Located 28 kilometres east of Malaga in the Axarquia region, the coastal resort of Torre del Mar is a popular holiday destination for travellers seeking the climate, scenery and accessibility of the Costa del Sol, without the crowds, queues and traffic. The surrounding area boasts mountainous backdrops, dramatic coastlines, wide sandy beaches and dense woodland, and the hot and dry climate make it not just great for sun worshippers but also farmers growing mangoes, kiwis and avacados.
Dating back to Phoenician times, humans have settled in the Torre del Mar area for centuries, although today you are more likely to see sun-tanned German, British, Irish and Spanish visitors strolling through the town’s pretty streets and plazas. The centre of Torre del Mar has a fine range of restaurants, shops and bars, while the long promenade is lined with excellent chiringuitos – many specialising in freshly-caught seafood.
For nightowls and younger travellers, the El Copo is a beachfront stretch of bars and clubs that heaves with revellers in the summer hours, while farther along the promenade there is a summer market that is open until 3am each morning during the balmy summer months. ‘Torre del Mar’ means ‘Tower of the Sea’, named after the many lookout towers that used to dot the coast during turbulent Moorish and Roman times. Today, thankfully, visitors come armed with cash and cameras, rather than weapons and invasive intent.
