La Carihuela (Playa de la Carihuela) is the beach of Torremolinos’s old fishing quarter: a long urban beach of fine dark sand, about 2.1 km long and 30 m wide according to spain.info, running from the Torremolinos headland south-west to the Benalmádena marina. A promenade with restaurants, bars and beach bars runs behind the sand, local and metropolitan buses stop nearby, and Montemar Alto train station on the C-1 line is about a 15-minute walk from the heart of the quarter. It suits families, people without a car and anyone who wants fried fish by the sea; skip it if you are looking for a quiet, natural beach.
Quick facts
- Names: La Carihuela or Playa de la Carihuela, after the fishing district of the same name; OpenStreetMap also lists the name Playa de Fuente Salud for part of the sand.
- Where: Paseo Marítimo de Torremolinos, Torremolinos (Málaga). Spain.info places it between Torremolinos Point to the north and the Benalmádena port to the south.
- Coordinates: 36.6072, -4.5049 (OpenStreetMap, near the La Carihuela tourist office).
- Size: 2,100 m long and 30 m wide (spain.info).
- Sand: fine, dark sand (Andalusian tourist board and spain.info).
- Water: calm water in the tourist board’s text, moderate waves in its data sheet.
- Season: open all year; lifeguards at Easter and in summer.
- Entry: free.
Access and parking
By train: Montemar Alto station on the C-1 commuter line (Málaga Centro Alameda – airport – Fuengirola) is next to the Parque de La Batería, a 15-minute walk from the heart of La Carihuela according to the Andalusian tourist board; OpenStreetMap puts the station 0.8 km in a straight line from the tourist office on the beach.
By bus: the tourist board lists local line L-1 Aloha from the centre of Torremolinos, with stops along La Carihuela, and metropolitan lines M-110, M-112, M-120, M-121 and M-123, which stop on Avenida Carlota Alessandri a few metres from the beach.
By car: the tourist board lists parking areas. OpenStreetMap shows two small car parks just behind the beach near the tourist office and others on the streets behind; none is marked with a price.
From the airport: about 8 km in a straight line. The C-1 train runs from the airport to Montemar Alto in the Fuengirola direction.
What to expect
The Andalusian tourist board describes La Carihuela as an urban beach of fine sand with shade, a family atmosphere and a high level of services: hotels, apartments, bars, chiringuitos (beach bars), restaurants, sunbed rental, showers, toilets, water sports and shops of every kind. It is popular with residents and visitors alike. Spain.info calls Torremolinos’s fried fish, pescaíto frito, the star of the local food, and names La Carihuela as the seafarers’ district that kept the old local flavour after the tourist boom of the 1960s.
Expect a busy, developed beach backed by hotels, apartments and the streets of the old quarter, not a natural cove. The promenade is good for a long walk: south it leads to Puerto Marina in Benalmádena, north to the Bajondillo beach below the centre of Torremolinos. The tourist board mentions shade from palm-tree “oases” on the sand.
Practical details
- Facilities: toilets, showers, sunbed and sunshade rental, beach bars, restaurants, water-sports rental, a tourist office on the promenade, cleaning service (tourist board, spain.info).
- Tourist office: the La Carihuela municipal tourist office sits on the Plaza del Remo on the Carihuela promenade, phone +34 952 372 956 (spain.info).
- Lifeguards: at Easter and in the summer season (tourist board). Exact 2026 dates and hours were not published on the pages we could open.
- Food: fried fish, pescaíto frito, is the local speciality (spain.info).
Accessibility and safety
There is an accessible bathing point with assisted bathing opposite the tourist office next to the Plaza del Remo. In summer it has lifeguards, floats, hoists, sun loungers, amphibious chairs and shade; the tourist board says the shade is by appointment. The board describes access to the sand as easy. Outside Easter and summer there are no lifeguards.
Best time to visit
June and September are the best months for swimming with lifeguards and fewer people than July and August. Spain.info gives a typical water temperature of 20 °C. The tourist board lists the beach as open all year, so in winter it still works for a walk along the promenade and a fish lunch.
Nearby alternatives
- Puerto Marina (Benalmádena), 1.4 km away: the marina at the south end of the promenade.
- Bajondillo Cave, 1.7 km away: a prehistoric cave site under Torremolinos.
- Aqualand Torremolinos, 2.1 km away: the seasonal water park on the hill.
- Selwo Marina (Benalmádena), 2.9 km away: a dolphin, sea lion and penguin park in the Parque de la Paloma.
- Castillo de Colomares (Benalmádena), 6.3 km away: a castle-shaped monument to Columbus above Benalmádena.
- La Malagueta, 15 km away: Málaga’s city-centre beach, at the other end of the C-1 line.
Distances are in a straight line from the tourist office on the beach.
FAQ
How do I get to La Carihuela by train?
Take the C-1 commuter train to Montemar Alto. The station is next to the Parque de La Batería, about 15 minutes on foot from the heart of La Carihuela.
Is there parking at La Carihuela beach?
There are small car parks behind the beach near the tourist office and parking on the streets behind. In summer the bus or train is easier.
Is La Carihuela good for families?
Yes. The tourist board describes a family atmosphere, calm water, shade, toilets and lifeguards in season, and an accessible bathing point.
Does La Carihuela have lifeguards?
At Easter and in the summer season, according to the Andalusian tourist board. Outside those periods the beach is not supervised.
How long is La Carihuela beach?
Spain.info gives 2,100 m long and 30 m wide, from Torremolinos Point to the Benalmádena port.
Sources and freshness
Checked 6 November 2026 · 6 sources Show
Checked 6 November 2026. Official: Andalucía tourist board, Playa La Carihuela (description, services, accessible point, buses, train, lifeguards, contact); Spain’s tourist board, La Carihuela beach (length, width, sand, location, water temperature), Torremolinos (fishing quarter, fried fish), La Carihuela tourist office (address, phone) and Málaga airport (C-1 line). The Torremolinos tourist office website could not be reached from our research setup. Location, car parks, bus stops, station and distances: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos: Wikimedia Commons, licences as credited.
This place is part of our Costa del Sol travel guide: where it is, towns and beaches — see every town, beach and cove we have mapped on that coast.
How this page is made. CostaMap is written with an AI editorial system run by Ebizapple. This page is based on the sources listed above. Last updated 6 November 2026. Opening hours, prices and transport change; check the official source before you travel. How we work · Partner links and ads