A poor fishing village before the growth in tourism began in the late 1950s, Torremolinos was the first of the Costa del Sol resorts to be developed and is still the most popular in the region.

The town benefits in the summer from cool sea breezes predominantly coming from Africa, although this does mean a fair amount of Sahara dust.

In addition to its tourism sector, Torremolinos is known locally for its vibrant and liberal nightlife, particularly its numerous bars and clubs catering to the LGBT community.

Archaeological finds, including human and animal bones, tools, and pottery prove that the Torremolinos area was settled as early as the Neolithic Age.

Water mills covered all this area of which only one survives (Molino de Inca) and one tower which forms part of a restaurant.

In the 1990s a Roman necropolis was discovered with 23 graves at the "San Luis build" at Cantabria's square, which confirm the existence of a village of about 2000 years old.

Around 1300, the Muslim dynasty of the "Nazríes", which governed Málaga between the 13th and 15th centuries, built the defensive tower that can be seen at the end of San Miguel Street.

During the War of Spanish succession, an Anglo-Dutch fleet, commanded by the British Admiral George Rooke, looted and burned the houses and mills and destroyed all of Torremolinos.

With the demise of the mills, Torremolinos became a small fishing village until the end of the 1950s when it became one of the first tourist centers in the Costa del Sol.

In the 1950s, many celebrities visited Torremolinos such as Brigitte Bardot, Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando, Orson Welles and Frank Sinatra.

The town benefits in the summer from cool sea breezes predominately coming from Africa although this does mean a fair amount of Sahara dust.

On rare occasions heavy dust storms known as Calima can discolour the normally pristine white buildings and even turn the sky orange.

[17] At the end of September Torremolinos has the Feria de San Miguel, a celebration that includes parades, music and dance shows happening both in the fairgrounds and in the city center for up to a week.

[18] In mid October each year the Komando Motorbike Festival takes place with approximately 15,000 bikers attending the Palacio de Congresso.

[26] Torremolinos has some early shopping centres built in the 1960s and 70s most of which are sparsely populated due to unmotivated landowners and difficulties with disabled access.

[27] In 2016, approval was given for a massive shopping, hotel, casino and leisure complex to be built by the same company, Intu, that developed the Trafford Centre in Manchester on land next to Aqualand and the A7 motorway and primary ring roads.