Is Torremolinos Safe in March 2026?

Promoters on the seafront promenade and around resort hotel lobbies hand out scratch cards that always reveal a prize — typically a free gift or holiday. To claim it, tourists must attend a property or holiday club presentation. These are high-pressure multi-hour sales pitches for timeshare or points-based holiday schemes with no resale value.

How to avoid: Discard any unsolicited scratch card immediately. The free prize is a sales hook — the cost is hours of your holiday under aggressive sales pressure. Legitimate prize draws do not require you to attend a meeting.

ATMs across Torremolinos, particularly standalone machines near the beach and in tourist shopping centres, prompt users to accept the machines own conversion rate when withdrawing in their home currency. This dynamic currency conversion always offers a worse rate than your banks rate and can cost 5 to 12 percent extra per withdrawal.

How to avoid: Always choose to be charged in euros (the local currency) when an ATM asks you to choose a currency. Decline dynamic currency conversion in all cases. Use bank-affiliated ATMs where possible.

Several restaurants along the Paseo Maritimo and in the La Carihuela district use a two-tier pricing strategy, showing cheap set-menu prices on outdoor boards to attract tourists while charging full a la carte prices inside. The bill frequently includes a cubierto cover charge, bread, and bottled water that were placed on the table without being ordered.

How to avoid: Request the menu turistico explicitly and confirm its contents. Refuse items brought to the table without ordering them by telling the waiter to remove them immediately. Check every line on the bill.

Three-card monte and shell game operators set up on the Playa de la Carihuela and Bajondillo promenades, often with a group of planted accomplices pretending to win. Tourists are drawn in and lose money once they place their own bet. Lookouts signal when police are nearby, causing the entire operation to disappear within seconds.

How to avoid: Never stop to watch or participate in street betting games. If you see a crowd gathered around a makeshift table, walk past — the apparent winners are always confederates.

Street vendors near the beach access points and around the Calle San Miguel shopping area approach tourists and quickly tie a bracelet around their wrist before consent is given. Once on, they demand payment, sometimes aggressively, and refuse to remove it. Multiple vendors may approach at once to overwhelm the target.

How to avoid: Keep walking and do not engage. If someone approaches with string or a bracelet, put your hands in your pockets immediately. Say no firmly and do not allow anyone to touch your wrist or arm.