| Torremolinos Costa Del Sol |
|
| ||||||||||||
|
|
When to
go 
Our view Big, brash, loud and lively, Spain's answer to Blackpool is dedicated to giving everyone a good time and there are few Spanish seaside resorts offering so many pubs and discos and the promise of a holiday home from home with British breakfasts and newspapers thrown in. Although still attracting some of the rowdier types, the town has made a serious effort to clean up its act and shake off its 'Terrible Torrie' image with smart new shopping malls and an attractive beach promenade lined with chiringuitos (beach bars selling grilled sardines and tapas). This is linked to La Carihuela, its world-famous strip of fish restaurants and the smart new marina at Benalmádena where Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas have an apartment. It also has some of Spain's best beaches - long, wide, clean (Blue Flag) and sandy - notably at Bajondillo and Playa de la Carihuela. The town centre is cut off from the hotel and tourist strip by an extremely steep hill which takes the walker through the pretty winding streets of the old quarter but can be a snag if you're not up to it. What to do There are banana boats and a full range of watersports available on the beaches, and other attractions abound. The Atlantis Aquapark boasts Europe's highest kamikaze water slide while you can take a bus or a short excursion to Crocodile Park (cuddle a baby); Tivoli World with its mini funfair, theme restaurants and live music; and the Torrequebrada Casino which has a spectacular Las Vegas-style show, complete with sequins and feathers. Take a boat ride to the aquarium at Benalmádena where you can catch a cable car to the mountaintop. Not the best end of the coast for golf, but all the courses are within driving range. What to see There is a small Spanish town lurking at the heart of La Carihuela. An air-conditioned train which keeps better time than British Rail connects the resort with Málaga to the east and all the resorts to Fuengirola. Culture vultures and shopaholics should head for Málaga for its Moorish ruins and Selfridges-style department store, El Corte Inglés. The pretty mountain village of Mijas, near Fuengirola, is famous for its donkey taxis. There are excursions to Gibraltar (for duty-free goods, olive oil and silver); Ronda (famous for its gorge); the underground caves at Nerja; Granada, home of the spectacular Alhambra Palace; and even a day trip to Tangiers by ferry. After dark The resort is littered with pizzerias and burger bars, but it is still possible to dine well. La Carihuela, on the seafront, has a world-renowned strip of seafood restaurants, and in the town and old quarter there are some trendy new boutique restaurants serving fancier fare. For night owls, Torremolinos certainly delivers. Apart from British, Irish, and Scottish pubs there are Danish, German, Swedish, and Dutch bars catering for the eclectic tourist population. Alongside a swinging gay scene (ask at the door before you enter), there are plenty of clubs for heterosexuals in the town centre and along Montemar Avenue. Karaoke, bingo, and wandering street minstrels (of varying degrees of ability) are amongst the other offerings. Chupitos - lethal shot-sized cocktails - are the 'in' drink and if you don't suffer at least one head-banging hangover in Torremolinos, you haven't lived. The Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol has three things going for it - the climate, the lifestyle and its breathtaking countryside. With an average temperature of 16ºC and 320 days of sunshine a year, a tan is pretty well guaranteed. With good roads, plenty of family entertainment, a ridiculous choice of restaurants and a frenetic nightlife, boredom is never a factor. And while some other parts of coastal Spain are flat and uninteresting, the beauty of the Sunshine Coast is its rugged sierras. Here, for those who seek it, the real flavour of Spain is waiting to be discovered in lush valleys, deep gorges and sky-scraping mountains where nature runs riot, and in remote white villages where time has stood still. On the downside, some will feel there are too many highrise hotels, British bars and building sites - all by-products of its huge popularity. 
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||