What to see

Let us be honest from the start: Torre del Mar is not a town of great monuments. If you arrive expecting a historic old quarter you will be disappointed. What it has is a seafront, a fishing-town atmosphere and very good light, and the three landmarks worth seeing all sit in a straight line along the sea.

The three landmarks

• The lighthouse. The symbol of the town, at the western end of the promenade. A detail few visitors know: Torre del Mar has had five different lighthouses through its history.
• La Azucarera. The chimney of the old sugar factory, which shaped the town's skyline and its economy for two centuries. Sugar cane, not tourism, built this coast.
• The promenade and the beach, which is the real attraction and where the town actually lives.

How to do it

Walk it from west to east, starting at the lighthouse, and do it late in the afternoon. You get the sun behind you at the end of the walk, which is when the dark sand photographs best. The whole route is flat and takes under an hour at a slow pace.