The beach town of Torre del Mar, in the municipality of Vélez-Málaga, has a charming beach and a past dating back to the time of the pirates, which is attractive to tourists and locals.
In this article we will tell you what are the best things to do in Torre del Mar, a beach area in the Province of Malaga, Andalusia, the 10 things to do in Torre del Mar:
1. Spend a Day at the Beach
First things first, walk along the sandbank and swim in its rich beach. It is easy to enter Torre del Mar beach from the promenade. An urban beach of dark sand 2 kilometers long and 40 meters wide, which, due to its moderate waves, is a family atmosphere.
Restrooms, showers, kiosks, litter bins, first aid stations, and rental of umbrellas, hammocks, and boats, are some of the services in the sandbank. Added to these are a yacht club, surveillance, danger signs, parking for 100 vehicles, and a public transport stop.
Nearby there are food establishments such as Chiringuito El Boquerón, where they serve generous portions of fish and other seafood, with good service, excellent views, and prices.
2. Tour the Castle of Torre del Mar
Torre del Mar’s mission was to monitor the coast to spot possible enemy ships during the Middle Ages, both from Spain’s adversary nations and from pirates who devastated the Andalusian Mediterranean coast. Another responsibility was to protect the boats that anchored in the natural harbor. Therefore, the history of the town is closely linked to the castle.
The fortress corresponds to the concept of castle-fortress. It was the original core of Torre del Mar, although of the first architectural complex only the eastern tower and remains of the central trapezoidal bastion remain.
In the 1730s an important reform was carried out that gave it the current appearance, one that originally had much smaller dimensions. During the extension and renovation, a second composite front was added and two towers were built at the ends.
The castle was made up of the military building and the warehouses, since another of its functions was to safeguard the products destined for export, including wines, raisins, and citrus fruits that grow so well in Andalusia. Of the things to see in Torre del Mar, the castle is one of the most iconic.
3. Visit the Main Temples
The patron saint of Torre del Mar is San Andrés Apóstol, venerated in the town in a modernist-style temple that replaced a small Mudejar church, demolished in the 1960s.
The interior of the temple is clear since the use of columns and pillars was minimized, to achieve a more diaphanous environment without visual impediments to the altar.
An imposing and recently restored image of San Andrés stands out, as well as a figure of the crucified Christ carved by the image-maker, Francisco Buiza Fernández. There is also a beautiful sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen revered by Torreño fishermen for being their patron saint.
The Hermitage of Las Angustias was erected in the middle of the 18th century by the founder of the brotherhood, Pedro González, but it disappeared almost completely at the end of the 19th century to allocate the space to the construction of houses. Its beautiful cover was preserved, which testifies to the historical and artistic value of the hermitage.
It is a classic portal from the Baroque period with stone ashlars, 2 composite pilasters, a small niche, and a brick lintel added when it was restored.
4. Admire the Towers of Vélez-Málaga
The history of Torre del Mar and the municipality of Vélez-Málaga is linked to 3 towers (Manganeta, right and lopsided), which together with the castle formed the alert and defense device against the aggressive Berber pirates, who had their bases in the north of Africa.
The Manganeta tower, 3 km southwest of Torre del Mar, was built in the 16th century on the right bank of the mouth of the Vélez River.
This emblematic masonry and brick structure is also known as the Tuscan tower, by the name of the Vélez-Málaga sector where it is located due to the sedimentary contribution of the river partially below the ground. It is 800 meters from the coastline.
The lopsided tower, also known as the Portachuelo tower, is from the 16th century and, like the right tower, is in the municipality of Algarrobo, a short distance from Torre del Mar.
Both towers were declared Assets of Cultural Interest in 1993. Among the things to do in Torre del Mar, there are obligatory stops on tours of the local historical past.
5. Photograph the Lighthouses of Torre del Mar
The first Torre del Mar lighthouse began to function on the beach near the mouth of the Algarrobo River, in 1864. It was an 11-meter-high stone tower that used paraffin and olive oil as fuel. It collapsed 16 years later due to the instability of the terrain.
