Ava Gardner: a lasting imprint on the Costa del Sol

Many towns along the Costa del Sol have revitalised run down areas with stunning murals created by local urban artists. A large proportion are of foreign musicians, celebrities and Hollywood stars who left their mark on these towns during visits, and many of them have been etched into that particular town's history for one reason or another. One of these is Ava Gardner, the Hollywood icon who visited Torremolinos in 1955 and whose 12-metre-high mural was painted on the side of the Hotel Princesa Solar almost 75 years later. Gardner arrived in the province to attend the Malaga fair in the August of that year and she did not actually stay in Torremolinos. Instead, she checked in to the Hotel La Roca in Benalmádena, which, at the time, was advertised as being in Torremolinos.

The actress of films such as Mogambo and The Flying Dutchman had settled in Madrid the previous year, and she is said to have "revolutionised" the nightlife of the capital. Gardner had a reputation for enjoying the high life and had become friendly with a string of Spanish celebrities, such as singer Lola Flores, actor Paco Rabal, and, in particular, the handsome bullfighter, Mario Cabré.

On her arrival at the Malaga fair, the press claimed that the actress "was a serious drinker and that her capacity for fun was inexhaustible".

A journalist who accompanied the actress during her time in Torremolinos wrote, "We spent four glorious days, going to the bullfights, swimming in the sea and partying."

Gardner is said to have fallen in love with the beaches of Torremolinos. She certainly liked to party and enjoyed attending private Gypsy flamenco sessions, during which, as reported by Diario SUR, "she loved the wine, which she did not stop drinking until dawn".

Along with the mural located on the façade of the hotel in Avenida Carlota Alessandri, the town hall also named a street after the Hollywood star to commemorate her visit.