General Information on Benalmadena:

Benalmádena is situated on the side of the Sierra de Mijas and easy to get to from Malaga, which is just 20 kilometres away along the Autovía de Mediterráneo. There are also train and bus links to the town from Malaga and Marbella. The climate is mild, varying between an average winter temperature of 15 C degrees, and 25 C in summer.

There's more to Benalmadena as it sprawls midway between Malaga and Torremolinos than first meets the eye. The municipality is divided into three districts, Benalmadena Pueblo, Benalmadena Costa and Arroyo de la Miel. Benalmadena is where the actor Antonio Banderas comes from, and he and Melanie Griffith often visit Benalmadena's attractive marina. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Arabs all settled here and left their mark. The Romans and Moors in particular had a noticeable effect on Benalmádena architecture. The Catholic Kings, Ferdinand and Isabel, also established a defence base here.

The original heart of Benalmadena remains as a typical Andaluz village, in the foothills of Sierra de Mijas which sweeps down to the shore. It covers an area of 26,58 sq. km. and has an average height of 280 metres above sea level. The narrow, flower-filled white streets hold plenty of traces of former civilisations which used to exist in the area. This picturesque town and its coastline is now geared towards tourism, with a population of over 60,000 people at the height of the season.

Benalmadena Costa is the coastal strip of the municipality which enjoys a 9 km stretch of attractive beaches and all the activities, sport and leisure of a busy resort town. You can stroll along one of the most attractive promenades in Europe and enjoy the relaxing blend of sea and sand as you're drawn into seafront restaurants and shops. You'll soon come across the Castillo de Bil Bil, an neo-Arab construction built in 1934, a wonderful viewing platform that looks out over the Med and over Benalmadena, it's used by the Town Hall as an exhibition centre and a venue for various concerts and cultural events.

Arroyo de la Miel is situated between the old town and the coast. It has a lively commercial area and business buzz, and is also a pleasant residential area of 17000 inhabitants. The three watchtowers which feature on Benalmadena's crest make an attractive sight to see as you walk around Benalmadena Costa.

Over the past thirty years Benalmádena has become one of the key tourism centres on the Costa del Sol, triplicating its off-season population of 30,000 inhabitants in the summer season. There is plenty to do here all the year round, among the attractions are the Puerto Marina, the Telecabina cable car, the Casino in Torrequebrada and a golf course of the same name. The marina, in Benalmádena Costa, can accommodate up to 1,000 boats, with berths of up to six metres long, and almost all types of water sports available here, including hang-gliding and underwater snorkelling. The cable car telecabinas, link Arroyo de la Miel with the peak of the Carramolo mountain, and on a clear day, one can see across to Africa. Heading down from the town on the Torremuelle road, one arrives at the Torrequebrada Casino, one of the best entertainment and conference centres on the entire coastline

Benalmadena with its nine kilometres of beaches and award-winning modern marina is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most happening places to be on Spain's Costa del Sol.


Torre Bermeja Beach
The Torre Bermeja Beach is a family friendly beach, with all kinds of services, from the rent of pedalo boats to Jet-skis. There are many restaurants on this beach. Equipment and services: this beach has showers and public toilets, beach umbrellas and hammocks, parking area, park for children’s, disabled facilities, volleyball nets, football field, windsurfing, sailing, fishing and rental of boating craft.

Santa Ana Beach
Santa Ana Beach is separated by an artificial dike of Torre Bermeja-Malapesca beach. It is a comfortable and well equipped beach, where you can enjoy and relax. Along the seafront are several stalls, restaurants and shops. The main attraction here is the Castle Bil-Bil, a modern building that is in use as a centre for exhibitions and conferences. Equipment and services: this beach has showers and public toilets, beach umbrellas and hammocks, parking area, volleyball nets, windsurfing, sailing, and fishing.

Arroyo de la Miel Beach
Arroyo de la Miel Beach is very popular with swimmers, and has an extensive promenade that continues to Puerto Marina. This port unites two high towers, Mayte I and Maite II. The beach is between the Black end and the Bil-Bil Castle and has a wide range of equipment and services. These include, showers and public toilets, beach umbrellas and hammocks, facilities for the disabled, parking area, volleyball nets, windsurfing, sailing, and fishing.

