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Torremolinos is a picturesque beach community set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. It was the ideal location to serve as home base for our trip to the Costa del Sol region of Spain.
Torremolinos is a picturesque beach community set against the backdrop of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. With its central location and drivable distance from Malaga, Ronda, Granada, Mirabella, and more, it was the ideal location to serve as home base for our trip to the Costa del Sol region of Spain. Arriving in Torremolinos, you’re greeted with a huge monument that really sets the tone for your visit
Don’t you just love it? Carefree, whimsical, delight, joy — all those words come to mind when driving past this beautiful statue. It matches the atmosphere in Torremolinos perfectly.
What began as a sleepy village, Torremolinos has been transformed into a chic, beachfront oasis. At the center of it all is the fabulous Promenade. A little over 4 miles long, this beachfront path is full of relaxed people rollerblading, strolling, fishing, and simply enjoying the amazing weather and view. There are endless sidewalk cafés offering tapas, seafood, Sangria, and more.
Yes, it’s that gorgeous.
It’s impossible to stroll Torremolinos and not feel the influence of the Mediterranean and its fishing village roots. There are boats at every turn.
Then, there is the seafood. Specifically, the anchovies. Yes, I said anchovies. Every 10 feet or so, you can find them roasting over an open fire. We not only enjoyed anchovies, but a number of our meals in Torremolinos were devised of an excellent variety of freshly prepared seafood. Lobster, salmon, and swordfish, just to name a few. Of course, we also indulged in paella, prawns, cod banquettes, and sangria. Lots of sangria. Sangria is a food group, right? Fruit, I think.
I really can’t recommend a stay in Torremolinos enough. It’s chic, charming, and historic, all in one. Fifteen minutes from Malaga {and the airport!} and just a few hours by car to many of southern Spain’s fabulous cities, it’s the perfect place to enjoy Costa del Sol and all it has to offer.
While traveling the Costa del Sol region of Spain in search of excellent seafood, we were referred to the little fishing town of Caleta de Velez by several local people.
Nestled on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, Caleta de Velez is known for one thing, fishing. From the two welcoming old fishing boats in the town’s roundabout to the marina and fish market, Caleta de Velez is a seafood must.
Since Caleta de Velez is located about 35 kilometers from our home base of Torremolinos, we decided to make a day out of it and headed out around 10 a.m. to hit the fish market and have lunch. We arrived around 11 a.m. to find out that the fish market doesn’t open until 5 p.m..
So, we decided to find an outdoor restaurant and taste the local cuisine. We found ourselves standing outside of a little Italian restaurant that smelled like heaven, with a lovely patio, a menu that was available in Spanish and English, and offered a lovely looking Sangria.
Who would have thought that I would have the best pizza of my life in Spain? Loaded with mushrooms, artichokes, and prosciutto and the thinnest crust ever, this is a pizza I would marry. Seriously. And, that seafood pasta? Un.Be.Liev.Able. Fabulous spaghetti in a perfect marina sauce and loaded with all kinds of seafood. Simply spectacular. We spent 3 hours enjoying each bite, our view of the Mediterranean, and a few glasses of Sangria. It was perfection.
After lunch, we strolled around the town, walked around the marina, had a gelato, and then headed over to the fish market. The Caleta de Velez fish market was a large warehouse, backed up to the marina. The fishing boats pulled up alongside and unloaded the day’s catch directly into the warehouse. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.
Buckets of fish, squid, mussels, and sea creatures I’ve never seen before. The fishermen were loud and busy, bargaining with the local restaurants and weighing their bounty. It was awesome to see this part of the fishing industry up close — it was not a surprise that our seafood pasta lunch tasted so fresh and delicious.
I am a finger-food kind of gal. I’d rather order an array of appetizers than a main dish any day. So, as you can imagine, the Spanish tradition of “tapas” are my idea of perfect food — which basically makes Spain my perfect place.
We experienced so many different wonderful tapa dishes while traveling in Costa del Sol. While, I can’t even being to choose a favorite, I do think I can offer up my top five — the five I’ll be making for the “Tapas Tasting” I am planning for my friends who want to hear all about our trip and will be kind enough to sit through all my 300 or so pictures…
Here is the menu I’ve got in mind:
Shrimp TapasSo, there you have it — My “Tasty Tapas” picks from Costa del Sol, Spain. With such delicious varieties of seafood available in the region, it’s no surprise that it dominated my list!
