Torremolinos
Torremolinos was a small fishing village until the 1950’s when the tourist boom came to Spain. Now awash with hotels, bars and restaurants, Torremolinos is a popular coastal town with good clean beaches and lots to see and do.
Tourism in Torremolinos, Costa del Sol
Although Torremolinos has many cafes offering full English Breakfasts, it still has a very Spanish feel. Being so close to Malaga, many locals frequent the beaches every weekend and have family lunches in traditional Chiringuitos (beach front restaurants). The Chiringuitos offer fresh fish which is often cooked on open fires outside the restaurants. To partake in these delicacies, make sure you have plenty of time. Some of these restaurants have 3 hour waiting lists in August.
Torremolinos old town sits on a hill which you can either access via paths lined with tourist shops or the lift which will take you up and down for less than a euro. On the beach visitors can enjoy pedaloes, chiringuitos, grassed areas shaded with Palm trees and 9 km of sandy beaches.
Although Torremolinos was in its heyday during the eighties, there has been a change in the type of tourists. Torremolinos is now popular with families, seniors and those wanting to be away from nightclubs. Although Torremolinos has nightclubs, they are thriving due to the indigenous gay population, which it continues to attract. The young 18-30 tourists now holiday in Benalmadena, Fuengirola and Marbella where there are more straight nightclubs.
Fiestas in Torremolinos, Costa del Sol
With the normal Christmas and Easter celebrations, Torremolinos also celebrates the Festival of San Juan on the night of 23rd June. With Torremolinos’ seaside location, the party is concentrated on the beach. Bonfires and Barbeques are lit, music of all kinds try to outdo each other and at the stroke of midnight, Fireworks adorn the sky, people jump over fires and everyone goes into the sea to make wishes for the coming year. This is also the only time of year that camping on the beaches is permitted as the party goes on till dawn.
The Feria del Carmen (Virgin of Mount Carmel fair) in mid-July attracts thousands of people to La Carihuela, especially on the day that the image of the Virgin is placed on a boat for a trip along the municipal waterfront. In late September the Feria de San Miguel is held in the nearby pine groves of Los Manantiales and attracts over 200,000 visitors.
Attractions in Torremolinos include:
Crocodile Park: Crocodiles have miraculously survived 200 million years of evolution, and here at the Crocodile park in Torremolinos you can see these fascinating creatures and even have your photo taken holding one!
Aqualand: What better way to spend a day cooling off in the Water Park in Torremolinos. With over a 100m of breathtaking drops, the Black Hole is a firm favourite. The Kamikaze slide is the highest in Europe at 22m. This slide is not for the fainthearted. Also at the Water park is a range of winding water slides and even a water playground for the younger ones.
