Benalmádena, a unique town

La Tribuna

Take a walk through the heart of Arroyo de la Miel and discover La Tribuna building, built in the 18th century, which is the most important vestige of what the first industrial revolution left in our municipality.

The whole area was a complex for the production of paper created in 1784. Thanks to a group of paper mills that no longer exist, which took advantage of the numerous watercourses that originate in our mountain range, paper was produced in the Arroyo de la Miel in the 18th century for the Royal Playing Card Factory in Macharaviaya.

Very close to "La Tribuna" building is the "Plaza de España" and the lintelled arch of San Carlos, also from the 18th century, which marked the entrance to the paper mill.

In Benalmádena, history is at street level

Discover La Tajea

This century-old water channel is the last of the hydraulic infrastructures built in Benalmádena in the 18th century and through it water was channelled from the springs in the mountains to the paper mills in Arroyo de la Miel.

Its archaeological remains can be found in Avenida Ciudad de Melilla, and give an idea of the economic strength that the municipality reached at that time in history.

Linked to the origin of this population centre of our town, its structure, on four semicircular arches, is one of the points of interest of the town and is fundamental for understanding our history.

El Corralón

The "Plaza de España" or "El corralón" is another of the most picturesque places in our municipality. What is now Arroyo de la Miel developed around this enclave and in its surroundings there are Arab vestiges and a neoclassical gateway constructed in this place in 1791: the linteled arch of San Carlos.

Part of a paper mill complex founded in the 18th century, this is where the first inhabitants of this part of the municipality lived, which is why the Plaza de España is linked to the memories of several generations of Benalmadenians.

Transformed in the second half of the 20th century into a square, today it is a charming place frequented by numerous tourists wishing to experience something of the most authentic and traditional Benalmádena.

Tradition and avant-garde at the "Casa de la Cultura"

Home to the Benalmádena International Short Film and Alternative Film Festival, heir to the legendary International Week of Auteur Cinema, this building of typically Andalusian architectural style located in the Plaza de Austria in Arroyo de la Miel, is the nerve centre of art and culture in our town.

Built in 1981, its central courtyard is sometimes used as an exhibition hall and its auditorium hosts numerous theatrical performances and events, such as the "Gran Gala Final of the Concurso de Comparsas y Chirigotas" of the Benalmádena Carnival, which is participated by groups from all over Andalusia.

Paloma Park/Parque de la Paloma

Fall in love with one of the great green lungs of the Western Costa del Sol

Voted one of the most beautiful parks in Europe in 2015, the Parque de la Paloma is located in the very heart of Benalmádena, 100 metres from Santa Ana Beach, and extends over an area of some 200,000 square metres.

This collection of green spaces, fountains and ponds, inhabited by all kinds of animals, such as goats, rabbits, ducks and pigeons, was designed by the architect Eduardo Caballero and is one of the most romantic places in our municipality, as well as being an extraordinary counterpoint that allows locals and visitors alike to enjoy moments of relaxation.

Come with your children. Come with your partner and spend an unforgettable afternoon in this unique dream place on the Costa del Sol.

Come to see the "Plaza de la Mezquita"

A key point for fun and party nights in Arroyo de la Miel

In Benalmádena every day is a good day to go out for a drink with your partner or friends. Visit the Plaza de la Mezquita, right in the centre of Arroyo de la Miel, which is one of the main leisure spots in our town.

Equipped with a stage where shows take place all year round, discover the wide range of restaurants and bars that make this enclave an essential place to have a good time with whoever you want.

Benalmádena Cable Car

With a length of more than 5,000 metres, the Benalmádena cable car infrastructure will allow you to reach the top of Mount Calamorro and its recreational area in just a few minutes, enjoying exciting views of the town.

Inaugurated in the year 2000, it has a drop of approximately 700 metres and is one of Benalmádena's most popular tourist attractions.

You cannot miss it

Tívoli

Enjoy children's entertainment shows, variety shows, galas and concerts that take place throughout the season. Visit with your kids this emblem of the Costa del Sol with more than 40 attractions, or come with your partner and vibrate in our Plaza del Oeste.

