beach
Costa del Sol
Spain's sun-drenched southern coastline stretching from Malaga to Gibraltar, famous for over 300 days of sunshine per year.
19 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeSpainAndalusia
Benalmádena
Andalusia, Spain · Europe
About Benalmádena
Benalmádena is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Mijas, 40km from El Torcal de Antequera.
Benalmádena is in Andalusia, Spain, with about 59,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Mijas, about 6 km away.
Benalmádena (Spanish pronunciation: [benalˈmaðena]) is a town in Andalusia in southern Spain, 12 km west of Málaga, on the Costa del Sol between Torremolinos and Fuengirola.
Benalmádena is rich in attractive beaches and interesting places like the Colomares Castle, the 33-metre-tall Buddhist Benalmádena Stupa, theRead more
largest Buddhist stupa in Europe, the Benalmádena Marina and the Benalmádena Cable Car.
Benalmádena covers an area of just over 27 km2 that extends from the summits of the Sierra de Mijas to the sea, falling in some places as a cliff. The territory is crossed from east to west on Highway A-7, which connects with the provincial capital and other centres of the Mediterranean coast.
With 61,383 inhabitants according to the INE census of 2010, Benalmádena is the eighth most populous municipality in the province and the third largest metropolitan area, behind Málaga and Torremolinos. The population is concentrated in three main centers: Benalmádena Pueblo, Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmádena Costa, although the high urban growth and demographic tends to unify the three cores.
Benalmádena has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Benalmádena experienced a remarkable development during the period of Muslim domination. Its development was paralyzed after joining the Crown of Castile in 1485 due to various natural disasters and the intensity of the activity of privateers in the area. The paper industry and vineyard cultivation reactivated the local economy during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the early 21st century Benalmádena is one of the main tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol, with leisure facilities including an amusement park, two aquariums, a casino, a cable car and one of the largest marinas of Andalusia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Benalmádena?
Within an hour or so of Benalmádena: Costa del Sol (19 km), Alcazaba de Málaga (20 km), Caminito del Rey (40 km), El Torcal de Antequera (40 km).
Are there any good drives near Benalmádena?
The nearest famous roads are A-397 San Pedro to Ronda, A-397 Ronda to San Pedro Road and Sierra Nevada road to Pico Veleta (A-395).
Where is Benalmádena?
Benalmádena is in Andalusia, Spain, about 6 km from Mijas.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 58,854
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Spain
- Region
- Andalusia
- Timezone
- Europe/Madrid
- Coordinates
- 36.5961, -4.5727
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Spain
Guardia Civil (traffic police): 062. Two warning triangles required in vehicles.
Full driving guide for SpainTags
Worth the detour from Benalmádena
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Alcazaba de Málaga
A well-preserved Moorish hilltop citadel overlooking Málaga's port, linked to the Roman theatre at its base.
20 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Caminito del Rey
A thrilling boardwalk pinned to sheer cliff faces above the El Chorro gorge, once called the world's most dangerous path.
40 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
El Torcal de Antequera
A surreal karst landscape of stacked, pancake-like limestone formations carved by erosion, with ibex roaming the trails.
40 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
A-397 San Pedro to Ronda
A smooth, empty mountain road climbing from the Costa del Sol into the Serrania de Ronda, all long radius curves.
47 km · about 55 min drive
famous road
A-397 Ronda to San Pedro Road
A sweeping mountain road climbing from the coast at San Pedro over the Serranía de Ronda, all long curves and cork-oak hills.
49 km · about 55 min drive
photogenic
Júzcar
Serranía de Ronda village painted entirely Smurf-blue for a 2011 film premiere: the residents voted to keep it, and the lone blue pueblo glows against the white villages around it. Reached by a twisting mountain road from Ronda.
53 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Ronda & Puente Nuevo
A breathtaking Andalusian hilltop town bisected by the El Tajo gorge, spanned by the dramatic 18th-century New Bridge.
55 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Benalmádena
- 40 kmCaminito del ReyA thrilling boardwalk pinned to sheer cliff faces above the El Chorro gorge, once called the world's most dangerous path.
- 47 kmA-397 San Pedro to RondaA smooth, empty mountain road climbing from the Costa del Sol into the Serrania de Ronda, all long radius curves.
- 49 kmA-397 Ronda to San Pedro RoadA sweeping mountain road climbing from the coast at San Pedro over the Serranía de Ronda, all long curves and cork-oak hills.
- 55 kmRonda Puente Nuevo ViewpointThe 18th-century bridge spanning the 120-metre-deep El Tajo gorge, splitting the town of Ronda in two with dizzying views into the abyss.
- 64 kmBalcón de Europa, NerjaA palm-lined seafront promenade jutting on a clifftop balcony with panoramic Mediterranean and mountain views.
- 75 kmPuerto de las Palomas, GrazalemaThe 1,357 m 'Pass of the Doves' on the hairpinned CA-9104 between Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema: the signature drive of Andalusia's white villages, with griffon vultures overhead.
Driving in Spain
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.55/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€4.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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