The Costa del Sol is famous for its beaches, good weather… and pescaíto frito (deep-fried fish). Either in the outdoor terrace of a restaurant or a beach bar by the sea, having fried fish or a sardine skewer is a sort of ritual in coastal Málaga.
With more than 300 sunny days a year, Torremolinos is the perfect place to enjoy traditional cuisine and the Mediterranean Sea at once. On the beach you can lie in the sun, splash around, go kitesurfing and eat the best fish in costal Málaga.
Adjoining the sea promenade, the old fishing village of La Carihuela is home to some of the most popular fried fish restaurants in the area. Torremolinos pays tribute to this food specialty of Málaga’s cuisine in June every year with a big festival.
Fish and seafood cuisine
Fish and seafood are the most popular dishes at the chiringuitos (beach bars) of the Costa del Sol, but sardine skewers are the star dish. Benalmádena, Fuengirola and Estepona are peppered with fishing boats on the sand where the sardines are skewered and roasted.
In Manilva you can try several fish dishes made from ancient recipes like cuttlefish stew, potatoes with skate, cuttlefish stew or clams and noodles. To wash them down, drink one of the delicious wines made right out of the vineyards surrounding this white village.
Hinterland treasures
If you are more into hinterland landscapes and flavours, then Benalmádena and Mijas are your towns. Streets lined with whitewashed houses, cosy tuck-away squares and viewpoints affording stunning views of the Mediterranean make these two locations worth visiting. Traditional dishes – sopa cachorreña, gazpachuelo, and so on – are part and parcel of local cuisine in both.
Casares and Benahavís lie between the shoreline and the sierras. Typical dishes here include zarzuela de marisco (seafood stew), rabbit casserole and suckling pig. The area is quite popular with golfers and sports lovers.
Tapas and haute cuisine
Marbella is the gourmet destination par excellence on the Costa del Sol. It has several exclusive, Michelin-starred restaurants. The variety of dishes on their menus and their international atmosphere attract the most distinguished of guests.
However, there is more to Marbella than luxury and glamour. You can also have pescaíto, ajoblanco or gazpacho in this sophisticated city. The old town is the perfect place to go tapas as you meander about the picturesque streets.
