Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Old Sugar Factory

It was around 1796, when José García Navarrete began production of the sugar in Torre del Mar. In 1846, under the running of Ramón de la Sagra, the new factory was erected, following the model of the Cuban sugar cane industry using the steam engine. It later passed into the hands of the Larios family and took on the name of Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Carmen). The building ended up becoming an indisputable icon and emblematic of the industrial heritage of the coast of Malaga. The former sugar factory is now an Industrial Heritage Site. The building was reopened as an exhibition and conference centre in 2014 after a 1.5 million euro renovation. During the facelift the architects were afraid that the old wooden roof structure was affected by mould. Luckily the white film was found to be evaporated sugar. The result of the renovation is stunning. Apart from the wooden roof structure, the spacious building has large windows and sturdy iron pillars. The ground floor is used as an educational centre. Panels with images and text explain the industrial heritage of the area. The enormous machinery on display gives a good impression of how the local sugar industry was. The second floor is used for conferences and the third floor is an exhibition space. There are also two original tall chimneys nearby that were part of the complex.

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 20.00 and Sunday 11.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 20.00.