Plaza de La Nogalera Torremolinos unveils it’s brand new makeover to very mixed reactions

The freshly renovated public space in Torremolinos has been unveiled, with new pergolas, shaded places, lighting and ornamental elements but not everyone is thrilled with the result.

A landmark reopens after months of work

Plaza de La Nogalera, one of Torremolinos’s busiest and well-known meeting points, reopened its doors on Thursday, July 23 following a major renovation. Mayor Margarita del Cid led the official ceremony at 10pm, joined by regional government delegate Patricia Navarro, government sub-delegate Javier Salas and members of the town hall. Joining them were crowds of residents and tourists who had gathered to see the results for themselves.

Works stretched beyond the actual square, taking in Calle Emilio Esteban, Calle Antonio Giron and a stretch of Calle Cauce. Officials describe it as one of the town’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects in recent years, aimed at making daily life easier for everyone who passes through.

Structures, shade and clever design

Designers have installed 34 textile canopies across the plaza, built from a microperforated ochre mesh fixed to a metal frame. A central pergola measuring roughly 500 square metres anchors the whole design, intended to lower temperatures and give the space a stronger sense of identity. Renewable energy collection has been built into these structures too, feeding into an integrated energy management system and helping offset the urban heat effect that so many towns battle in summer.

Celebrations across the town centre

Reopening festivities spilled across Torremolinos beyond the plaza itself. Free activities ran from 7pm featuring children’s workshops inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, live music, a stunning fashion catwalk, hairdressing demonstrations and a street parade of ten fantastical floral characters. Torremolinos’s LGTBI choir also took to the stage to wow the crowds.

Reaction splits online

Not every response to the finished square has been glowing. Social media comments beneath photos of the reopened plaza have raised a recurring complaint: a noticeable absence of trees and greenery where older vegetation once stood.

Several users questioned where the promised shade has actually gone, with one commenter joking the plaza should be nicknamed the “Square of the Poles” given how many metal structures now dominate the space. Another social media user simply asked, “where are the trees?”

Cost was also discussed online, with one comment claiming the project carried a price tag of around €3.2 million and questioning why it took so long to deliver so little visible planting. A longer post argued that real sustainability depends on “mature trees, natural shade, vegetation, biodiversity” rather than concrete and modern lighting alone, adding that Torremolinos “deserves a square that is modern, yes—but also alive, welcoming, and prepared for the heat.”

One particularly blunt comment described the finished plaza as looking like “an open-air brothel,” while another said it simply “needs benches, flowers, and shade.”

Looking positive and pushing criticism aside, many said it was stunning, super and gorgeous, plenty of residents remain hopeful the council will add further planting over time.