The best things to do in Torremolinos — top beaches, activities, attractions and days out, handpicked for tourists, families and locals alike.
Torremolinos is a beach town first — seven kilometres of sand in a row, from lively Los Álamos through Playamar and central Bajondillo to La Carihuela, all joined by a flat promenade you can walk or cycle end to end. The centre above is compact and pedestrianised: Plaza Costa del Sol, the shops of Calle San Miguel, the 14th-century Torre de Pimentel that gave the town its name, and the neo-Mudéjar Casa de los Navajas on the cliff.
For families there's Aqualand and the Crocodile Park side by side, and the excellent free Parque de la Batería with its lake and lookout tower. The Molino de Inca botanical garden is the quiet corner, and the Cañada del Lobo trail climbs into the sierra behind for the big view over the bay of Málaga.
The largest water park on the Costa del Sol — big-drop slides, a wave pool, rapids and children's areas. Summer season only (roughly May to September); check opening dates before you go.
The signposted trail from the pine woods of Los Pinares up into the Sierra de Torremolinos, to a mountain refuge and viewpoint high above the bay of Málaga — a steady climb of a couple of hours with little shade higher up.
Calle del Bajondillo, Torremolinos
A small neo-Mudéjar palace of the 1920s on the clifftop above Bajondillo — tiled rooms, horseshoe arches and a terrace over the sea. Used for weddings and exhibitions, and open free to visitors at weekends.
Hundreds of crocodiles across a series of lakes, guided talks, a nursery of hatchlings and one enormous resident nicknamed Big Daddy. Next door to Aqualand, and an easy couple of hours with children.
A stylish, very photogenic beach club on the sand — sunbeds, a restaurant and sunset drinks in a carefully designed setting.
Camino de los Pinares, Torremolinos
A peaceful botanical garden around a restored 15th-century flour mill at the springs that once powered the town's mills — palms, fountains, a maze and a small aviary. A cool, shady hour away from the beach.
The old fishing quarter at the western end of town — low white houses, narrow lanes and a seafront promenade lined end to end with fish restaurants. The most characterful part of Torremolinos and where to eat.
A palm-thatched beach club with Balinese beds, swings and a relaxed, tropical feel — good for a long, lazy day with food and cocktails.
Avenida del Carmelo, Montemar, Torremolinos
Torremolinos' big park above La Carihuela, beside Montemar Alto station — a boating lake, a 15-metre lookout tower with sea views, old gun emplacements, playgrounds and a carousel. Free and excellent with children.
Around seven kilometres of seafront promenade from Los Álamos to La Carihuela and on to Benalmádena's marina — flat, palm-lined and backed by chiringuitos the whole way. Part of the Senda Litoral coastal path.
The long, wide beach of the old fishing quarter, running west to Benalmádena's marina — fine sand, calm water and the best choice of beach restaurants in town directly behind.
The easternmost and liveliest beach — a long strip of sand towards Málaga known for its beach clubs, music and kitesurfing when the wind gets up.
A broad, open beach east of the centre, backed by lawns and palms rather than buildings — more space, easier parking and a good run of chiringuitos.
The central beach, directly below the town centre and reached by the steps or lift from Calle San Miguel — over a kilometre of sand with every facility and a busy promenade.
A short, quieter beach at the Montemar end of La Carihuela, by the boundary with Benalmádena — a calmer spot within a walk of the marina.
Playa de Los Álamos, Torremolinos
One of the liveliest clubs on the Los Álamos strip — sunbeds and lunch by day, then DJs, reggaeton and a big summer-night crowd.
Plaza Costa del Sol, Torremolinos
The pedestrianised heart of the modern town, remodelled in 2018 with sculptural shade canopies, terraces and public art — the start of Calle San Miguel and the stage for most of the town's events.
Plaza de la Nogalera, Torremolinos
The square above the train station that is the centre of Torremolinos' LGBTQ+ scene — ringed with bars and terraces that fill late into the night, and the focus of Pride each June.
Calle San Miguel, Torremolinos
The Nasrid watchtower built around 1300 that — as the 'tower of the mills' — gave Torremolinos its name. It stands at the bottom of Calle San Miguel, above the steps down to the beach.
La Carihuela for fine sand and the best restaurants behind it; Bajondillo for convenience, directly below the centre; Playamar for space; Los Álamos for beach clubs and a livelier crowd.
Aqualand water park (summer only), the Crocodile Park next door, and the free Parque de la Batería with its boating lake, playgrounds and lookout tower. Benalmádena's cable car, Sea Life and Selwo Marina are a few minutes away.
The C-1 Cercanías train takes about ten minutes from the airport to Torremolinos station, right under Plaza de la Nogalera in the centre. Trains run roughly every 20 minutes.
Plaza Costa del Sol, the pedestrian Calle San Miguel, the Torre de Pimentel at its foot, and the Casa de los Navajas, a 1920s neo-Mudéjar house on the clifftop that opens free at weekends.