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.
Plaza de España, Benalmádena Pueblo
The original white village, 200 metres above the sea — flower-hung lanes around Plaza de España and its little fountain of La Niña de Benalmádena, quiet tapas bars and a pace entirely unlike the coast below.
Dolphin-watching cruises, the coastal ferry to Fuengirola, catamaran sailings, jet skis and parasailing — all leaving from the marina.
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.
Finca La Carraca, Benalmádena Pueblo
Not a castle at all but an extravagant monument to Columbus, built by hand between 1987 and 1994 — a fairytale jumble of towers, carvings and symbols on the hillside below the Pueblo. Closed Mondays.
Terraced gardens and a viewpoint beside the church of Santo Domingo at the edge of the Pueblo, with the whole sweep of the coast laid out below. The village's sunset spot.
Paseo Marítimo, Benalmádena Costa
Benalmádena's best-known beach club, on two levels — an informal beach bar downstairs and a pool bar above with sunbeds, Balinese beds and an infinity pool. Cocktails, shishas, themed parties and live music from the afternoon on.
Beside Castillo de Bil-Bil, Benalmádena Costa
A beach club and chiringuito beside the Bil-Bil castle — sunbeds on the sand, a restaurant and a cocktail terrace that comes into its own at sunset.
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.
Sierra de Mijas, above Arroyo de la Miel
The 770-metre peak above Benalmádena — hike up the signposted trail from the top of Arroyo de la Miel (a steep couple of hours) or take the cable car up and walk the summit paths and the route back down.
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.
Avenida Federico García Lorca, Benalmádena Costa
A large, much-loved park between Arroyo de la Miel and the sea — a lake, lawns, a cactus garden and playgrounds, with rabbits, chickens and peacocks wandering loose. Free and ideal with small children.
Avenida Antonio Machado, Benalmádena Costa
The beach in front of the red Bil-Bil castle — sandy, central and photogenic, with beach bars either side.
Avenida del Sol, Torrequebrada, Benalmádena Costa
A small cove tucked under the cliffs near Torrequebrada, reached by steps — clear water, rocks for snorkelling and a quieter feel than the long town beaches.
Beside Puerto Marina, Benalmádena Costa
The sheltered, sandy beach right beside Puerto Marina — calm water, every facility and a regular Blue Flag, the most convenient family beach in town.
Avenida Antonio Machado, Benalmádena Costa
A wide stretch of sand along the central promenade, a short walk down from Parque de la Paloma and Selwo Marina, with sunbeds, play areas and chiringuitos.
Avenida del Sol, Benalmádena Costa
A sheltered, family-friendly beach west of the centre, protected by breakwaters — calm, shallow water and a good playground on the sand.
Puerto Deportivo de Benalmádena
Benalmádena's showpiece marina — over a thousand berths wrapped around islands of white, Moorish-meets-Mediterranean apartments, with bars, restaurants, boat trips and the Sea Life aquarium. Busiest and best after dark.
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.
Parque de la Paloma s/n, Benalmádena Costa
A marine and exotic-animal park beside Parque de la Paloma — dolphins, sea lions, penguins in an ice habitat and tropical birds, with presentations through the day. A manageable half-day with children.
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.
Explanada de Tivoli, Arroyo de la Miel
A 15-minute cable-car ride from Arroyo de la Miel to the top of Monte Calamorro, almost 800 metres up — viewpoints from Gibraltar to the Sierra Nevada on a clear day, short summit trails and bird-of-prey displays in season.
Calle Club de Golf 1, Benalmádena Costa
A hilly, established 18 holes above Benalmádena Costa with sea views from most of the course — a former Spanish Open venue, tight and testing in places.
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.