Street Markets in Torremolinos

The mix is the usual Costa del Sol split between fresh food and everything else. Fresh fruit and vegetables and meat and poultry trade alongside clothing and textiles, footwear and leather, jewellery, flowers and plants, handicrafts, books and magazines, and antiques. Torremolinos Traditional Market is the largest of the three at 70 stalls, and it is the one where the produce pitches run deepest. The smaller flea market side of the scene is where the antiques and second-hand books turn up.

Come at nine rather than at noon. Everything is out by 9am, the last hour before the 2pm finish is mostly traders breaking down, and in summer an unshaded row of stalls is hard work by midday. Bring cash, since card acceptance varies from one stall to the next. Three markets in one town is a thin week by Málaga standards, so if you are here for several days it is worth checking the province page for the Thursday and Sunday markets in the neighbouring towns along the coast.

Staying in Centro puts you within walking distance of the markets and the seafront, which is what makes a 9am start easy rather than a chore; the characterful Hotel Miami sits close to the centre. You do not need a car for any of the three markets if you base yourself there. La Carihuela, a short stroll further along the front, is quieter and has the better run of restaurants for afterwards.