Spanish Travel & Photographic Guide to Spain

Town Information

Benalmádena is a town and municipality in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. The municipality is situated approximately 12 km to the west of the city of Málaga, on the southern coast between Torremolinos and Fuengirola, in the heart of the Costa del Sol. It has a population of approximately 30,000 residents, but also caters for a large number of tourists. The town is also home to the Enlightenment Stupa, the largest stupa (a structure important in Buddhism) in the West, standing 108 feet (33 metres) tall.

History

Historically the region has been occupied and settled by many cultures dating back to the Bronze Age, including the ancient Phoenicians and Romans, and has also been considerably influenced by the Moorish settlement of the southern Iberian peninsula.

Two Almenara towers on the coastline date back to the 15th century, originally built to guard the coast and its population from the frequent incursions of Barbary pirates in the days following the reconquista of the region by Henry IV of Castile.

In contemporary times, along with the rest of the Costa del Sol area it has become an important tourist destination. The municipality has been subject to an unprecedented urban expansion in recent years with many new buildings and homes built, sometimes causing environmental degradation.

The origin of the name is unknown; the most common suggestion is that it derives from the Arabic ibn al-medina, or "children of the mines", referring to nearby deposits of iron and ochre. Alternatively, Madena may be the name of a person or family.

Geography

The municipality has three main urban areas:

Benalmádena Pueblo, the original village, which lies about three kilometres inland at an elevation of approximately 200 m above mean sea level. Its core consists of a typical white-fronted Andalusian village, although much recent building in modern architectural styles has somewhat detracted from its character.

Benalmádena Costa, an urban agglomeration on the coast. Here there are discos, hotels, beaches, shopping centers and an extensively-equipped marina.

Tourist attractions include SeaLife aquarium and Selwo Marina, a theme park with dolphins, penguins and seals among other species. The Parque Paloma is a more recent addition to the attractions, a landscaped park containing a large lake and animals running wild. The town of Benalmádena also has an archaeological museum with locally-derived artefacts dating back to the bronze age.

Arroyo de la Miel, originally a separate village, is in the interior between the other two areas. It has become the main residential area, and is also the most commercially active. Buildings are tighlty packed and tend to be apartment blocks. It also has several attractions such as the Tivoli World amusement park, and a teleferico (cable car running to the summit of the 769-metre Calamorro mountain, which provides panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada, Gibraltar and on clear days, the Moroccan coastline. Arroyo de la Miel translates as "River of Honey" in English.

The Benalmádena Cableway (Teleférico Benalmádena) offers a spectacular trip of fifteen minutes of duration in comfortable and modern cablecars, each with capacity for four people, on a route that unites Benalmádena Coast and the top of Calamorro mountain, one of the most elevated enclaves of the Costa del Sol, to nearly 800 meters of altitude above sea level.

Almost from the sky, it is possible to enjoy exhibitions of predatory birds, with hawks, eagles, owl and vultures, spectacles of the taming of Spanish horses and the various adventure sports including mountain climbing and mountain walks with footpaths that lead to different viewpoints.  There are also paths for mountain biking for the really adventurous.  A cafeteria serves tasty meals, with fantastic views.

On summer nights, enjoy the multitude of stars in the clear Mediterranean sky...

To get to this adventure, take the Fuengirola/Malaga Renfe train to Benalmadena - Arroyo de la Miel - stroll up to the cable car which is situated next to Tivoli World.  The cable car costs 13 Euros per adult and 9.80 Euros for children.  (Prices subject to change).