Tivoli has a wide variety of catering facilities: Chinese Restaurant, Pizzeria, Brewery, Ice Cream Parlours and themed Burguers to satisfy your appetite as you like.

The Benalmadena Marina

A door to the Mediterranean

Today our port is one of the most important sports marinas in Andalusia. Modern and equipped with the latest technology to offer an impeccable service to its clients, our port is Benalmádena's great commitment to a sustainable and quality tourism model.

Attractive and dynamic, the Port has hosted numerous national and international nautical competitions that have attracted thousands of people to its docks and is a reference point for deep-sea fishing and sailing thanks to a calendar of activities that is without equal in our area.

Its Club Náutico Marítimo, which offers sailing, diving and jet skiing classes, its Municipal Nautical School, where the quarry of those who will be our future "sea dogs" is trained, and an auditorium fully equipped to host forums and meetings, make it a key element that allows us to welcome everyone with open arms.

Benalmadena Marina has it all.

El Paseo Marítimo/The Seafront Promenade

A long walk along fine sandy beaches to let yourself be carried away by the sensations

Benalmádena's coastline has a total of 17 fully equipped beaches, most of which are accessible from a lively promenade several kilometres long which, in practice, runs almost from one end of the municipality to the other. At the foot of the promenade you will find beach bars, restaurants, hotels, restaurants, shops and numerous other establishments to ensure that your holiday lacks for nothing.

The beaches to the east of Benalmádena are wide, while those facing west are rocky coves, often isolated by small cliffs and therefore quiet, ideal for passing unnoticed.

Linked to the sea since time immemorial, in many of Benalmádena's beaches you can go scuba diving, in fact, in some of them, such as La Viborilla or Las Yucas, you will enjoy some beautiful underwater rock formations and you can even visit the remains of a sailing ship sunk in the 19th century.

Exhibition Centre

Take the pulse of art and culture

Built entirely of brick to evoke the architectural style of the Nasrid walls, the Benalmadena Costa Exhibition Centre has something of the cultural pulse of our municipality. The result of a cultural initiative of the Town Hall which was born with the aim of making the different artistic disciplines available to everyone: painting, sculpture, architecture, design, engraving, photography or historical exhibitions, a whole range of cultural, educational, informative, social or leisure activities and proposals take place in its premises.

Designed to serve as an Exhibition Centre that would place the municipality on the national and international art circuits, the Exhibition Centre has hosted exhibitions of Goya, Dalí and Miró, among others, in recent years.

Las Torres vigías/The Watchtowers

Silent witnesses of old stories of wandering sailors and pirates

In Benalmádena there are three centuries-old watchtowers that give an idea of the strategic value that the location of our municipality had for the people of antiquity.

Built at different times throughout the 14th and 16th centuries, these towers, which are even referenced in the municipality's coat of arms, afforded a wide view of the coast and the Alboran Sea, as well as serving to communicate the town with other towers and nearby villages by means of a system of fire and smoke signals to warn of the presence of enemy ships and to call for their help in the event of attacks, which were frequent until the end of the 17th century.

The Torremuelle Watchtower (Torre Vigía de Torremuelle) is probably the oldest and has its origins in a small Phoenician settlement that was later extended and reinforced by Rome, which built a jetty at this point, the remains of which are still submerged.

The Torre Bermeja, the most emblematic and popular of them all, located at the entrance to our Marina, is originally of Muslim construction and the Torre Quebrada, which gives its name to an entire neighbourhood in our town, is the most strategic point on the coast between Torremolinos and Fuengirola. Its present appearance is the result of its last reconstruction, in 1567.

Archaeological sites

In Benalmádena, the past is in full bloom. Stroll along Benalmádena Costa and find yourself at the Roman archaeological site of Los Molinillos, at Benalroma, on the gentle Phoenician-flavoured slopes of Cerro de la Era or Torremuelle.

Go into the mountains and discover the place of our first settlers, the cave of El Toro, inhabited more than 18,000 years ago, the cave of La Zorrera, the cave of Los Botijos, which is one of the most important Neolithic sites in the province.

A walk through these enclaves of our mountain range offers you almost infinite possibilities through unknown natural spaces of great historical and landscape value.

