Torremolinos
is a town and municipality situated immediately to
the west of the city of Málaga.
A poor fishing village before the growth in tourism
beginning in the late 1950s, Torremolinos was the
first of the Costa del Sol resorts to develop. It
is very popular with British tourists and has a large
British expatriate population. But with six miles
(9 km) of wide, sandy beaches, lots of water sports,
masses of bars and restaurants and an exhausting nightlife,
the resort attracts tourists of all ages from all
over Europe.
The town can be thought of
as two separate sections: Torremolinos centre
which was the first part to be developed; and the
more authentically Spanish area of La Carihuela
to the west, which is a charming area with many of
the original fishermen's cottages still existing and
pretty houses with bougainvillea covered patios and
tiny tapas bars. The tapas bars is the places to go
for delicious fresh snacks - spicy prawns, mussels,
calamares, local "chorizo" sausage,
etc. The walk from the centre of Torremolinos to La
Carihuela is a pleasant one with lovely sea views
and many excellent seafront fish restaurants along
the way.
Torremolinos has an excellent
range of shops and besides good quality clothes, leather
goods, jewellery, crafts and gifts shops you'll find
international supermarkets stocked with all your "must
haves" from home. Calle San Miguel is
at the heart of the shopping centre; it is an attractive
pedestrianised street, flanked by small shops and
cafes and is a good place to sip sangria and people
watch for those not interested in shopping. The Cuesta
del Tajo, at the end of Calle San Miguel, leads down
a steep flight of steps through the old fishing district
of El Bajondillo. This is a popular, picturesque area
lined with restaurants and market-style kiosks, selling
souvenirs. Down at the bottom is the beach of El Bajondillo.
Torremolinos is hard to beat
with seasonal sea sports including windsurfing, paragliding,
water skiing and pedal boats. Other activities which
are available in the area are pony trekking and mountain
biking in the hills, a huge aqua park with water slides,
artificial waves and swimming pools. For those wishing
to explore the area by public transport there is a
half-hourly train service between Málaga
- Torremolinos - Benalmádena
- Fuengirola and an
efficient bus service along the coast in general.
