Local food
Spain is very well known for its food. The local produce is wonderful – from acorn-fed pork to fresh calamari, to local artichokes. The seafood is the freshest we have ever seen or tasted, and the red peppers are enormous and so sweet. In September be sure to try the local mangoes, they grow on our mountain – we have never tasted one better!
Opening Times - Shops and Banks
All banks and shops (except supermarkets) are open from 8/9am-1pm, and then close until 4/5pm when they open again for three to four hours.
Everything is closed on Sundays and public holidays (of which there are many!).
If you arrive on one of these days please let us know in advance and we can arrange for some essentials to be collected, if you require.
The closest bank is in Vinuela village. There are lots of banks in Torre del Mar. Banks are only open in the morning, from 9-1pm, and are generally closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Velez Malaga and Torre del Mar have a wide selection of shops selling everything you may need, from delicatessens to kids clothing to local wine and fresh bread.
Puente don Manuel has a fantastic butchers, open 9-1pm and 5-7pm.
Supermarkets
The supermarkets are around 25 minutes' drive from the house. They are NOT open on Sundays. Most supermarkets are open 10am-7pm.
Velez Malaga has a Mercadona with an underground car park. You can get everything here, and they have an excellent fish/seafood counter, fresh bread, charcuterie selling jamon, etc.
Torre del Mar has several supermarkets. The Mercadona near the hospital is good and convenient as it is on the edge of town and easy to access. There is a Supersol and many independent fruit, vegetable, butchers and fish shops in the town – it's fun wandering around and picking up local produce. Try the bread and jamon from the charcuterie near the petrol station on Av. Andalucia – locals queue up here for the jamon!
El Ingenio This is a big shopping centre on the roundabout on the main road from Malaga – the Mediterranean motorway A-7, exit 272. (Velez-Malaga Torre del Mar turnoff, which is the same turnoff to our house. Here you have an enormous Eroski supermarket selling anything and everything, as well as major shops like Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, and an English bookshop where our friend Lara works… There are also restaurants and cafés, as well as two cinemas.
Markets
The Municipal Market in Velez Malaga is very good for fresh vegetables and seafood and is open Tue-Sat 9am-1pm.
Tuesday An English market at the bottom of the track in the Jardin del Trapiche sees lots of English people selling all sorts of rubbish, plus a few fruit and veg stands.
Thursday Torre del Mar has a massive street market in the centre of town selling clothing, shoes, nicknacks, vegetables, olives, etc.
Saturday Calletta on the coast going east towards Nerja hosts a street market similar to the above.
Sunday Nerja flea market/car boot sale can sometimes be a source of fun things and is good for children's clothes. It is a mix of Spanish and northern Europeans selling second hand goods.
Local Restaurants
All of the towns on the coast have little local bars where you can get a coffee and pastry or a beer/wine and local tapas. Often the best tapas arrives in the bars full of local old men – and they have the best atmosphere!
Vinuela
Our closest restaurant, Bar Camping, is a huge place up the Los Romanos Road and overlooks the lake. Turn right out of our house and head down to the lake, turning right on to the road at the bottom of the track, and then left on the lake road. Keep going for around five minutes, and you'll find it on your right – there are two restaurants. Order meat, as all the dishes are great – the T-bone is proper Fred Flintstone-style! And the chuletas (lamb chops) are delicious. Sunday lunchtime it is packed with Spanish families and is really noisy and fun.
T: 952 030 126
Hotel Vinuela is great for drinks, and for a more dressed-up dinner, and the food is very good. It's also a great spot for drinks by the lake on a hot summer evening. T: 952 519 193
Meson Sara in Puente don Manuel is a great little bar serving lovely tapas – the jamon platters and the albondigas (meat balls) are good.
Chez Spice, is a local Indian in a marquee on the Los Romanos Road, and is supposed to be good. T: 650 887 100
Torre del Mar
La Cueva is one of our favourites and is a fish and seafood institution. There are two restaurants next to each other and both are excellent. Try the rosada a la plancha, calamari and berenjenas con miel (aubergine chips with molasses honey). T: 952 54 40 34
There are some fantastic chiringuitos (beach bars) along the beach, which are open from April to October 31st. They cook sardines on open fires, which are delicious. If you go to the farthest end of the beach heading west, Bar Tanit is lovely, and has beach beds, a great bar and the food is very good. Order sardines and the special salad with goats cheese – yum!
Heladeria Ice cream parlors are dotted along the seafront, and the mango tends to be pretty good!
There are Italian and pizza restaurants, as well as some English and Chinese places in Torre del Mar. Personally we prefer the local food and have not tried any of these!
Nerja
This lovely Spanish holiday town, with its pretty Old Town, has a plethora of great places to eat or have a drink. There is quite an English expat population here now too, which means a greater choice in restaurants. The Balcon de Europa is the centre of town, and offers great views and plenty of little bars and ice cream shops.
Cerveceria El Pulguilla, Calle del Almirante Ferrándiz, 26, Nerja
This is our favourite tapas bar in Nerja. Stand at the bar and order a drink and chose any tapas for free, from the sweetest fresh prawns a la plancha to pinchitos – tiny skewers of marinated pork, or fresh mussels and clams. Alternatively, sit out the back in the big covered garden for a fun family atmosphere and a proper sit-down feast. Check out Pulguilla Tapas.
Pinochio is a really great Italian with a lovely terrace in the back – it's a brilliant place to go with kids for its excellent homemade lasagne and pasta sauces. The spinach lasagne is recommended.
El Nino A special place to go for dinner – great family-run little restaurant with wonderful food and wine. If it's in season, try the suckling pig.