Provisional structures of wood and stone were in service until in 1930 they began to illuminate an 11-meter-high masonry tower, equipped with an acetylene lamp.
This signal lost effectiveness because the lighthouse progressively moved away from the coast. After all, the area between the structure and the sea was filled with detrital materials. Now it is a curiosity surrounded by buildings.
The signal returned to the seashore in a tower similar to the previous one located next to the new lighthouse, in 1969. It came into operation 7 years later in a 26-meter-high tower that was lit with acetylene until its electrification in 1998. It is located on the Paseo Marítimo and its visit is one of the first things to do in Torre del Mar.
6. Get to Know the Old Sugar Factory
The region of La Axarquia was a pioneer in Spain in the cultivation and industrialization of sugar cane and one of the main testimonies is this symbolic building, which stands out in the history and architecture of Torre del Mar since the mid-19th century.
Sugar production began in Torre del Mar around 1796, although the modern (for the time) factory was built to the industrial standard with steam engines used by Cuba in the 1840s.
After suffering economic problems, the mill passed into the power of the wealthy Larios family, being baptized Fábrica Nuestra Señora del Carmen.
The sugar factory was a fundamental factor in the economy of Torre del Mar for almost 150 years until it carried out its last sugar campaign in 1991. Two years later, the property was rehabilitated and converted into a cultural center and tourist attraction.
From the original industrial complex, 2 chimneys and a blemish are preserved, a name given in sugar jargon to the cylindrical container in which the sugar mass crystallizes. A replica of one of the steam engines used in the manufacture of sugar is also on display.
7. Visit the Virgen de la Victoria Home
The Hogar Virgen de la Victoria was built for charity during the first decade of the 20th century by the Larios family. At first, it was called the Ave Maria Building. In 1936 it was ceded for a school and since then it has its current name.
The 2-story, semi-basement building has a rectangular body, in the center of which a patio with plants was developed where there is a small chapel. The large windows allow for magnificent natural lighting.
This building, owned by the Junta de Andalucía, was included by the city council in 2016 in a list of protected buildings, in an attempt to obtain its ownership to dedicate it to cultural activities.
8. Pass by the Old Train Station
The old Torre del Mar train station dates back to 1904. It is made up of a rectangular central body with two floors and a nave, to which are attached two side bodies of one floor that make up a compact volume and maintain the harmony of the whole.
The decorative elements show an interesting syncretism with the use of brick in the openings, corners, and projections of doors, which is related to the neo-Mudejar style. Green glazed tiles were used on the overhanging eaves and gabled roofs.
In the lower body of the center, there are 2 access doors with raised openings aligned with each one. On each side body, there is a door similar to the two in the central body.
The building served as a station for the Vélez-Málaga / Málaga suburban railway line and currently functions as a local bus station.
9. Stroll through the Farmhouse Casa de la Viña
La Casa de la Viña is an old farmhouse built at the foot of Monte de la Viña, the original urban center of Torre del Mar until it was abandoned by the settlers who moved to the vicinity of the old castle, which ceased to serve when the middle of the century XIX.
The building was articulated around a central patio that communicates with the rooms, dependencies, and warehouses. To the west is the elongated main façade on two levels and to the east and south are the houses and warehouses. On the north side, there is a pavilion with 3 floors and a 4-pitch roof.
Among the things to do in Torre del Mar, a tour of the Cortijada Casa de la Viña will take you back to the time when the peasants and their families formed these agrarian villages with the sole concern of caring for their fields and raising their own.
10. Get to Know Casa Larios
House built-in 1888 in a regionalist style with Mudejar elements and home to the engineer of the sugar factory. It has 3 bodies, 2-pitch roofs, and 2 floors with the same number of pavilions, which join a transverse nave and in which the wooden footings and glazed tiles are appreciable.
It is distinguished by its height and the large openings that give it freshness in hot seasons. Also for its beautiful garden areas.
The elegant mansion has a small entrance porch supported by iron columns and an image of the Immaculate Conception made of 19th-century Sevillian tiles.
Casa Larios is one of the best examples of civil architecture in Torre del Mar. It is currently the headquarters of various dependencies and institutions of the municipality, including the music conservatory.
