Although Malaga City itself has a terrific range of bars and nightclubs, such as El Liceo, a club which is located in a grand Spanish mansion, is spread across two floors and has no less than four separate dance floors which each cater to a different taste in music, the resort that most 18-30s tend to head for on the Costa del Sol is Torremolinos.
Torremolinos has long since been a favourite with British holidaymakers. Situated only 10 minutes west of Malaga, its location has made it ideal for those who just want to hop off the plane and get straight on with their holiday, instead of spending hours sitting on a coach watching hordes of fellow visitors disembark along the way. Many simply book cheap flights and arrange their accommodation independently, either returning every year to a favourite hotel or apartment complex or trying somewhere different each time.
Torremolinos is a purpose-built resort and, because its popularity and success is so closely connected to British tourism (even today, around 70 per cent of its visitors come from the UK), it has grown up with a very British influence. English and Irish bars can be found easily and not just British, but a huge range of food is available from a wide range of different countries. Nowadays, it is a firm favourite with 18-30s from the UK and all over Europe, as well as with the gay community.
Whilst of course the 10 kilometres of wide sandy beaches and huge selection of watersports are both a huge attraction to young sun-lovers, the buzzing nightlife is every bit as important, if not more so. There are numerous bars and clubs which cater to a wide variety of tastes, whether it is English beer or a particular type of music that you are looking for. The best selection of clubs can be found along the Avda Palma de Mallorca and most of these start to open at around 10pm and, of course, stay open until the wee small hours. The Discoteca Palladium, with its nightclub, swimming pool and pizzeria is one of the most popular in this particular location. The Disco IVI Palace, which is situated on the Avda Carlota Alessandri, meanwhile, is a haven for lovers of electronic music, with a different party being held every weekend. Exotic shows are also very popular in the town and are frequented by gay and straight visitors alike.
The gay scene in Torremolinos, although it did take a dip around the turn of the century, has always been an important part of its modern day heritage. Around the start of the year 2000, with many young gays venturing off to new resorts in other countries, it was feared that the town had lost its appeal. Since then, however, a great deal of money has been reinvested in the bars and clubs which are now some of the best in Europe and the area around La Nogalera, which has long been the centre of the gay scene in the town, is very much alive and kicking once again.