Vélez-Málaga sits inland on its hill, but the coast is only a few kilometres away and the easiest excursion is straight down to the sea. Torre del Mar is the town's own beach resort, about 4 km south at the mouth of the Vélez river and connected by local bus and an easy cycling route. It has a long, gently shelving beach on the quieter eastern Costa del Sol, a pleasant paseo marítimo, and chiringuitos serving espetos — sardines grilled over open fires on bamboo skewers planted in the sand. It is an unpretentious, genuinely Spanish beach town that makes a natural afternoon counterpart to a morning spent in Vélez-Málaga's old town.
Beyond the coast, the Axarquía hills behind the town reward a day of slow driving: terraced Muscat vineyards, white villages on steep slopes, and small bodegas that welcome visitors for tastings. Cómpeta, about 30 km away by mountain road, is the best single base for the wine country and holds a lively wine festival each August.