Imagine enjoying a plate of seafood with the sand between your toes and the soothing sound of waves in the background. That’s the experience you get when dining at a chiringuito, or seafood beach bar, in Spain.

These traditional beachside restaurants used to be very simple, with just a few tables on the sand under a makeshift roof. The fish was grilled on charcoal placed in an old fishing boat filled with sand.

Today, chiringuitos have become more sophisticated. You might step off the sand onto a wooden floor, but the fishing boat barbeques are still there, often grilling rows of sardines on wooden skewers.

If you’re spending the day at the beach, you’ll likely find yourself visiting the chiringuito multiple times. You can buy drinks and ice creams, and enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner with delicious tapas or seafood dishes. The menu is usually varied, but sticking to seafood or paella is the best choice. The food is simple but incredibly fresh, served quickly, and enjoyed by many families on holiday.

During my recent trip to Southern Spain, I visited a couple of chiringuitos while staying in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol. The first one was La Gavotina, one of many seafood restaurants along the beach promenade from the Los Mollinitos roundabout to Puerto Marina. We met some English expat friends at 7 pm, which is early for dinner by Spanish standards, so we had drinks at the beachside tables while deciding if we wanted to eat there. By 8 pm, we moved to a restaurant table. Initially, there were only a few young families, but by 10 pm, the place was nearly full, the charcoal in the boat was glowing, and an accordion player was entertaining the diners.

The next day, I had lunch around 3 pm with my Spanish friend Ana at a restaurant recommended for its boquerones fritos. These are large anchovies, cleaned, beheaded, and deep-fried in batter, served with a squeeze of lemon. Ana taught me how to eat them: first, eat one side of the fish, then hold the tail to peel away the backbone, and eat the other side. It was a delightful experience. While you could use a knife and fork, the casual atmosphere encourages enjoying the food without such formalities.

Our friends claimed these boquerones were far superior to the small sardines grilled on the fishing boat charcoal, which are often not gutted. Watching some diners meticulously remove the bones, head, tail, and guts for a tiny bite of fish, I understood their preference.

Ana also had a plate of calamari, fried in batter, with rings of squid and tiny whole ones, which were delicious. Many families were enjoying large pans of paella. The restaurant we visited for the best boquerones fritos was on the other side of the road from the beach at Los Boliches in Fuengirola. If I ever find their business card again, I’ll share more details.

Update: I found the business card! It was La Carihuela Chica, located at Plaza San Rafael, Edificio Don Alberto, 29640 Los Boliches, Fuengirola. Their phone number is 952 66 06 73.

But really, any chiringuito along this coast, filled with Spanish families enjoying seafood and paella, is worth a visit. That’s all the recommendation you need.