Town · Andalusia, Spain, Europe
Torremolinos, Andalusia
The first Costa del Sol resort, four train stops from Málaga airport: four Blue Flag beaches including La Carihuela, five C-1 stations, and a long LGBTQ+ history. Research draft, not first-hand.
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Our pick
- 1-bed flat, centre
- €1,000 / month
- Crowd-sourced, rough guide
- Time zone
- Madrid time
For families
Torremolinos with kids
Opening hours, prices and age limits for each day out, with the date we read them. Beaches have their own access notes further down.
Four Blue Flag beaches in 2026
El Bajondillo, La Carihuela-Montemar, Los Álamos and Playamar (ADEAC 2026).
Parque de La Batería
free, next to Montemar Alto station; big playground, boat hire on the lake, carousel, 15 m viewing tower (turismotorremolinos.es, 9 Oct 2026).
Crocodile Park
adults €18.50, children 5–10 €13.50, 3–4 €10.50 (price page last updated July 2025); hours page says 11:00–17:00 from September to June, its opening calendar 10:00–17:00 daily to 31 December 2026; check before you go (cocodrilospark.com, 11 Oct 2026).
Aqualand water park next door
adult €40, family pack (2+2) €122; seasonal, check the calendar (aqualand.es, 9 Oct 2026).
Jardín Botánico Molino de Inca
closed Mondays, otherwise 10:00 to 18:00 (to 21:00 in summer), bird show Wednesday and Friday (turismotorremolinos.es).
In detail
The notes behind this page
Torremolinos is a town of about 71,000 people just west of Málaga airport and the first resort built on the Costa del Sol. The C-1 train stops five times in the municipality, and the centre station is the fourth stop from the airport (about 10 minutes). It has four Blue Flag beaches along a promenade of nearly 8 km, La Carihuela’s fried-fish seafront at the west end, and one of Spain’s longest LGBTQ+ histories. It suits couples and families on a budget who want the beach, the airport and Málaga close without a car. If you want a quiet old town, look at Nerja instead.
Places we researched
| Type | Places |
|---|---|
| Beach | La Carihuela (Blue Flag, fried fish, walk to Puerto Marina) |
| Kids | Parque de La Batería (free, by Montemar Alto station) · Crocodile Park |
| Sights | Jardín Botánico Molino de Inca (botanical garden, Japanese garden) · Calle San Miguel |
| Water park | Aqualand (closed November to March) |
Everything to see and do, with winter and getting there: things to do in Torremolinos.
Keep reading: 3 more sections
Why Torremolinos (research)
- Population 71,329 (1 Jan 2025); 20 km². [Wikidata, 9 Oct 2026]
- The first Costa del Sol resort to be developed, from the late 1950s; the beach runs for nearly 8 km. [Wikipedia]
- Five C-1 stations: Los Álamos, La Colina, Torremolinos (La Nogalera), Montemar Alto and El Pinillo. At Torremolinos station, trains towards Fuengirola run from about 05:40 to 23:50 and towards Málaga from about 06:30 to just after midnight, every 20 minutes for most of the day and every 30 to 40 minutes early and late. [turismotorremolinos.es; es-Wikipedia, Línea C-1; Renfe timetable data, 13, 17 and 18 Oct 2026] From the airport, with last trains and taxi fares: Málaga airport transfers.
- Four Blue Flag beaches in 2026: El Bajondillo, La Carihuela-Montemar, Los Álamos, Playamar. [ADEAC]
- LGBTQ+ history: Spain’s first gay bar, Toni’s Bar, opened here in 1962 (Wikipedia); Pasaje Begoña is twinned with the Stonewall Inn (town tourism office). [Wikipedia; turismotorremolinos.es]
- Rent (Numbeo, last update 30 Aug 2025, 9 contributors): 1-bedroom centre €1,000, outside €900. Stale and thin; Benalmádena’s figures are newer. [numbeo.com] For a month’s stay, the October 2026 lease rules (Royal Decree-law 29/2026) are in Málaga monthly rentals.
With kids (research)
- Parque de La Batería: free, 74,000 m², playground, rowing boats, carousel, viewing tower with a lift. [turismotorremolinos.es]
- Crocodile Park: adults €18.50, children 5–10 €13.50, 3–4 €10.50; the price page was last updated in July 2025, so check before you go. [cocodrilospark.com, 9 Oct 2026]
- Aqualand: adult €40, family pack (2 adults, 2 children) €122; seasonal, so check the calendar. [aqualand.es, 9 Oct 2026]
- Lifeguard season at La Carihuela: Easter week and 1 June to 30 September. [turismotorremolinos.es]
- Benalmádena’s parks are three stops on: Benalmádena is researched separately. More in the Costa del Sol with kids.
Open questions
Torremolinos: quick answers
How do I get from Málaga airport to Torremolinos?
Take the C-1 Cercanías train towards Fuengirola. Torremolinos station (La Nogalera, in the centre) is the fourth stop after the airport, after Plaza Mayor, Los Álamos and La Colina, about 10 minutes away (9 to 11 minutes in Renfe's timetable data). The municipality has five C-1 stations: Los Álamos, La Colina, Torremolinos, Montemar Alto and El Pinillo. At Torremolinos station the first train towards Fuengirola leaves at about 05:40 and the last at about 23:50; towards the airport and Málaga trains run from about 06:30 until just after midnight, every day (Renfe timetable data, checked for 13, 17 and 18 October 2026).
Is Torremolinos gay friendly?
It is the best-known LGBTQ+ destination in southern Spain. The town's tourism office calls it the capital of southern Europe for LGBTIQ+ visitors. Pasaje Begoña, where Spain's first LGBTI venues opened in late 1962 before a mass police raid in 1971, is twinned with New York's Stonewall Inn and has a free guided tour by the Asociación Pasaje Begoña. Pride is held every spring, and a Winter Pride started in 2022.
Is Torremolinos good for families?
Yes, on the data we checked: four Blue Flag beaches, the free Parque de La Batería by Montemar Alto station, Crocodile Park, the Aqualand water park and a botanical garden. Benalmádena's Selwo Marina and cable car are three stops further on the train. Research, not first-hand.
What is La Carihuela?
The old fishermen's quarter and its beach, about 2 km long, at the west end of Torremolinos. It is known for fried fish (pescaíto frito) and its 1950s–60s film-star visitors, and you can walk west along the seafront to Puerto Marina in Benalmádena.