La Donaira, Awarded at the World Travel Awards, the “Oscars of International Tourism”
From La Donaira, in the Serranía de Ronda, we are celebrating the close of 2025 with a double milestone that reinforces our vision of sustainable luxury. On the one hand, we have been recognised as “Spain’s Leading Luxury Eco Retreat 2025” by the World Travel Awards, long regarded as the “Oscars of international tourism”.
Alongside this recognition, we have also received three distinctions at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2025, which honour hotels and resorts for the overall quality of the guest experience. This year, La Donaira has been awarded in the categories Best Luxury Eco Hotel in Europe, Best Scenic Environment in Europe, and Best Luxury Sustainable Hotel in Spain.
Beyond the awards themselves, what we celebrate is what these recognitions reflect: a way of hospitality we stand for every day—excellence without excess, respect for the natural world, and an intimate, highly personalised experience. We care for the landscape, biodiversity, and local culture through concrete choices: regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, waste reduction, and a firm commitment to animal welfare.
“These awards are an important endorsement of the path we have been walking for years: proving that true luxury can be deeply connected to the land, the animals, and the local community,” says Ronald Jacobs, General Manager of Finca La Donaira. “It is a recognition of the daily work of the entire team and the trust of the guests who come here with curiosity and openness.”
La Donaira stretches between Málaga and Cádiz across 700 hectares of meadows and holm oaks. We were created to offer a true pause— a place to slow down, breathe, and remember that another way of living, more conscious and more coherent, is possible. That is why our project brings together an organic farm, regenerative gardens and vineyards, a Lusitano stud raised under the principles of natural horsemanship, and a wellbeing programme with holistic treatments, yoga, spa, and time outdoors.
Our kitchen follows the rhythm of the land. We work with a farm-to-table philosophy, using produce from the estate and from small local producers, with menus that change with the seasons. And at the same time, the equestrian world—the relationship with the horse and everything we learn from it—has become one of our defining signatures: experiences that allow guests to witness our work with the animals up close and the philosophy behind our stud.
This year-end is also marked by the sporting achievements of La Donaira Lusitanos, strengthening our international profile within the equestrian world. Our horses have delivered outstanding competition results: Elvis was crowned Spanish Champion for 6-year-olds; Dario LD secured victories across competitions in Spain and Portugal; Quadir LD and Querubim LD won multiple national titles in the 5-year-old category; and Seneca LD earned the title of World Vice-Champion in “Modelo e Andamentos da Raça Lusitana” in Cascais, Portugal—alongside a new generation of young horses continuing to shine in the arena.
Together, these recognitions reinforce an integrated vision: hospitality, sustainability, and equestrian excellence moving forward hand in hand. This is how we close 2025 at La Donaira—grateful, grounded, and committed to continuing to care, with calm and conviction, for everything that makes this place truly unique.
More information
World Travel Awards (Spain’s Leading Luxury Eco Retreat 2025):
https://www.worldtravelawards.com/award-spains-leading-luxury-eco-retreat-2025
World Luxury Hotel Awards – Finca La Donaira:
https://www.luxuryhotelawards.com/hotel/finca-la-donaira/
María Centeno
