Cradle of mass tourism (from Dutch newspaper Volkskrant)

The space, the mountains, people, eating. Torremolinos was a high profile tourist city, but no longer is. Iñaki Oñorbe Genovesi and photographer Gabriel Eisenmeier give a honest chance to the former fisherman village.

Suddenly perplexity strikes. Is it then still true what they say already many years' concerning Torremolinos? That it is a concrete jungle where the bad taste rules? That it is a common Spanish bathing resort of the Costa where tourists spend one holiday then do everything to never return?


A honest chance. It really is because of the pleasant sun. That delicious source of warmth and exhilaration which never runs out according to the Torremolinos people makes their city such a special spot.

Yet Torremolinos has ever changed, a fisherman village with a couple hundred inhabitants, into a city with wide 65 thousand souls and no less than 125 nationalities. One of the busiest spots of the Costa del Sol in the winter months. A hot witch kettle in the summer months. And the only Spanish bathing resort, beside Benidorm, which attracts more than one million visitors annually.

Perhaps because of the middle in the centre of the city with its Calle San Miguel? The most famous shopping street of Torremolinos, and to one claims also busiest walk street of Europe, is indeed a pleasant shopping area. With as largest surprise the suddenly appearing twelve meters high Torre Pimentel.

14-th century Moorish battle tower which is known also as the Torre the Molinos, one of many mills which were here former in functioning. See here also the name giver of this city. Unfortunately you can not visit it. However, a provocative descent of 178 steep stairs (or short paid lift ride) towards golden beach of Bajondillo and the miles ling promenade are your reward.

Lettuce linksaf and after a couple hundred meters finds you fantasia, high concrete block-systems from the years sixty and seventy. Fortunately less many than feared. Because the authorities of Torremolinos considered swiftly that them not the same dreadful skyline van wanted Benidorm.

Turn right and you understand why the Englishman Sir George Langworthy bought a century old fort with a breathtaking view on sea and that transformed into Castillo Santa Clara, the very first tourist resort on the Costa.

It is true that mayor Montes proudly fulfils the development. Its new attraction is el Nuevo Torremolinos according to him. The new Torremolinos. Because Torremolinos of the sixties and sevnties returns no more.

The city is changing. That island of freedom during the dicatatorship years. A bathing resort where topless sunbathe and homosexuality - then in Spain prohibited - was seen through the fingers, where Sophia Loren and Frank Sinatra came to.

The celebrities - and rancidity - have however made for neat families, for top sportsmen, opera devotees, pensionists and just folks which use of Torremolinos' wide facilities and its green plantation image.

Take the previous year opened town park La Bateria, named after to the old artillery entity of Torremolinos. Hundreds of splendid trees compete there for attention with the impressive guns of the former coast battery. But also with a large pond which invites to sail with small boats.

Torremolinos always knows how to surprise. Always crazy it is, says Flemish Mireille Gallant (58). She can know it. Almost forty years ago she travelled here for the first time.

And Gallant has never left the city. Look what you would have to leave. The space, the mountains, people, eating. Torremolinos is simply all the maximum.

To do & Travel

To travel fly cheap to Malaga from the Netherlands. The choice budget airline companies are wide: Ryanair, air Berlin, Transavia, Vueling, Thomas Cook, jet Airfly, Airlines of Brussels and TUIfly. The airport of Malaga lies approximately 5 kilometres of Torremolinos. With the train (Cercanias C1) you are in just 11 minutes in the city. The train leaves every half an hour and a single journey costs 1.20 euro. www.renfe.es/cercanias/malaga.

A good alternative is a taxi: For 15 up to 20 euro to the entrance of your hotel . Please note: the taxi's have no meters. The drivers look in a notebook. Do you do want rent a car? Do that then preferably already in the Netherlands. A lot of money makes a difference.

To sleep
The choice in Torremolinos is enormous. The city has hotels of one up to four ASTRE, hostels and apartments which can be booked year around. Also there are a lot of luxuriously villas and holiday houses to hire. Cheap hostels and hotels find you on and around the Calle Peligro and the Avenida Carlota Alessandri. The luxuriously apartment complex Castillo Santa Clara (with own hypermarket and swimming pool) is only already worth it because of the splendid view on the boulevard and beach of Bajondillo and Carihuela.

Of course walk along the seven kilometers long boulevard which will lead you to the adjacent bathing resort Benalmádena and pass by many beach restaurants of Torremolinos on the way. Moreover you can see some wild nature, water wells, splendid views and a lot of flora in the nature area of the sierra Torremolinos,in the north of the city. Almost four hours lasting walking route of 9.9 kilometre, frequent hills, eventually you will get to the visitor centre and the watchtower of Cañada del Lobo delivers you 542 meters above the sea view. If you want, you can spend the night here also, however, you must reserve in advance. www.ayto-torremolinos.org/web/calobo.asp.

Costa del Sol is often called Costa del Golf. Best 43 golf lanes lie in south of Malaga. And for each golf fan is something to do. Around Torremolinos you get help among others at Parador del golf and also at impressive 18-holes complex of the Torrequebrada golf club (Benalmádena) and 27-holes of the Guadalhorce golf club (Campanillas). www.camposgolfmalaga.com.

Large gay homoscene in Torremolinos, which concentrate mainly around area Nogalera and Pueblo Blanco. Hairy homosexuals in the Bears bar, lesbians in the Brujas bar and transvestites and drag queens in among others Morboshow (www.morboshow.com). But also gay discos such as disco Emporio (www.emporioclub.com) and its (especially under Spanish homosexuals) popular restaurant El Gato Lounge brings relaxed feeling to Torremolinos gay scene which you encounter nowhere in Spain but only on Ibiza and in at Barcelona´s Sitges.