Family things to do in Benalmádena — beaches, parks, attractions and days out that actually work with children.
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.
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 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.
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.