Torremolinos by car: beaches, La Carihuela & tips
The original Costa del Sol resort, just minutes from Málaga airport, pairs long sandy beaches with the old fishing quarter of La Carihuela — famed for its beachfront seafood. The handiest first or last stop of a trip.
- Closest resort to Málaga airport (15 min)
- La Carihuela fishing quarter and its seafood chiringuitos
- Long beaches and a buzzing promenade
Getting to Torremolinos by car
It's the closest beach town to Málaga airport — about 15 minutes on the A-7. That makes it an easy first stop straight off the plane, or a relaxed last night before an early flight home.
Parking and getting around
Central underground car parks are the simplest option; for La Carihuela use the nearby lots and walk the seafront. The cercanías train links the centre to Málaga, but a car reaches the inland villages and the wider coast.
What to see and do
Spend the day on Playamar or El Bajondillo beach, then walk the promenade to La Carihuela for grilled sardines at a beachfront chiringuito. Málaga's museums and old town are 15 minutes east by car.
Rent a car for Torremolinos
Best explored by car. Compact automatic from €28/day — or pick any class.
Parking
Use central underground car parks or the lots near Playamar and La Carihuela; the old quarter is best on foot.
Nearest pickup
Málaga Airport — 15 km
More places worth the drive
Three towns in one — a pretty pueblo, a busy beachfront and the playful Puerto Marina — plus a mountain cable car and a fairy-tale castle. A varied, family-friendly stop close to Málaga airport.
Free parking at El Chorro entrance. Book the walk in advance.
The 'Garden of the Costa del Sol' keeps a genuinely Spanish old town — flower-filled lanes, a famous mural route and an easy, walkable centre — west of Marbella with long, uncrowded beaches.