Hotel 34 A good restaurant in this little hotel overlooking the sea. Again it's wonderful for a romantic evening out.
Opening Times - Shops and Banks
All banks and shops (except supermarkets) are open from 8/9am-1pm, and then close until 4/5pm when they open again for three to four hours.
Everything is closed on Sundays and public holidays (of which there are many!).
If you arrive on one of these days please let us know in advance and we can arrange for some essentials to be collected, if you require.
The closest bank is in Vinuela village. There are lots of banks in Torre del Mar. Banks are only open in the morning, from 9-1pm, and are generally closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Velez Malaga and Torre del Mar have a wide selection of shops selling everything you may need, from delicatessens to kids clothing to local wine and fresh bread.
Puente don Manuel has a fantastic butchers, open 9-1pm and 5-7pm.
Supermarkets
The supermarkets are around 25 minutes' drive from the house. They are NOT open on Sundays. Most supermarkets are open 10am-7pm.
Velez Malaga has a Mercadona with an underground car park. You can get everything here, and they have an excellent fish/seafood counter, fresh bread, charcuterie selling jamon, etc.
Torre del Mar has several supermarkets. The Mercadona near the hospital is good and convenient as it is on the edge of town and easy to access. There is a Supersol and many independent fruit, vegetable, butchers and fish shops in the town – it's fun wandering around and picking up local produce. Try the bread and jamon from the charcuterie near the petrol station on Av. Andalucia – locals queue up here for the jamon!
El Ingenio This is a big shopping centre on the roundabout on the main road from Malaga – the Mediterranean motorway A-7, exit 272. (Velez-Malaga Torre del Mar turnoff, which is the same turnoff to our house. Here you have an enormous Eroski supermarket selling anything and everything, as well as major shops like Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, and an English bookshop where our friend Lara works… There are also restaurants and cafés, as well as two cinemas.
Markets
The Municipal Market in Velez Malaga is very good for fresh vegetables and seafood and is open Tue-Sat 9am-1pm.
Tuesday An English market at the bottom of the track in the Jardin del Trapiche sees lots of English people selling all sorts of rubbish, plus a few fruit and veg stands.
Thursday Torre del Mar has a massive street market in the centre of town selling clothing, shoes, nicknacks, vegetables, olives, etc.
Saturday Calletta on the coast going east towards Nerja hosts a street market similar to the above.
Sunday Nerja flea market/car boot sale can sometimes be a source of fun things and is good for children's clothes. It is a mix of Spanish and northern Europeans selling second hand goods.
Local Restaurants
All of the towns on the coast have little local bars where you can get a coffee and pastry or a beer/wine and local tapas. Often the best tapas arrives in the bars full of local old men – and they have the best atmosphere!
Vinuela
Our closest restaurant, Bar Camping, is a huge place up the Los Romanos Road and overlooks the lake. Turn right out of our house and head down to the lake, turning right on to the road at the bottom of the track, and then left on the lake road. Keep going for around five minutes, and you'll find it on your right – there are two restaurants. Order meat, as all the dishes are great – the T-bone is proper Fred Flintstone-style! And the chuletas (lamb chops) are delicious. Sunday lunchtime it is packed with Spanish families and is really noisy and fun.
T: 952 030 126
Hotel Vinuela is great for drinks, and for a more dressed-up dinner, and the food is very good. It's also a great spot for drinks by the lake on a hot summer evening. T: 952 519 193
Meson Sara in Puente don Manuel is a great little bar serving lovely tapas – the jamon platters and the albondigas (meat balls) are good.
Chez Spice, is a local Indian in a marquee on the Los Romanos Road, and is supposed to be good. T: 650 887 100
Torre del Mar
La Cueva is one of our favourites and is a fish and seafood institution. There are two restaurants next to each other and both are excellent. Try the rosada a la plancha, calamari and berenjenas con miel (aubergine chips with molasses honey). T: 952 54 40 34
There are some fantastic chiringuitos (beach bars) along the beach, which are open from April to October 31st. They cook sardines on open fires, which are delicious. If you go to the farthest end of the beach heading west, Bar Tanit is lovely, and has beach beds, a great bar and the food is very good. Order sardines and the special salad with goats cheese – yum!
Heladeria Ice cream parlors are dotted along the seafront, and the mango tends to be pretty good!
There are Italian and pizza restaurants, as well as some English and Chinese places in Torre del Mar. Personally we prefer the local food and have not tried any of these!
Nerja
This lovely Spanish holiday town, with its pretty Old Town, has a plethora of great places to eat or have a drink. There is quite an English expat population here now too, which means a greater choice in restaurants. The Balcon de Europa is the centre of town, and offers great views and plenty of little bars and ice cream shops.
Cerveceria El Pulguilla, Calle del Almirante Ferrándiz, 26, Nerja
This is our favourite tapas bar in Nerja. Stand at the bar and order a drink and chose any tapas for free, from the sweetest fresh prawns a la plancha to pinchitos – tiny skewers of marinated pork, or fresh mussels and clams. Alternatively, sit out the back in the big covered garden for a fun family atmosphere and a proper sit-down feast. Check out Pulguilla Tapas.
Pinochio is a really great Italian with a lovely terrace in the back – it's a brilliant place to go with kids for its excellent homemade lasagne and pasta sauces. The spinach lasagne is recommended.
El Nino A special place to go for dinner – great family-run little restaurant with wonderful food and wine. If it's in season, try the suckling pig.
Hotel 34 A good restaurant in this little hotel overlooking the sea. Again it's wonderful for a romantic evening out.