Torre del Mar – the most beautiful beach on the Costa del Sol?
I have to admit we were surprised by Torre del Mar.
Torre del Mar is a town and seaside resort about 45 minutes (by bus) east of Malaga. It’s part of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga.
What people should know: Torre del Mar and the city of Vélez-Málaga are separated by about 4 ½ km. Torre del Mar is on the coast and is a beach resort popular with tourists and expats… Vélez-Málaga is inland and a ‘real’ city, the capital of the municipality of Vélez-Málaga (and the comarca of Axarquía ) and a city with some interesting historical highlights (I’ll cover that in another post). I’ve previously written about Torrox which is in a way similar because Torrox is also separated into 2 parts: Torrox Costa (the seaside resort) and Torrox Pueblo (the inland town). The difference when it comes to Torre del Mar and Vélez-Málaga is that both are bigger and getting between the two is much easier.
Getting to Torre del Mar: Torre del Mar is a stop for almost any bus going east from the city of Malaga. You can usually get here in about 45 minutes. It’s also about halfway between Malaga and Nerja (the last town on the Costa del Sol heading east) so getting here from Nerja also takes about 45 minutes.
If coming/going to Vélez-Málaga, there are city buses every 15 minutes during the week, every 30 minutes during the weekend.
What to See and Do in Torre del Mar
There’s honestly not that much to do in Torre del Mar. We’ve come here in the past for some administrative work (there’s a Foreigner’s office in Torre del Mar) and some shopping (the ‘El Ingenio” shopping center is one of the largest in the region). Across from the shopping center is the Aquavelis waterpark which is popular for those with kids.
Rather, it is the seaside promenade and beaches that make Torre del Mar unique.
Torre del Mar has the best seaside promenade we’ve seen to date on the Costa del Sol. It is 3 km long, a long and beautiful promenade where you can walk, jog or ride a bike (there’s a dedicated bike path). There are restaurants and bars where you can drink and watch the world go by. There are children’s playgrounds for the kids.
The beach is wide and has all the facilities (including the cleanest bathrooms we’ve ever seen on a beach). There are areas with palm trees where people lie in the grass with their dogs.
The views of the mountains down the coast are spectacular.
We were actually blown away by it all. And I have to say it was all immaculately clean.
A few useful Resources
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Spartan FX. Buying a house or car in Spain and need to transfer and exchange a large sum of money? More here.
Wise. For everyday transfers and exchanges of money from your home country. Nobody should be using banks anymore. More here.
Torre del Mar for tourists and Expats
We’re told that Torre del Mar is very popular with Spanish tourists in the summer. We can see why. It also has an Expat population although they don’t make up as large of a percentage as they do in some other seaside towns. The advantages: the beaches, affordability (compared to Nerja for example), and the largest hospital in the region.
Have you been to Torre del Mar? What did you think of it?
Related: The Best Day Trips from Nerja
Related: What to see in Almuñécar (and impressions…)
Related: 24 Hours in Málaga (in Photos)
It’s a terrible shame that they closed the campsite in Torre Del Mar last year. That campsite was full in the winter months so that’s at least 400 people spending money there, eating in the bars & restaurants and shopping at the local shops. And also if you drive there in a motorhome & stay in an apartment they even ban you from parking there! It’s ridiculous & such a lot of trade missing for local traders. We miss it so much!
Hello,
Looking to stay in Torre del Mar next summer with my two young children. I just wondered whether mosquitoes were a real issue like some other areas of Spain?
Kind Regards
Stephanie
I can’t talk for all of Spain…but generally mosquitos not so bad in the Torre del Mar area.
I have to admit that whats been written about Torre Del Mar is true.
Have seen many other places and no one offers the same quality and feel as the beach of Torre del Mar.
Mostly Spanish tourists, and good spread of foreigners too but the place still hold its originality .
Recent building activity is boosting prices upwards and brings this town under the attention of a more wealthy kind of investors, the price evolution in real estate since 2016 shows a strong upwards trend , for example :a 2 bath and 2 sleeping room appartement in the popular areas of Torre became 40 to 50% more expensive in recent years.
Dang Frank! Why are you giving away this secret? LOL
I spent a month there last year and absolutely loved it. So much that I’m returning for 4 months this winter. There are many fiestas and a good dining scene. It has a high percentage of locals which adds to its charm. Being a business centre, it has many services which is convenient and a weekly market. What attracted me is the walkability vs towns like Nerja or Mijas Pueblo and the best beach I’ve seen with chiringuitos (beach bars) dotted along the beach. The 4 km promenade is beautiful and clean. You can enjoy a walk to Caleta de Velez where you can enjoy fish caught that day with a cocktail overlooking the marina. They treat those with mobility issues well and have ramps to get down to the beach. In town, the curbs have many ramps to accommodate those needing them. You mentioned the hospital and proximity to Málaga and it is an inexpensive bus fare away from Velez Malaga and other coastal towns.
I’ve been following the real estate prices and deals are to be had but rents are increasing as is the popularity.
I can’t wait to get back there. I guess the cat ‘s out of the bag! 😀