Benalmádena

Benalmadena covers an area of approximately 27km2, it includes Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena Costa, and the original Benalmadena Pueblo (village). Benalmadena lies just 20 minutes (13.1km) from Malaga Airport, and is situated between Fuengirola and Torremolinos. The A7 (the main costal road) runs through the area, and connects Benalmadena with Malaga and all the major towns along the Costa del Sol. It currently has a population in the region of 61,000, and is the third largest metropolitan area, with Malaga being first and Torremolinos second.

Benalmadena is linked to Malaga via the train which runs from Fuengirola to Malaga, there is also a good public bus service.

Benalmádena Pueblo

The original village is a very typical Andalucian white village, it has lovely little alleyways, where you will find plants in colourful pots, trailing down from balconies. It oozes charm and is a very well kept village, with some excellent restaurants, and a great village atmosphere. It is located 3 miles inland, and is situated 200 meters above sea level.

Arroyo de la Miel

(stream of honey)

Was previously separated from the old pueblo and Benalmadena Costa, but with its ever increasing popularity it has grown and slips into the old areas. It is the main residential zone, and has a lot of property to choose from, a lot of which is investment property, as this is a very sought after area for holiday rentals. The main tourist attractions in Benalmadena are here, Tivoli World amusement park, the cable cars which run to the top of the Calamorro mountain, 769 metres above sea level, and the Dolphin park. There are also a host of restaurants, bars and cafes, it is a very lively and popular area for going out.

Benalmádena Costa

This is where you will find most of the hotels in the area, along with nightclubs, bars and cafes. There are also all the main shopping centres and a marina, and of course, the beaches. There are apartment buildings, and just a little further back from the front line, villas and urbanisations, which because they are elevated, have wonderful sea views.

Brief History

Benalmádena has a rich history, it has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It has had many settlers including the Phoenicians, Visigoths, Byzantine, Romans and the Moors. The Moors probably having the most influence on the area.

During the 19th century Benalmadena grew as a result of wine production, but very sadly there was a vine plague, which wiped our the vines right across the province. There was also malaria, cholera and typhoid epidemics which kept the population low. Things began to improve again in the 1950s when the area became popular with tourists. Numerous hotels, restaurants, bars and other businesses opened, including Tivoli World in 1973, and the casino in 1979. It continues to grow today.

In recent times, the municipality has grown enormously and still continues to grow, with some fabulous new developments in progress. There are now two aquariums, a marina (one of the biggest in Andalucia), a casino, an amusement park and a cable car, all of which make Benalmadena one of the most visited areas by tourists, both Spanish and foreigners.

Amenities

Benalmadena, benefits from its close proximity to Malaga Airport, 13.1kms and around 20 minutes, via the A7 which runs through the middle of Benalmadena and links it to Malaga and the rest of the coast. There is a train service, which runs every 20 minutes, from Fuengirola to Malaga Centre, it stops at all the major towns and the airport, within Benalmadena it stops at Arroyo de la Miel and Torremuelle. At Maria Zambrano station in Malaga, the train links to a network of trains including the high speed train to Madrid (2 hours 40 minutes). There is an excellent bus service, which is cheap and easy to use, linking Benalmadena with towns along the coast and to Malaga.

There are two public clinics and one public hospital, next to the private hospital. One of the clinics is in Arroyo de la Miel (next to the train station), and the other is in Torremuelle. The public hospital, Alta Resolucion de Benalmadena, is next to the Xanit private hospital, close to the A7.

Benalmadena Schools

There are three private schools in Benalmadena: The British College of Benalmadena (5-18yrs),

Benalmadena Internacional College (3-18yrs) and Novaschool which caters for 3-7 year olds. There are a number of state run schools in Benalmadena. For more information see: www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/international/spain/schools-in-costa-del-sol-considered-by-expats

Activities

Benalmádena has lovely beaches, with two of them having Blue Flags, Malapesquera and Arroyo de la Miel beach. There is also the beautiful Playa La Viborilla, which is surrounded by cliffs and hidden from view, it’s has palm trees and lush vegetation, and although not very big, it is lovely. Other great beaches are Playa Malibu, Playa Arroyo Hondo, Playa Bonita, Playa Santa Ana (near to the town centre) and the only nudist beach Playa Benalnatura.

There is plenty to do:

The wonderful Mariposa (Butterfly) Park, the largest in Europe

Sea Life Benalmadena, which holds activities for the children throughout the day

Delfinarium – Selwo Marina

Paloma Park just 300m from the coast, and covering 200,000m2, which over the years has been turned into an animal sanctuary, with emus, goats, rabbits, donkeys and various other creatures, some of whom wander around freely.

Benalmádena Cable Car

Tivolli World Amusement Park

Aqualand not far away in Torremolinos

Charter a boat from Puerto Marina

Water sports – kite surfing, scuba diving and jet skiing etc

Tour bus

Casino

Colomares Castle

Buddhist Stupa

Plus all the nightclubs, bars, cafes, and restaurants.

Markets – There are two markets in Benalmadena. Wednesday there is a market, which is a bit more like a car boot, but still worth a visit. The market is held in the car park on the top side of Paloma Park. Then on Fridays there is another market in Arroyo de la Miel in the Tiviola Car Park. Both markets start at 9:00am and finish at 14:00pm.