THERE is an unassuming but beautiful and tourism-oriented economy in Malaga called Torremolinos. Torremolinos is a 20 square kilometer stretch of beaches and urbane joints alike interspersed with Catholic churches. Its current mayor is Pedro Fernandez Montes and as of 2006, it has a population of only 55,479. That fact alone simply means you can mingle with a local for even just five minutes of conversation where you can learn a thing or two.

Despite its relatively being unknown, Torremolinos is the first city in Costa del Sol to be developed as a tourism industry and numerous high rise buildings and signature shops now abound the city. Because of the influx of the tourists during summer, the population immediately ascends to about 250,000. Along this line, it is also noted that the mostly British and gay tourists here fill even the most humble hostals. That’s why when you intend to come here in Torremolinos, you must book quite early. A two month’s notice will do. Winter is a different story though. All the tourists are gone and those who have learned to appreciate the place must have extra layers of clothing to their bodies as temperatures can easily go down from 18 degrees Celsius during summer to about -3 degrees Celsius during winter.

In the shore outskirts, Torremolinos still bows down to its past though as fishermen fresh from their catch in the Mediterranean return to the coastline to find their community peers queuing and waiting to buy their fresh sea produce. The people in Torremolinos then cook the fresh fish home while others are served wonderfully in five-star restaurants at the city center. Remember that the Spanish hate eating their fish frozen and so they always cook seafood fresh. The most popular of these places is the La Carihuela fisherman’s quarter. Beside it lies the La Carihuela beach which is usually a haven for gays. Gays account for half of the tourist population here and the other half are filled with British pensioners who have come to live in Torremolinos in peace for the rest of their lives.

Some bring their British wives with them while others (who are still single) have learned to find a partner here. Those who do have contributed immensely in making Torremolinos a melting pot of races so to speak. In return, these people have learned two things that they can’t forget the rest of their lives – Torremolinos cultural awareness and the Andalusian dialect. And even though the gays are quite liberated, Torremolino natives retain their being conservative. This is exemplified through a few number of religious structures erected here like the parish church of San Miguel Archangel.

To come here in Torremolinos from any regional capital in Europe, you must enter through the Malaga airport. If you’re coming from another European country, you don’t need to have a visa. From Malaga, you can hop into a train which has daily trips from Malaga to here. Or you can always rent a car for the duration of your visit here.