There are many reasons to visit Benalmadena, the beaches and world class Arabian styled marina being just two of them. Eating out is a pleasure, the pueblo a delight to see, and the parks and gardens a relaxing distraction.

Amongst the best known attractions of Benalmadena is the marina with its village atmosphere, yachts berthed under sun soaked apartments, and the boulevard along which many of Benalmadena’s best restaurants and bars are located. There are plenty of cruise and watersport options over at Get Your Guide.

Either side of the marina are miles of golden sand beaches stretching to Torremolinos to the East, and Fuengirola to the west. The town is a popular summer holiday destination for Spaniards and foreigners alike, in fact Benalmadena is home to one of the greatest concentrations of foreigners who make up 35% of the city.

Historically the village traces it’s first inhabitants to neolithic people who fished along her shore, and made homes for themselves in sheltered parts of the hills above the coast. A visit to the Archelogical Museum will shed light on stone age cave paintings, Phoenician trading, Roman ruins, and the Islamic port town that existed until 1485.

What to do with the kids in Benalmadena?

For us, as a family with young kids, there are two places that we always visit when we are in the area. The “teleférico” or cablecar to the top of mount Calamorro and the always beautiful butterfly park.

Calamorra mountain by cable car

Click the image below to book your cable car tickets at Get Your Guide

The Teleférico Benalmádena offers a high altitude journey on an exclusive cable car ride that starts in Benalmádena and takes you to the top of Monte Calamorro. Once at the top, the Teleférico provides a range of clearly signposted trails through the countryside leading to strategic lookout points where you can enjoy the most spectacular views of the Costa del Sol, the Sierra Nevada and, on clear days, Gibraltar and the coast of Africa.

The area has also become famous as a starlight destination. The Starlight Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2009 to promote the protection of the night sky and the development of “astrotourism” and there is an ever growing list of starlight destinations in Spain to visit.

---

Mariposario de Benalmádena (Butterfly Park)

In this spectacular butterfly park, you can walk amongst exotic butterflies from around the world, flying freely in a tropical paradise between waterfalls and flowers. See how they are born, how they reproduce and enjoy learning many things about these wonderful insects. Kids and grown ups alike are spellbound by these beautiful creatures. Get your tickets here.

Other Activities and Guided Tours from Benalmadena

Hotels in Benalmadena

Find a great hotel in Benalmadena here…

---

The Caminito del Rey

Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/

Wildside Holidays – Spain

Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.

Iberia Nature Forum

Struggling with identifying those bugs and beasties? Why not check out the Iberia nature Forum!

Discover the Iberia Nature Forum – Environment, geography, nature, landscape, climate, culture, history, rural tourism and travel.