One town, three lighthouses

Late August and September is the perfect time to visit Torre del Mar. The busy summer period is over but the town’s many chiringuitos (beach bars) and bars are still throbbing with business and the sound of the locals who reclaim their favourite tables once the tourists have gone home. There are still lifeguards until the end of September and of course it is home to one of the Costa del Sol’s best dog beaches.

The town also boasts the longest promenade (paseo marítimo) on the Costa del Sol and its wide stretch allows for pedestrians, cyclists, beach bars, well-tended garden areas, sports courts and outdoor gyms and even a summer market with dozens of stalls that open every evening until 15 September. A stage near to the two lighthouses offers performances of music, dance and more most evenings until 28 August.

Yes, two lighthouses and just a few metres behind them, a third one peeks out from between the more modern buildings on a little square just off Avenida Toré Toré, the busy street that connects the seafront to Avenida Andalucía. Here there is an excellent selection of eateries from traditional Spanish cuisine, to burger bars, Indian, Italian and Greek food and more.

But why does one small seaside town have three lighthouses? The explanation lies in a combination of storms, technical advances and above all, urban growth. Whenever one of these structures ceased to fulfil its function properly, it was replaced by another. What is exceptional is that, rather than being demolished, the older ones were preserved. In fact, Torre del Mar once had five different lighthouses, although only three remain standing.

T he story begins in 1864 with the inauguration of the first lighthouse, situated next to the mouth of the River Vélez to the west of the town. Its location seemed the most suitable for guiding ships, but the sea ultimately had the final say. Severe storms gradually eroded it until it was destroyed just 16 years later.

While plans were being drawn up for a new structure, a second lighthouse was built; this time a temporary one, built of wood. However, its existence was short-lived and today it survives only in photographs and historical documents.

The next replacement came in 1930 with the Toré Toré lighthouse, a small tower that fulfilled its purpose perfectly for decades. However, the rapid growth in tourism that Torre del Mar experienced from the 1960s onwards eventually became its greatest enemy. Buildings sprang up around it until it became difficult to see the light clearly from the sea.

This made it necessary to build a new lighthouse nearer the beach and it came into operation in the late 1960s on a largely temporary basis, as a few years later Spain’s maritime signalling plan recommended the construction of a more modern and efficient tower.

In 1976, the current, iconic blue and white striped lighthouse, was built (although initially it was just white) and it continues to guide ships along the coast of Torre del Mar. However, neither the temporary lighthouse nor the historic Toré Toré lighthouse was demolished, which explains the unique situation of the town with three lighthouses.

The old Toré Toré lighthouse is also linked to the Civil War: according to local legend, lighthouse keeper Anselmo Vilar became a hero during La Desbandá, the tragic episode in February 1937 when thousands of civilians fled Malaga for Almeria under fire from Franco’s forces.

Legend has it that Vilar deliberately didn’t turn on the light for two nights to confuse Italian and German warships, preventing them from targeting refugees on the coastal road. For this act of defiance, he was allegedly executed by Francoist troops between 9 and 10 February 1937. However, the legend has recently been questioned through research which shows that he was not the lighthouse keeper at the time.

The three remaining lighthouses offer an insight into the evolution of Torre del Mar. Few towns in Spain can boast such a unique collection of historic lighthouses so near to each other and the fifth one remains in service 50 years later.