Located between Fuengirola and Torremolinos 12km west of Malaga you will find the town and municipality of Benalmadena (the name is thought to derive from the Arabic ibn al-medina, or “children of the mines”, referring to nearby deposits of iron and ochre It has a population of over 45,000 but this number is greatly increased by the huge number of tourists that visit this popular resort every year. It is fast becoming one of Spain´s premier holiday destinations.

The municipality has three main urban areas:

Benalmadena Costa, This is the main area for tourists .where you will find most of the discos, hotels, beaches, shopping centers and an extensively-equipped marina that rivals any other along the coast. Benalmadena Costa has more than 8km of blue flag beaches some of which are in small coves and often have rocks at the ends of them. The sand is not as fine as some of the other resorts but a lot of work is done to maintain the cleanliness of all of the beaches. There are sun loungers and shades available for rent all the way along the front. The main Tourist attractions in this area include the Sealife Aquarium and Selwo Marina where you can see dolphins, penguins and seals among other species. Another Popular area for visitors is the Parque Paloma a more recent addition to the attractions, this is a landscaped park containing a large lake and animals running wild.
One of the areas main attractions is its Marina. This beautifully designed Marina known as Puerto Marina has fascinating architecture and a huge selection of quayside bars, restaurants and entertainment, is now coming a close second to the world famous Puerto Banus in terms of being the place to see and be seen on the southern coast of Spain
The marina enjoys an “around the clock” party atmosphere during the season and is popular with both families and party aninals alike.
This stunning focal point of the town has gone from strength to strength ever since the Marina won the .”Best Marina in the World” title by the British International Property magazine in 1995
It has fully equipped berths for more than 1,000 vessels and there’s a full range of watersports including diving, sailing, water ski-ing, jet ski-ing and parascending.
Local agents organise various boat trips along the coast from the marina and the famous Mississippi Willow is based here – a restored paddle steamer brought over from the USA to delight tourists with trips around the bay. You can enjoy some liquid refreshment on board while you lap up the sunshine and beautiful scenery! At night time the steamer turns into a popular restaurant and party venue.
You can do your own exploring by hiring a pleasure or speed boat from the marina.

Arroyo de la Miel, This was originally a separate village, and forms the centre of the three areas It has become the main residential area with many new developments been built , and is also the most commercially active. There are a few good restaurants in this area plus a good selection of shops including a British run shop that sells all types of frozen and dry foods . It also has several attractions such as the Tivoli World Amusement Park and teleferico (cable car) running to the summit of the 769-metre Calamorro mountain where you can enjoy panoramic views of the coast, the Sierra Nevada , Gibraltar and on clear days you can even see the Moroccan coastline. This is a lovely town which is well worth a visit. Even the name sounds Nice Arroyo de la Miel translates as “River of Honey”

Benalmadena Pueblo, This is the original village, which lies about three km inland at an elevation of approximately 200 meters above sea level This main core of the village is still a typical white-fronted Andalusian village, although in recent years the building of modern architectural styles has somewhat detracted from its character. Here you will find traditional Spanish restaurants and bars and also has an archaeological museum with locally-derived artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age.

Also in the town you will find the Enlightenment Stupa (a structure important in Buddhism) standing 108 feet (33 metres) tall this is the largest example in the Western World and was constructed in 2003.

The local countryside around Benalmadena has some excellent hill-walking, mountain biking and horse riding. There are many pathways that make it easy and there are companies that offer a guided walk service

Some useful Facts about Benalmadena include

Railways
The railway station for Benalmadena is located in Arroyo de la Miel, close to the Tivoli Theme Park. Trains run from here to Fuengirola and Malaga. Train travel is cheap and very efficient.
Buses
The coastal bus service runs along the seafront road. There is also an excellent circular service running between the village and the port.
Market Days
Arroyo de la Miel has a flea market on a Wednesday. There is also a market at Tivoli World on a Sunday morning.
Arroyo de la Miel normal market – Friday
Festivals
Easter Week, live presentation of the Passion of Christ in the Pueblo
February 28th – Andalucia Day (everything Spanish closed)
24th-29th June. Arroyo de la Miel celebrates John the Baptist with a local fair
Mid-August, Virgin of the Cross festivities with a fair in the Pueblo
July 16th, evening boat procession on the Costa for Veladilla del Carmen
Websites
Official Local Govt Website
Touist Information