Torremolinos

Torremolinos is a busy tourist resort situated on Spain’s Costa del Sol, the Sunshine Coast in English. The present day name derives from “Torre de los Molinos” which means Tower of the Mills, referring to the water mills built by the Moors during their occupation.

Until the 1950s Torremolinos was a small fishing village. It was one of the first areas in Spain to see the potential for tourism, however, and it has since grown into one of Spain’s most popular holiday destinations.

Torremolinos is well-known for its many sandy beaches offering a wide range of activities such as volleyball, windsurfing, swimming and snorkelling. The beaches regularly win the European Blue Flag awards for cleanliness.

As previously mentioned Torremolinos was a simple fishing village not so long ago and the fishermen's quarter at La Carihuela still retains much of what it would have been like before the rise in tourism. Visitors can still walk the narrow streets with many of the old fishermen's cottages still standing. The area has its own beach and numerous seafood restaurants.

The whole family will be able to join in the fun at the Aquapark, said to be the largest water park on the Costa del Sol. Here there are rides, slides and pools for all ages. For those who are not too keen on the water there are restaurants and mini golf. The park is open from May to September.

An unusual attraction is the Torremolinos Crocodile Park which is home to 300 crocodiles, ranging from babies to 5 metres long Nile crocodiles. The largest is claimed to weigh in at 600 kg making it the largest crocodile in Europe. The park gives guided tours by expert crocodile handlers.

The night life in Torremolinos has enough to offer the most ardent swinger. There are literally hundreds of disco bars, clubs, huge dance halls and restaurants, many of them only just starting to get busy in the early hours of the morning.

At the end of September the city hosts its biggest festival of the year, that of the patron saint San Miguel. The festival has traditional decorated carts pulled by oxen, religious processions and the “Romeria” which is a gypsy procession, culminating in a huge outdoor picnic.