Torrevijia Beach
The Torrevijia beach is made up of sand mixed with gravel. From this beach you can see the hotel of Torrequebrada, with its casino. Equipment and services: this beach has showers and public toilets, beach umbrellas and hammocks, parking area, windsurfing, and sailing, fishing and diving.


Benalmadena Puerto Marina
The Marina is located in the centre of the seafront promenade and leads eastward all the way to Torremolinos and westwards to the front of Benalmadena. The marina is a very pleasant place for a stroll and to see the boats. There are numerous bars and restaurants open at lunch time. During the evening the marina comes into its own as being one of the best nightlife spots on the coast.

Benalmadena Puerto Marina has been constructed with artificial islands in the centre that increases the number of available berths, as well as the amount of property and real estate. The islands are linked by small bridges and you can wander around at your pleasure.

The special design of the marina, with its artificial islands, gives this avant-garde port an international flavour. Within short distance of the harbour, there are many hotels, a gaming Casino, the Torrequebrada Golf Course and numerous sports and leisure facilities. Special trips to the Spanish town of Ceuta on the North Africa coast, are some of the facilities offered by the Benalmadena harbour. Puerto Marina is one of the most important recreation centres in the municipality, with boats and yachts moored here from all corners of the world. Apart from sailing, the sporting facilities here include water skiing, canoeing and underwater diving. The harbour area has plenty of bars and restaurants, where one can simply sit and watch the activity of the port.


Benalmadena Tivoli World and Telecabina (Cable Car) 

The cable car system at Benalmadena was opened in 2003 and has fast become one of the main tourist attractions on the Costa del Sol. The modern Telecabina (or Teleférico) is part of the Selwo Adventure Parks group, which also has Selwo Aventura in Estepona and Selwo Marina in Benalmádena port.

The Telecabina takes you on an amazing 15-minute journey in a four-person cable car right up to the highest point on the Málaga coast at an altitude of almost 800m above sea level. From this superb vantage point, you not only have the most magnificent views of the Costa del Sol, but also the awesome panoramic vistas of the Sierra Nevada mountains (white with snow in the winter months), the Guadalhorce Valley and on a clear day you can see Gibraltar and the coast of Africa.

Once at the top, there are clearly marked signs leading to specific viewpoints: Cima Calamorro (the Calamorro Mountain Peak) and Sur (south) and Oeste (west). At the summit, you can take a donkey ride through the beautiful natural surroundings. The donkeys are ready and waiting for cable car passengers. As well as a donkey ride, included in the price you can also see an exhibition of fine Spanish dressage horses. You can also see a demonstration on how the birds of prey live alongside humans and watch the speed and feeding habits of a peregrine falcon or the majestic flight of the eagle. So successful is the bird of prey sanctuary on the Calamorro Mountaintop that four rare Royal Owl chicks were successfully bred there recently, news that hit the local papers. There are more than sixty birds of different species, including vultures, royal eagles, peregrine falcons and white-headed vultures as well as the Royal Owls. All of this makes the cable car ride exciting, educational and enjoyable for the whole family.

Tivoli World theme park is located in Arroyo de la Miel on the Costa del Sol. The park is designed for adults as well as children and has wonderful gardens, fountains and walkways. This park is one of the oldest established entertainment parks on the coast. Entry to the park is nominal, and once inside you have access to the gardens, numerous bars and restaurants and several free shows. If you wish to go on the rides a you buy tickets from the little kiosks. The Supertivolino ticket gives you unlimited access to more than 30 rides, or you can purchase any amount of single tickets to suit your fun. Some rides have age and height restrictions for safety reasons.

The Tivoli World theatre provides a wide choice of music, international events, ballet, children's shows and comedy and can seat 3000 people. In the Andalucía Square you can experience the colour and sounds of flamenco with several different shows each night. The shows are free and there is a very good Andalucian bar and restaurant to be enjoyed. In the Western Square you will find an authentic reproduction of a western town where cowboy and comedy shows are staged.