“From the past, but back in fashion” is one of the meanings of the word retro according to the Dikke van Dale. Something that has been applying to fashion and home furnishings for some time now also for food and drink and now also for the holidays.
I must have been eight years when I went to Torremolinos for the first time, the popular Spanish seaside resort at Malaga. By plane that was not yet the most common means of transport. You can no longer imagine it in 2025, but then smoking was allowed on the plane.
For decades to the same holiday spot: “Although I have to go with my scooter!”
Times change (luckily in this case): no more cigarettes, but singer Frans Bauer who also checks in: How Retro! Before the inbox fills up with angry Bauer fans who shout that ‘Fransie’ has never been out of fashion: is correct, but his Do you have a moment for me‘From 2002, I already throw me back in time.
Nostalgic music
As far as music is concerned, this will Trip down memory lane become one big retrospect. At the first bar on the Boulevard on the Carihuela Take on me from A-HA (1985), a little further at a restaurant Schalt All Night Long Van Lionel Richie (1983) from the boxes, further down the beach tent Never Gonna Give You Up (1987) from Rick Astley and all the hits from Jon Bon Jovi are dusted. At my parasoles hotel, with a view of that boulevard and the beach, the complete series seems Cuddly rock-cd’s to repeat (I admit: I also had them all).
Sigrid (10) in the swimming pool of Bornsol, the apartment in Torremolinos where sea -year -olds came.
From the age of eight to about the age of thirteen we went every autumn holiday to ‘our’ apartment Bornsol, which is through my (too early) grandfather in 1987 via times (A concept that has now been maligned in which you buy for weeks in a certain stay) was ‘purchased’. It still exists, now modernized and the name ‘Ver-Spanst’ to Buensol.
The sports holiday is a trend: “After exercise we can have an extra lunch and eat!”
Endless my family, my parents, brother, Omi, Uncle and Aunt later walked my nephews on the boulevard. Strolling along the shops with ‘well -intended mess’, as my mother called the universal supply of air beds, slippers and colorful clothing.
Favorite places in Torremolinos
We knew you have the best saté at the Dutch eatery ‘T Karrewiel at and El Delfin The best tuna salad. The tastiest Sangria was donated to Miguel and the fish soup at Juan was unsurpassed.
For the tastiest tongue we went to ‘Opaatje’ as standard. Named after the old boss who always stared at the television stoically on his wooden bar stool, between the plastic tables covered with paper tables, under the fluorescent light.
Until he saw ‘Omi’ coming in: then his entire face lifted up and she, and then we were greeted with a warm hug. Until this current trip I had no idea what the restaurant was actually called, but inquiring that opaje Levante Last year got rid of and enjoys his well -deserved pension.
At the age of sixteen I went back with my two heart friends. Suddenly I got to know a completely different torremolinos: the nocturnal part.
Wrong holiday friends
We saw the sun coming up from the beach where we were with our wrong holiday friends. We forgot that my father would call us via the fixed telephone line that morning to ask if it all went well, there as teenage girls ‘in the big city’ (yes, but probably not the way he had in mind).
We forgot to confirm our return flight via the same landline, which then still had to be. We handed in our traveler checks to the bank to spend the money obtained in Bar Amsterdamwhere you got a free tequila with half a liter of beer. We were so drunk that even the taxi driver, who you still had to pay in cash, did not want to take us with us.
With girlfriends on teenage vacation, where Sigrid (here 16) experienced a very different side of Torremolinos.
We did the door close to disco Voom voomwhere we ate a fries with the just performed Sugar Lee Hooper. Such a great time that we returned the following year to do exactly the same thing. To find out that that one wrong holiday friend had the same idea, but with his girlfriend. Which he already had the year before …
Torremolinos loved by Dutch people
Fast Forward To 30 years (!) Later: I am now 46 years old and curious how it is now. How does such a journey feel back in time? And what makes Torremolinos such a fine retro destination? Because the Spanish resort is just like Frans Bauer: he has never really been out of fashion.
The other world of the Costa del Sol
This is also apparent from the figures: with more than 200,000 Dutch visitors in 2024, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2023, it is undiminished, although it had a small dip in the 80s and 90s.
The retrotrend was apparently used here two years ago: then the number of Dutch tourists rose by 47 percent compared to 2019.
View of the beach of La Carihuela, from Torremolinos.
It is the recognisability that causes many people to go back to Torremolinos, but also so that the retro holiday is a trend. In a time full of tensions and fear it is nice to go back to something from then, with the accompanying sense of safety, various experts in this area indicate.
In 2024, 202,607 Dutch people visited Torremolinos
That is an increase of 11 percent compared to 2023
The Dutch holidaymakers form 6.2 percent of the total market of visitors to Torremolinos
René Sanders (53), manager of the popular The click. Grand Café belonged among Dutch people – then with other owners – opened its doors in 1995 and, just like the many other Dutch eatery here, has many regular guests. “The tomato soup has been the same for 20 years,” laughs the born Limburger who has been living here since 1999.
René Sanders, manager of the Klikspaan in Torremolinos: “People feel at home.”
That is precisely why those regular guests soon come back 3 or 4 times a year: “They know what to expect, it’s like a living room: people feel at home.”
What has changed in Torremolinos?
Although the time has not stood still: The click has also been modernized, with QR codes for operation and a new design. “Broadly speaking, everything has remained the same, because of course you want to remain recognizable, that is what people come for. But you also have to go with your time.”
In recent years, Sanders has seen the hotels around him being refurbished. That was necessary, because there was a lot of decline. He also sees that more and more people have a second home here. Great for the customers. The biggest difference, however, is the way of vacation, he notes: “People go much more often. In the past, especially in summer and winter, nowadays they are no longer so seasonal.”
The perfect hotel for a city trip Málaga
The guests of the time come with their children and even those with their children and so the seaside resort is passed on from generation to generation, Sanders notes further. Which means that you not only see walkers, a persistent image that is wrong to stick to this region.
Much is still recognizable, according to the thousands of steps that I take in the three days that I am there. Nothing big (and usually ugly) is added. The boulevard still has its familiar appearance with the tile pattern and the shops with well -intended junk, although there is also more hips in between.
The smell of excessive garlic is still hanging, the Spanish waiters are still running while they are frantically elevating their voice and the daily menus still cost around 15 euros.
The favorite activity of many Dutch holidaymakers: walking over the boulevard.
The audience is also the same in my experience: those who are all satisfied with the small and recognizable things: croquette or tartar sandwich with extra onion and a cup of coffee at set times. And of course also lay the towel by the pool. They are also living proof that it does not all have to be far, expensive, exotic or complicated. They radiate that and that satisfaction can be felt here: not difficult, everything is good.
The characteristic chiringuitos have almost changed to hip beach tents.
Has nothing changed? Certainly! The characteristic chiringuitos Almost all have changed to hip beach tents with flashy interior, so that it suddenly has some of Bloemendaal away. There is now WiFi on the beach and on the menus of the countless (and mostly full of sitting) restaurants Loaded Fries and Pulled Pork.
Memories
But what has changed is that what makes my nostalgic feeling fine: fine and painful at the same time. There is a wealth of years of memories with my family, but no new memories are made with them.
My Omi and parents have since died, the ashes of my parents were even scattered here. Where they felt satisfied and safe and experienced so many beautiful years. Being back here brings up many of those memories.
Everything has changed in my life, but little in Torremolinos. Sometimes you would like everything to stay the same.
That’s how you get there
Daily departure from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven flights to Malaga, a trip of about 3 hours. From there you are in Torremolinos with fifteen minutes (by taxi or rental car). We flew with Corendon from Amsterdam.