GRANITE BEACHES
At first it seems that the seashore on the Costa del Sol is somewhat gloomy and grayish. The fact is that the beaches here are man-made. Instead of sand, they use granite, which is mined in the mountains and then crushed into fine grains. This “artificial” sand is considered unusually healing.
Beaches in Spain are public, so do not be afraid that you have wandered onto “someone else’s” territory belonging to another hotel. You can safely stretch out on the hot sand anywhere – no one will disturb you! Maybe once or twice they will offer you an umbrella or a sun lounger (of course, for a separate fee). There are plenty of activities for children and adults on the beaches. You can jump on a trampoline, paying from 200 to 1,000 pesetas depending on the time. For the restless, pedal boats and sports equipment are offered for rent, and for the lazy, vendors will bring cold water, fruit, or ice cream.
The weather on the Costa del Sol is quite favorable to vacationers. Even in the winter and autumn months, rainy days here are very rare. In July and August, as a rule, they do not happen at all, and in April, May, and June, rain may fall only 1-3 days a month. Air temperature in May and October is +23°C, in June and September +27°C, in July and August 29 degrees!
The swimming season usually begins in June, when the sea water warms up to 20 degrees, but there are daredevils who swim to invigorate themselves – in April and May the sea water temperature is usually no higher than 17 degrees. In August and September the water is the warmest (+24°C). True, there are exceptions: the water temperature here depends on the direction of the current. Sometimes it is very hot outside, but the water in the sea is cool, and vice versa.
The mild climate, excellent conditions for recreation, and unusual attractions have become so popular with tourists that the population of coastal towns increases by 25 times during the summer season.
The town of Torremolinos is located 12 kilometers from Malaga. If the city of Malaga, the fifth largest in Spain, is known as the capital of the Costa del Sol, then about Torremolinos they often say: “It is here that the Costa del Sol begins.” It consists of three completely different parts.
First, San Miguel. This amazingly beautiful street, with white houses, with balconies full of flowers, can be called the shopping artery of Torremolinos. When both shops and restaurants are open, San Miguel looks like a big bazaar – there are many luxury department stores and jewelry stores of the most famous brands. It is San Miguel that connects the city with the surroundings and shopping centers, as well as with the resort area of Bajondillo.
This charming seaside spot is located on the top of a cliff above the beach. The quarter is connected to the city center by two staircases, and from them there are beautiful views of the avenue leading to the sea and the beach. In Bajondillo there are many luxury hotels, restaurants, cafes, and all sorts of little shops. The beach with hammocks, umbrellas, showers, and various other services is called El Lido. From here it is a stone’s throw to Carihuela – a seaside avenue, another clearly defined district of Torremolinos.
Carihuela is a fishing quarter converted into a tourist zone, but preserving its maritime spirit. Fish restaurants in Carihuela are a separate topic; it is here that it is best to try small fried fish and shrimps, all kinds of shellfish in shells, raw and boiled, baked flounder, and huge crayfish. A quiet seaside pedestrian alley, along which on the coast there is a whole gallery of skillfully crafted sand figures – dolphins, fish, cats, dogs – stretches from Bajondillo to another magnificent resort town named Benalmadena.
In Benalmadena there is a golf course and a luxurious hotel-casino “Torrequebrada” with a grand “Flamenco” show. Not far from the coast, in the town of Arroyo de la Miel, there is the amusement park “Tivoli” (an exact copy of the park in Copenhagen) and the port “Marina”. It is in this port that the night begins on Friday and ends on Sunday, because, in addition to anchorages for ships, workshops, and garages, there is a seaside alley that is lively at any time of day. Bars and restaurants are open in the port all night from Friday to Sunday, and during the height of the season also on other days of the week. Both locals and tourists relax and communicate with each other over a glass of sweet Cuban rum with a sprig of mint and fresh lemon juice.
In the port on the seashore there is an amazing Aquarium (Sealine), where huge stingrays, seeing tourists, beg for something tasty.
“ENTERTAINMENT IN OUR TOWN”
Tivoli Park is one of the largest and most famous amusement and show parks in Spain. You can rest and relax not only in the bar and restaurant, one of which is called “Moscow”, but also in the theater, where the most famous artists in the world perform. The park has a typical Andalusian square, perhaps the most popular and visited – it is here that an exciting Flamenco show takes place. And on Western Square there are performances of a different kind – Wild West entertainment shows.
The “SuperTivolino” ticket, which is sold only in the park itself, will allow you to ride on 24 rides, if, of course, your age “allows” it. The fact is that the tickets have a rather strange warning: the administration is not responsible for the health of visitors. The same inscription is displayed at the entrance to “Pasafe Terror”, a cave of horrors or living nightmares. A single ticket here costs 600 pesetas, and for this money visitors get a sea of nightmares. The horrors here are literally walking – they chase tourists and try to hit them with something sharp or heavy. An elderly Englishwoman fainted when Count Dracula with a chainsaw ran after her. Since then, the warning inscription has appeared on the tickets.
You should have seen the face of the security guard of our wealthy compatriot when he lost his phone during this “terrible” journey – he was truly petrified with horror, for he had to return to the darkness once more!
"Tivoli World" is open daily; during peak season it operates from 18:00 to 3 a.m., and in April, May, June, September and October – from 16:00 to 1 a.m.; in December, January, February and March from 13:00 to 10 p.m. Getting to the park is very easy. From any town on the coast you can get here by bus, which runs on schedule, or by commuter train (this is certainly more comfortable) – it runs every half hour. The train ticket costs 185 pesetas. By the way, if you buy a return ticket, it will be 20 percent cheaper. Trains run along the entire Costa del Sol, and part of the route from Fuengirola to Malaga goes underground. You will see a red sign with a train drawn on it; go underground and you will find yourself at the station.