What's Benalmádena like?

What’s Benalmádena like?

We spent 5 days in Benalmádena, using it as a base to explore the area (it’s a perfect location to explore other towns such as Torremolinos, Fuengirola and Mijas).

So what’s Benalmádena like? Is it worth visiting? What’s it like as a place to live?

Our honest thoughts on Benalmádena below.

The two sides of Benalmádena

Firstly, Benalmádena is divided into two main areas: Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmadena Pueblo.

Arroyo de la Miel

Arroyo de la Miel is the coastal side of Benalmádena and what most people think of when you say “Benalmádena”. A lot of expats live in the heart of Arroyo de la Miel. But Arroyo de la Miel also gets a lot of tourists who are attracted to the beaches, the marina (“the best marina in the world” according to the people who run Benalmádena) and some family-friendly attractions such as SEA LIFE, Selwo Marina and Benalmadena’s cable car (which goes up to the peak of Calamorro Mountain).

Arroyo de la Miel is actually quite big. The center, around the Benalmádena/Arroyo de Miel train station makes up a small section of it. It’s what I call “modern old” – built in traditional Andalusian style but in recent times (the pretty Plaza de España for example was built in 1968). It’s a thriving area full of traditional stores, restaurants and tapas bars. Surrounding the “heart” of the center you’ll find apartment blocks (like the one we stayed on during our stay) inhabited by a mix of people: Spanish, expats, immigrants.

Down the hill from the center is a beautiful park, Parque de la Paloma. A gorgeous park with a botanical garden, public library, a lake and several cafés. It really is one of the most beautiful parks we’ve seen anywhere on the Costa del Sol.

Continuing further down from the park, you get to the seaside promenade and beaches. You’ll see Bil Bil castle (built in 1927) which hosts Benalmádena’s tourist office. Steps away, the promenade dips down to the beach, making it a popular area to walk, jog and go for a drink at a seaside bar. This stetch however is much quieter than the seaside promenade in Torremolinos, it just doesn’t compare in activity.

Apart from this stretch of promenade, I was actually less than impressed by Benalmádena’s coastline. Most of the promenade west of what I describe above runs along a busy road. The road is dwarfed by giant apartment buildings and hotels. It doesn’t have much charm.

If that isn’t bad enough, the marina, “the best marina in the world”, has to be one of the tackiest things I’ve seen anywhere. Full of restaurants, upper end stores, touts pushing boat tours (and home to the SEA LIFE aquarium), it has a Taj Mahal-ish appearance with its arches, balconies and turrets.

Benalmádena Pueblo

Benalmádena Pueblo is in the mountains further inland (about 10 km away, or 20 minutes by bus). This is the old historic center of Benalmádena and you’ll find a pretty (but small) old town, great views looking down to the coast, and a few interesting tourist sites, Castillo de Colomares being the most interesting among them.

The highlight for us was a walk through town, passing Plaza de Espana, and continuing to Jardines del Muro. There you’ll find an elevated escarpment with gardens, a church and fantastic views of the coast in the distance (you’ll see also see Castillo de Colomares down below. You can take the elevator down from the gardens and then walk about 10 minutes downhill to get there).

Castillo de Colomares was the inspiration of Dr. Esteban Martin y Martin, a Spaniard who moved to the US in 1950. When he came back to Spain in the 70’s he bought this plot of land and decided to build this Castle (in the shape of a boat) commemorating Christopher Columbus. It was completed in 1994. It’s different from any castle you’ll ever see and it is one of the most visited attractions in Benalmádena.

Coming back up to the main road (really, having a car is a plus up here), there are a few attractions west of Benalmádena Pueblo: Benalmádena Stupa is the highest Buddhist stupa in all of Europe. Right next to it is the Mariposario de Benalmádena, a butterfly park.

Getting to Benalmádena Pueblo: If you don’t have a car, the best way up to Benalmádena Pueblo is with the 121 bus. It takes about 20 minutes from Arroyo de la Miel. Note: if you’re in Benalmádena Pueblo, you should consider continuing to Mijas which is about 20 minutes further. That’s what we did after visiting Benalmádena Pueblo. Mijas has to be one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa del Sol (I’ll be writing about it soon). The same bus also stops at the Benalmádena Stupa / Mariposario so you can stop there along the way if you wish. 121 Schedule.

Is Benalmádena worth visiting?

I think the answer to that depends on what you want from a holiday.

I think Benalmádena is an excellent destination for a family-friendly vacation because it’s various theme parks (SEA LIFE and Selwo Marina) and nature activities (Parque de Paloma, the Cable car and Calamorro Mountain, Castillo de Colomares, the beaches).

In my opinion, Torremolinos is a better ‘beach destination’ if what you want is a happening beach.

On the other hand, if you want something more relaxed, more Spanish and with a mix of good beaches, Fuengirola is what I would recommend.

I’ll have a post coming up in the near future comparing Benalmádena, Torremolinos and Fuengirola.

Accommodation: We stayed in this apartment that we booked through Booking. Small (2 people max) but excellent.

A few useful Resources

You’ll need Spanish private health insurance to apply for all Spanish visas. You can purchase your insurance policy online using this link.

Immigration lawyers. We recommend Javier Rodriguez. His prices are excellent and everyone we’ve passed on to him has raved about his personalized service. Write me (Frank) at [email protected] if you want more information.

What’s Benalmádena like as a place to live?

We’ve had a few interviews featuring expats living in Benalmádena (I’ll attach those at the bottom of this post)

Having visited, we can see why it’s a popular place with expats.

The center of Arroyo de la Miel is pretty and lively. A good place to go out for tapas with friends and relax.
Benalmádena has a good mix of Spain and foreigners. If you just want to hang out with foreigners you can find them, if you mix well with locals there are lots of genuine local spots as well. Benalmádena is whatever you want it to be.
The convenience of the local train is a big plus. You can be in downtown Malaga in about 30 minutes which is great. So you’re in a seaside resort but with easy access to the city and airport (which is only 20 minutes by train).
Parque de la Paloma and Calamorro Mountain. Some great places to be out in nature.