Torremolinos to name streets after local people who have helped put town on the map

Torremolinos town hall has approved the addition of the names of some of its illustrious residents to the municipal street map - individuals who, according to the town’s mayor, Margarita del Cid, through their remarkable social, cultural, and human contributions, have helped to “elevate our town”, and who, in their respective fields, “deserve a lasting place within it”.

Those who are to be honoured with this distinction are the celebrated flamenco dancer (Pasaje José Losada - ‘Carrete de Torremolinos’), and a person considered a true legend of the Costa del Sol's nightlife scene (Pasaje Paul el Punky).

The decision was approved during last week’s full council meeting, after which, the mayor received El Carrete at the town hall, where he was informed of the news.

Although not born in the Costa del Sol town, El Carrete, 82, arrived in Torremolinos from Antequera as a teenager, where he has spent his entire adult life.

This is not the characteristic dancer’s first honour from his chosen place of residence. In 2018, Torremolinos named him Hijo Adoptivo (adopted son), while in March 2023, a life-size bronze statue was unveiled in Plaza Costa del Sol, an honour he described at the time as his “greatest joy”.

Otherwise known as The Gypsy Fred Astaire, the flamboyant flamenco dancer has delighted audiences around the world with his spectacular dance style, pinning Torremolinos on the world map of flamenco.

Paul ‘El Punky’, DJ and owner of several local bars during the 1980s, died in January 2025. He was one of the first to introduce punk music to the Costa del Sol. He started working as a bartender at Tropicana, but soon made the leap to the clubbing and nightlife scene, which he never left. Those who knew Paul, the protagonist of the song 'Él es un Bazar', composed by Danza Invisible in 1991, described him as a “flamboyant but endearing character”.

The council will also rename streets in honour of two prominent school teachers - Calle Maestra Doña Julia and Calle Maestro Francisco Aguilar.