22 | EXPLORING TORRE DEL MAR
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FLYING HIGH IN SUNNY SPAIN
PICTURE a sunny beach that’s just a short, three hour flight from Belfast, with no lager louts, beggars, drunks and very limited levels of street vendors and no obvious crime. Add in the miles of promenade, or Paseo, the dozen or so chiringuitos - beach bars – some with live music - musica directo – and the adjacent naturist beach area if you are feeling brave and that’s the almost exclusively Spainish resort of Torre del Mar. We returned in early September for the now annual Festival Aereo International and stayed on for a full two weeks to bask in temperatures daily in the low 30s. Torre del Mar was once a bastion against invaders, seeking to take advantage of its location as a gateway to Mediterranean and then reverted to a fishing village. It now acts as the playground for residents in the nearby sprawling conurbation of Velez Malaga and Malaga itself, a city just a 40 minute drive
away.This year broke records, with the tenth anniversary air show attracting a new invasion totalling 300,000 enthusiasts on the big day itself, Sunday, which followed two days of practice – amounting to an air show in itself. Both the beach - and the sea - were loaded with spectators from early hours, many apparently dug in for the duration. Whole family groups, as is common practice on the average Spanish Sunday anyway, brought gazebos, tables, cooler boxes, food galore and beach chairs to accommodate entire extended family groups for the five-hour long free show. A modest police presence, associated ambulances on standby and even this year, a high profile anti-drone signals truck, ensured no trouble occurred – as always. Incredibility too, within an hour of the final ear shattering Eurofighter finale, a small army of well organised workers had the whole place spic and span, aided by the inbuilt Spanish desire to keep their own wee corner of beach clean, so much so that bags of refuse were deposited in neat piles for collection along specific areas of the hard packed beach access road. There’s a lesson there for us here in the UK, for sure.
Flight of fancy
We travelled to Malaga on a late afternoon Easyjet flight, allowing us to enjoy the Causeway Lounge first, now pre bookable for a very reasonable price. Once there, as we had already
Credit: ACAE
explored everywhere on the eastern Costa del Sol on many past trips, and knowing what car parking was like over the festival weekend, we took a private transfer, from the excellent and super reliable Malagatransfers. Being an almost exclusively Spanish resort, there are no shared coach transfers. The only other option is to go into Malaga itself and take the Nerja-bound public bus which stops in Torre; an impossible task at that late hour. Thanks to previous usage, our discounted rate was less that 50 pounds each way, being met on arrival and escorted to the waiting Merc, then driven to the door of our apartment all in less than an hour. Accommodation in
BY BRIAN MCCALDEN fact that the balcony was enclosed to enlarge usable living and bedroom space was initially regrettable, but given the enormous openable widows, proved to be a blessing. It gets just too hot during the day, so we would not have been able to sit out on said balcony anyway. Our second week was at the ultra modern Apartmentos Ricon del Mar,overlooking a lovely Spanish square and fountain at the corner of Calle Doctor Fleming, five minutes’ walk from the previous accommodation. Luciana and Marisa, two lovely ladies who split their time between reception duties and running the owners’ rather unique art gallery which is adjacent are welcoming and professional in equal amounts. The accommodation could be a showroom for chic minimalism, and whilst missing waking to panoramic seascapes at BellaVista, it was superb.
Night Life
Of course, once the ‘circus’ had left town, the seafront location was also perfect for people watching and promenading ourselves along the Paseo Maritimo. All the restaurants, bars and cafes were just close too, and in particular we enjoyed Momentos,
a
super friendly little cafe just below our initial accommodation. Staff are lovely, the food wholesome and homemade and of outstanding value, especially so because of the 95 percent Spanish clientele, who demand value and quality.
Torre del Mar is varied. Previously we favoured Apartmento Guerrero, just steps away from the sea, with a warm welcome assured from the lovely Rebecca. This year, leaving it too late to book, we had to try elsewhere and were well pleased with the result. A beautiful apartment, set in the BellaVista low rise block, and actually on the seafront, beckoned. We were super happy with its panoramic sea views and of course, VIP-style oversight of the air show in all its glory. Obviously a win-win for us, and thanks are due to the owner Dr Gerhard Keuck the owner and his lovely apartment neighbour Herminia, who welcomed us warmly at Apartmento BuenaVista. It was also sunny every day with truly amazing sunrises. The
The same is true in the competitive market that exists between restaurants with a huge main course per person and drinks for roughly 40 pounds, equivalent. Particular mention must go to The Safari Lounge, which we enjoyed on several nights; the three meats ‘on the stone’ – cooking your own dinner on a slab of superheated lava stone - was a great experience. Super friendly and professional staff too, and top quality produce. Restaurante La Masseria, near the lighthouse was again exceptional. Their pizzas are the very best and the lasagne massive and wholesome. On the actual shore, Sirena Beach is a superb chiringuito, which is surrounded by palm trees,
tastefully
illuminated at night. With both sunbeds and couches nestling on the sand what’s not to enjoy. Food too, including our anniversary night dinner was plentiful – with huge portions - and all very keenly priced. There is a regular live music too, with plenty of dancing on the sand as the moon illuminates the gently lapping waves on the shore. Boraz Chiringo Club is also on the beach and has live music - Musica Directo – on at weekends, mostly late afternoon until about 8pm.
Casa Miguel, just feet from our original apartment door, became a must every night. After dinner it was the perfect place to sit and people watch as a seemingly endless parade of well dressed, well behaved visitors and locals alike stroll by. Eating some freshly barbequed sardines which are grilled to order on the bar’s own open air parilla, set inside a large wooden boat packed with sand and barbequed over wood, is an experience all of its own. When it closed, relatively early around 11pm, we adjourned to Vox, a sportsbar, which stayed open and trading much later into the night. It to was just steps from BellaVista. Victioria chiringuito was a daytime favourite. It sits directly on Playa de Torre del Mar, adjacent to our daily swimming spot – pick anywhere, because it is only crowded during the airshow – and you get an idea of the laid back way of life.
Bliss
We soon adapted to Spanish timings, going to the weekly market or the plentiful and varied local shops and fruit and vegetable stores, or the always busy fish shops – you have to take a ticket on entry for your turn to be served – in the mornings before siesta. Then it was the routine to go to the beach, as the locals do,
around
4pm, leaving about 6 or 7pm, to either prepare our own dinner and go for drinks
later along
the Paseo or enjoy a pre-prandial before dinner out. Watching the
seagulls surround the fleet of fishing boats heading home into nearby Caletta port and seaside village is another daytime must. Caletta is well worth a visit too – being only a half hour dander to enjoy one of the many marina-facing bars and restaurants. In conclusion, a return visit to Torre del Mar is a certainty. Dancing on the sand to the Musica Directo is optional.
November/December 2025
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