with 180 m² of terrace, a pool, and golf and sea views, this is a house that gives its space to the floors below rather than above. If you want a gym, a wine room, staff accommodation or a workshop, that is where it goes. If you want a big open ground floor, Villa 8 or 12 will feel larger for less money.
It is under construction, and at €4,550,000 it is the middle price of the four.
One thing to note when reading the developer’s page: it lists “total built area: 1,152 m²” for Villa 11, which is the plot size, not the build. The correct figure is 926 m². It is a copy error, but on a page that also says the price is on application, it is worth knowing which numbers to trust.
See the full listing for Villa 11 — photos, floor plan and reference
Villa 12 — two pools, and a nanny apartment
Plot of 1,150 m², 545 m² of living space, 836 m² built, and a basement of 230 m² containing a playroom and a nanny apartment. There is a double garage, 193 m² of terrace, and two swimming pools. The rooftop terrace adds 202 m² with an outside kitchen and a roof garden.
Of the four, this is the one designed for a household with staff. A self-contained apartment in the basement, with its own entrance pattern, changes how a house works — it is the difference between employing someone who commutes and employing someone who lives on site. Two pools is unusual and, for a family with small children, genuinely useful: the shallow one is where they learn.
At €5,750,000 it is second in price. It has the smallest total build of the four and the most useful arrangement of it.
See the full listing for Villa 12 — photos, floor plan and reference
What the builder specifies
Iberis publishes its construction specification in more detail than most Marbella developers, and it is worth reading before a viewing rather than after:
Structure in reinforced concrete with Thermowalls and insulated masonry of 37 cm minimum wall thickness. Underfloor heating throughout on a water-based system with a heat pump, Daikin or Vaillant, with individual air-conditioning units in every room. Bathrooms with Grohe Raindance thermostatic showers and Geberit wall-hung WCs. LED lighting throughout, with Gira or Niesen switches and a lighting study by their interior architect. Pool with glass-mosaic interior, Starline filtration and automatic dosing. Solar panels, high-efficiency insulation and a commitment to current EU energy and safety regulation.
None of this is unusual at this level. What is unusual is that it is written down and specific — brand names, wall thickness, system types — which makes it checkable at handover. Ask for the same list as a signed annex to the contract.
The four listings
Each villa has its own page with the current asking price, the full description and the reference number: Villa 2 (HZR5360578) · Villa 8 (HZR3597038) · Villa 11 (HZR5354980) · Villa 12 (HZR5354977).
What to verify before you commit
The developer’s own site lists all four villas as P.O.A. The prices above come from the individual listings and are current at the time of writing. On a project with four units left, the price of each is a negotiation, and the developer’s published “from €3,950,000” refers to the project, not to any of these four.
Three things we would want in writing: the orientation and plot position of the specific unit, the community costs and what they cover, and the completion date for Villa 11, which is the only one still under construction.
Why Cabopino
The marina is a working one, with moorings and a sailing club, rather than a promenade with boats painted on it. The dune system behind the beach is protected, which means it will not be built on. The golf course is immediately in front of the villas, and the views the developer claims — golf, sea, and on a clear day the coast towards Africa — are the kind that a frontline position earns and a second-row position does not.
For a buyer who wants five bedrooms, a marina at the bottom of the hill, and a house that is finished rather than promised, these four are what is left. That is a short list, and it will not get longer.
All prices, surfaces and specifications in this article are indicative, given in good faith and subject to errors, omissions and prior sale. They do not constitute a binding offer. The binding terms are those set out in the reservation agreement and the purchase contract, and buyers should verify every figure with the developer and with their own legal adviser before committing.
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