The best things to do in Benalmádena — top beaches, activities, attractions and days out, handpicked for tourists, families and locals alike.
Benalmádena has more to do per square kilometre than anywhere else on the coast. From Arroyo de la Miel the cable car climbs to Monte Calamorro for views from Gibraltar to the Sierra Nevada; below it are Parque de la Paloma, with its lake and free-roaming animals, and Selwo Marina. Down at Puerto Marina there's the Sea Life aquarium and boats out to see dolphins.
Up the hill, Benalmádena Pueblo is a proper white village, and around it sit three of the coast's oddest sights: the 33-metre Buddhist Stupa, the butterfly park next door, and Castillo de Colomares, a hand-built monument to Columbus. On the seafront, the red Bil-Bil castle reopened in 2026 after a full renovation.
Avenida Antonio Machado 78, Benalmádena Costa
A terracotta-red, Moorish-style 'castle' built on the beachfront in the 1930s — now a cultural centre for exhibitions and concerts, a popular wedding venue and, since its 2026 reopening after a full renovation, home to the tourist office.
Calle Muérdago, Benalmádena Pueblo
A butterfly park inside a Thai-temple-style building next to the Stupa — more than 1,500 tropical butterflies flying free in a warm, planted hall, open all year.
Avenida Juan Luis Peralta 49, Benalmádena Pueblo
A small museum in the Pueblo with one of the most significant collections of pre-Columbian art in Spain, alongside local archaeology. Free, cool and quiet.
The aquarium inside Puerto Marina — sharks, rays, turtles and seahorses, a walk-through underwater tunnel, feeding talks and a mini-golf course outside. The reliable wet-weather option for families.
Avenida del Retamar, Benalmádena Pueblo
A 33-metre Buddhist stupa — the largest in the West — standing white and gold on the hillside above the coast. Free to visit, with a meditation hall inside and one of the best views in Benalmádena from the terrace.
The cable car up Monte Calamorro, Selwo Marina (dolphins and penguins), Sea Life in Puerto Marina, the butterfly park, and the free Parque de la Paloma with its animals and playgrounds. The marina also runs dolphin-watching boat trips.
No. Tivoli World in Arroyo de la Miel has been closed since 2020. A redevelopment has been announced but work had not started at the time of writing, and no reopening date is confirmed. The cable car next door runs normally.
On a clear day, yes — it's a 15-minute ride to almost 800 metres, with viewpoints, short summit walks and bird-of-prey displays in season. Check for wind closures, and go early or late in summer.
The old white village around Plaza de España, the Jardines del Muro viewpoint, the free pre-Columbian art museum, and nearby the Buddhist Stupa, the butterfly park and Castillo de Colomares.