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Torremolinos
Located just ten miles from Malaga is the vibrant and lively resort of Torremolinos offering a vast range of amenities and activities for a package holiday in Spain. Holidaymakers looking for a cultural experience will be disappointed, as Torremolinos, particularly in high season, is noisy and fast-paced 24 hours a day. With six miles (10km) 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. There is a large gay scene, but the resort is equally popular with families and the inevitable 18 to 30 crowds.
Torremolinos offers a vast range of shops, supermarkets and boutiques, which cater to the tourist trade and a offer variety of excellent bargains. Good buys include the local jewellery, leather goods and the famous Spanish Lladro porcelain. For self-caterers, there is a good selection of corner shops and supermarkets stocking all the well-known international brands. 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. More extensive shopping can be found in Malaga.
Restaurants and cafes in Torremolinos predominantly cater to the tourist trade, so the food choices include British, German, Italian, Chinese, Indian and American cuisine. The menus, usually in a few languages, offer good staple dishes such as fish and chips, steak, pasta and schnitzel. However if they look hard visitors can find some excellent Spanish restaurants. Some of the best seafood restaurants are in the fisherman's district of La Carihuela which has been relatively undisturbed by high-rise hotels and has retained its Andalucian coastal charm. Casa Joaquin, which offers great sea views from its terrace, is probably the most notable. The upmarket harbour at Puerto Banus is only ten miles (16km) along the coast and is packed with good restaurants overlooking rows of expensive-looking yachts.
The resort offers a vivacious nightlife, with a hundreds of bars and nightclubs to suit a variety of visitors. A good place to start the evening is in one of the tavernas in Calle San Miguel or in one of the cafés and restaurants that line the promenade. The clubs start to open at around 10pm; the best selection is along Avda Palma de Mallorca where the massive Fun Beach, reputedly the largest club in Europe, boasts several dance floors and a swimming pool. Other clubs along here include Palladium and Voltage. There is a big gay scene in Torremolinos centred on La Nogalera, where the clubs vary from the mainstream to drag bars. Exotic reviews are a feature here and are popular with both the gay and straight visitors.
The beaches of Torremolinos offer a chance to relax at the shores of the Mediterranean under the hot Spanish sun. The largest and most popular two beaches are Playamar and Bajondillo, which both offer safe swimming and all sorts of watersports. Bars and cafés along the promenade offer respite and refreshment away from the sun. The nearby water park is one of the best on the continent and is a great family day out (tel: 952 38 8888). Popular excursions from the resort include a trip to El Ranchito, a wonderful display where horses and riders display their skill in a form of equestrian ballet, choreographed to music (tel: 952 38 3063). The spectacular hilltop town of Ronda is also worth a visit for those wanting to escape the beach for a day.
The holiday resort of Torremolinos was purposefully built for holidays in the sun, so visitors expecting any cultural or historical treasures will be disappointed. Explore a few miles inland, however, and the real Spain can quickly be discovered. As with most large resorts Torremolinos is very commercial, tourist are regularly pestered by salesmen selling everything from trinkets to timeshare apartments. Be firm and don't trust anyone with scratch cards. Guests at some hotels have to climb lots of steps when returning from the beach – elderly people should check before booking, however in general the resort is easy to get around with an excellent bus and train system. The centre of Torremolinos is fairly run-down in places; the suburbs of Benalmadena and Fuengirola are cleaner, friendlier and cheaper.