Rotonda de los Molinillos/Molinillos Roundabout

This roundabout is located at the junction of Avenida Antinio Machado and Avenida Federico García Lorca. A crossroads of poets in front of Santa Ana beach, a few metres from the Roman site of Los Molinillos, it is decorated by a series of masts similar to those of a sailing ship with coloured windmills that move in the wind.

Clearly playful in tone, this sculptural ensemble was designed by Angel Cañizares, architect and film set designer of unforgettable films by Samuel Bronston, such as "55 Days in Peking", "Papillon", "Doctor Zhivago", among others.

Municipal Auditorium

The Benalmádena Municipal Auditorium is a meeting place for cultural activities organised in the municipality, especially in the summer season, when every year there are performances of all types.

The Municipal Auditorium is a modern venue with functional facilities and the appropriate services for holding all kinds of open-air events. It has 1,177 seats arranged in different areas and with wide distribution corridors.

Castillo El Bil Bil/El Bil Bil Castle

The magic of a castle at the foot of the waves

Leave the hustle and bustle of Benalmádena Costa behind and immerse yourself in one of our most emblematic and charming enclaves: Castillo de Bil-Bil (Bil-Bil Castle). A "neo-Andalusian" style palace built on the edge of the sea that nostalgically evokes the classic style of Andalusian architecture built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Originally conceived as the summer residence of an immensely rich foreign couple, after being completely restored in the 1980s, it is now a cultural centre where numerous exhibitions, recitals and conferences are held.

Delicate and surprising, this castle was the setting for numerous national and international films, some of them starring the actor Boris Karloff, star of the legendary film "The Bride of Frankenstein", who visited this unique building in 1967.

Benalmadena was a place of retreat and rest for some film stars, such as Imperio Argentina or Alain Delon.

Nearby is the sculpture of Ibn Al Baytar, considered one of the most influential Andalusian botanists, doctors and pharmacologists of the Middle Ages. Although there are no historical sources to confirm this, he is considered to be the most important historical figure born in Benalmadena.

Sculpture and Temple of the Happy Buddha (Buda Feliz)

A white marble sculpture of a seated Buddha, a figure associated in Chinese culture with good luck, abundance and hospitality. The ensemble is completed by two lions and a typical oriental temple.

This work of art is the result of a donation to Benalmádena from the authorities of the Chinese town of Dongying, as a result of the twinning between the two.

Hindu Temple

A further example of the hospitality and syncretism to which Benalmádena is open is its Hindu temple, next to the Parque de la Paloma. Emulating the temples of Khajuraho, this religious building has a single storey with five small domes representing a divine chariot resting on the earth in which the gods sit. At the entrance is a small shrine called Shivlink.

This temple is a point of reference for the entire Hindu community living on the Costa del Sol.

Selwo Marina

Discover a water and animal park that allows you to get up close and personal with wildlife from all over the world. Experience unforgettable experiences close to dolphins and sea lions, exotic bird displays and talks about the different areas and species in the park, such as the Amazon and the Tropics.

Interact with penguins and participate in their feeding. Swim with the sea lions and take home a photographic souvenir with the most fascinating and representative species.

Unforgettable Benalmádena

Sea Life

Walk among sharks in a unique aquarium on the Costa del Sol. An ideal option for children to come into contact with marine life in a beautiful and original environment in the heart of our marina.

You can't miss the experience of touching starfish, turtles and rays with your bare hands in a jaw-dropping pool.

More than 5,000 species of sea creatures await you.

The commercial dock of Puerto Marina

Exclusive fashion and prestigious restaurants by the sea

Our Marina identifies Benalmádena all over the world. One of the best marinas in the Mediterranean, it is the largest on the entire Andalusian coast and together with its quays and more than 1,100 moorings you will find an important part of the best of our leisure and restaurant offer: hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and a unique aquarium on the Costa del Sol. Everything at your fingertips in an environment open to the city that receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

A real jewel in the crown of our tourist patrimony, you have everything to discover in an exclusive location whose architecture, with an Andalusian and Ibizan style, is enchanting.

Enjoy a day of shopping, the best gastronomy or the wonderful atmosphere in one of our essential enclaves.

Benalmádena and its marina: Impossible to forget.