With five of the eight provinces of Andalusia section of Spain touching the Mediterranean, seafood is a staple of the Andalusian cuisine.
While there are hundreds of types of seafood available from this section of the world, there is a single dish that is a Spanish staple. Paella.
Paella is everywhere. We visited Malaga, Torremolinos, Ronda and Granada — it was a staple in each of those towns. We even saw it available at the airport in Madrid!
This delicious rice dish was created by Spanish workers in the fields who would make rice in a flat pan over a fire, adding whatever they could find (snails and vegetables; for special occasions, rabbit and later chicken were added). In Costa del Sol, instead of meat, seafood is the staple.
Of course, we had to try it for ourselves.
So at a lovely restaurant right on the beach, just steps from our hotel in Torremolinos, we ordered Paella.
It arrived at the table straight from the oven and was simply scrumptious. Full of prawns, mussels and more, it was an excellent and satisfying meal. In Spain, it is often sold “per person”; the photo at left is of a single serving, which was definitely on the large side. At one restaurant, we saw a table of 4 diners feasting on a huge dish of Paella served family style.
If you visit Spain, Paella is a must.
A trip to the vibrant port city of Malaga, Spain wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the sights, smells and sounds of the Mercado Market.
Open 7 days a week around 8:30 a.m., the market offers a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, and an incredible display of fresh seafood.
We visited on a Saturday and arrived just as it was opening. The local fishermen were laying out their catch and I was thrilled to capture some great photos and video of the gorgeous seafood.
The Malaga fishermen were characters. Singing, smiling, posing for photos — they made the market experience!
While the fishermen offered silly antics, their goods were no joke. The fish was BEAUTIFUL. Yes, I said beautiful.
Can you imagine strolling down to your local market and purchasing tonight’s dinner that was in the ocean just hours ago? Incredible.
Besides the fish, there was every kind of fruit and vegetable you could hope for: red juicy strawberries, perfect artichokes, delightful mushrooms, crisp asparagus, leafy greens and succulent olives for every taste. I was on complete and utterly fantastic sensory overload.
After the rows of fresh produce, we came into the meat section. Holy Prosciutto Batman! Ham, sausage, salami and more, as far as the eye could see. Then, there were the cheeses. Soft, hard, goat, cows and sheep — they had it all. As a die-hard cheese lover, I felt like I had found my people. People who devote an entire section of a market to cheese.
We spent over an hour wandering around the market and taking in the freshness of it all. The food offered in the Costa del Sol region of Spain is simply incredible. Visiting the market, it’s easy to see why the restaurant prepared food we’ve enjoyed tastes so delicious!
Visiting Mercado Market really opened my eyes as to what can be missed if you stick only to the regular tourist destinations when traveling. It offered us a real glimpse into everyday life in Malaga that we couldn’t have gotten any other way.
When I found out we were visiting the Costa de Sol region of Spain, I immediately jumped online and began my research.
What did I find? Gorgeous ocean views, bright festive colors, a culture of sea-loving people, and the heart of it all, the vibrant metropolitan port city of Malaga.
Discovering it was just a 20-minute drive from our home base in Torremolinos, we marked it on the itinerary for day one.
Malaga is a city of rich history and modern convenience which offers everything from charming outdoor cafes and antiqued architecture to sprawling beaches and excellent seafood to the Picasso museum and the ancient Gibralfaro Castle.
We started our day finding a place to park (which was an adventure on its own) and then, like true tourists, jumped on the local double decker tour bus that allows you to jump on and off at your leisure. Perfect way to see the highlights of the city and get our bearings.
We delighted in the sights. The city’s infamous bullring, the picturesque Malagueta beach, the historic Malaga port (which on that day happened to be housing a HUGE yacht with a helicopter pad; in my mind I am convinced it belongs to either George Clooney or Jay Z), Picasso museum, the ancient Roman theater and more.
And then?
We ate.
At a little outdoor café in the center of the city, we dined.
Our meal began with 2 delightful Tapas.
A wonderful seafood and mayo concoction wrapped in a thick, soft tortilla coupled with a baguette piled with tomato, anchovy and an olive. Delicious.
We followed that up with a warm and satisfying cod soup and a fabulous prawn, avocado and tomato wrap, which I will definitely be adding to our menu at home.
Sitting outside, enjoying lovely weather, fresh food, and an older Spanish gentlemen singing, made for a perfect Malaga day.
We returned to Malaga a few days later to visit the famous Mercado Central Market. Stay tuned for pictures and video!
