Attractions within 1 hour’s drive from Malaga

Torremolinos

Torremolinos is one of the original Costa del Sol tourist resorts. Just 40 years ago, it was a sleepy Spanish fishing village, but it’s now a fun-filled tourist destination that’s famous for its bars, beaches and restaurants. The town’s many nightclubs attract partygoers from all over the world. Torremolinos is well worth a visit as part of a driving holiday across Spain’s Mediterranean coast, and it will only take you about 15 minutes to drive there from Malaga Airport in your hire car.

As well as being the birthplace of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, Como was also the home town of the physicist Alessandro Volta, after whom the “volt” was named. You can see a statue of Volta in the town’s Piazza Voltaand you can visit the neo-classical Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple) on the banks of Lake Como, which houses scientific instruments and documents relating to Volta’s life and work.

Spanning a seven km stretch of coastline, the Paseo Maritimo in Torremolinos is one of the longest promenades in the world, and links the city’s six main beaches: Playa de Bajondillo, Playamar, Los Alamos, Montemar, La Carihuela and El Saltillo.

To truly appreciate the Paseo Maritimo, park your hire car and join the many the tourists and locals who embark on a leisurely stroll in the ambient evening light. Thrill seekers should head to Aquapark (Calle Cuba 10 Aquapark, Torremolinos, Malaga Province) to enjoy a range of exhilarating water-based amusement rides and leisure facilities including a tropical lagoon, mini golf, a wave pool and Europe’s tallest water slide. Shoppers will find stores offering a fantastic variety of goods in the town centre’s Calle San Miguel, while your holiday photo album wouldn’t be complete without pictures of the views from the 14th Century watchtower, Torre de Pimentel.
Directions: To get to Torremolinos from Malaga Airport by car, take the N-340A for Torremolinos, and follow the signs to the town centre.

Fuengirola

With over five miles of beaches, and an architecture combining an Arab past with the modern trappings of a thriving Spanish seaside resort, Fuengirola, is an ideal stop off for rest, entertainment and relaxation as part of a hire car holiday on the Costa del Sol. Fuengirola is just a short hop west from Torremolinos and it will take you about half an hour to drive from Malaga Airport to Fuengirola in your hire car.

Castillo Sohail stands on a hill next to Fuengirola’s main beach and plays host to a variety of concerts and entertainment over the summer months. The best bars and restaurants are to be found in the picturesque Fuengirola Port, where you can have a drink in the evening and watch traditional Andalucian fishing boats bringing home their catches. By day the port offers boat charters, excursions and dolphin watching trips.

Fuengirola Zoo, which is home to over 1300 animals including monkeys, chimpanzees, leopards, meerkats, Nile crocodiles and tigers. The zoo is open daily from 10am between April and August but closing times vary. If you are visiting during July and August you can take a night-time tour of the zoo, as it opens until midnight.
Directions: To get to Fuengirola from Malaga Airport by car, take the N-340A to join the A-7 motorway (signposted E-15 for Benalmádena.) Exit at junction 214 for Fuengirola and follow the signs to the town centre.

Around 40 minutes’ drive west along the coast from Malaga is one of Spain’s most lavish towns – Marbella. Famous for being a trendy destination for the mega-rich, Marbella boasts excellent golf courses, boutiques and marinas to suit the lifestyles of international jet-setters.

Marbella’s famous Golden Mile is a one mile area stretching from the west of Marbella to the luxury marina of Puerto Banús, and includes five star hotels, exclusive developments and a range of impressive villas and estates. Visitors are often amazed at the sheer number of Rolls Royces and Ferraris that cruise up and down the avenues and esplanades! The nightlife in Marbella is equally fabulous, with bars and clubs seeing the well heeled dancing night after night away, and there are restaurants to suit all tastes (and, thankfully, all budgets). Over the summer months, Marbella becomes a 24 hour extravaganza where members of the jet set lounge upon yachts during the day, and party through the night.

If your budget can’t quite stretch to clubbing with the rich and famous, don’t despair. There are still plenty of attractions to see in Marbella including the Municipal Art Gallery, the Spanish Contemporary Engraving Museum, the Marbella Mosque and the Bonsai Museum. Relax in one of the town’s many parks and gardens, take a look at the galleries and historic buildings in La Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) or visit the Saturday morning flea market at Puerto Banús.
Directions: To get to Marbella from Malaga airport by car, take the N-340 (signposted Torremolinos). Join the A-7 motorway (signposted E-15 for Marbella), followed by the AP-7. Follow the signs for Marbella

Other attractions within an hour’s drive of Malaga include: