Benalmádena Pueblo, the old village on the hill

Three places called Benalmádena

The municipality has three main areas. Benalmádena Costa is the seafront, with the beaches and Puerto Marina. Arroyo de la Miel is the modern town in between, with the train station. Benalmádena Pueblo is the original village, up the hill.

The Pueblo has kept its traditional character: whitewashed houses, narrow streets, flowers on the balconies and small squares. It feels very different from the coast below.

Plaza de España

The main square is the heart of the village. In the middle is a fountain with a bronze statue of a girl offering water in a seashell: La Niña de Benalmádena. She has become a symbol of the town and its hospitality, and locals often call the whole square la Niña.

Bars and restaurants with outdoor tables line the square, so it is an easy place to stop for a drink or a meal.

Calle Real and the old streets

Calle Real is one of the main routes through the old part of the village. The best way to see the Pueblo is to wander the side streets around it without a fixed plan.

Santo Domingo church and the Jardines del Muro

A short walk from the square is the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Beside it are the Jardines del Muro, gardens laid out along the remains of the village's old Moorish wall. Their design is attributed to the Canary Islands artist César Manrique.

Paths, terraces and lookout points follow the line of the wall, with wide views over the coast and the sea. There are benches, and a small playground for children.

The Felipe Orlando museum

The Benalmádena Museum, also known as the Felipe Orlando Pre-Columbian Museum, opened in 1970 and was renovated in 2005. Its best-known collection is pre-Columbian art from countries including Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru, and it also displays archaeological remains from the area.

After Colomares Castle, the Columbus monument, it makes a good second chapter to the same story.

The town has run free guided walks of the old village that start at the museum and finish at the Jardines del Muro. Ask at the museum whether they are running during your stay.

Getting there from Atma

Booking.com estimates the walk from the flat to Plaza de España at about 18 minutes. The Stupa, Monowa Butterfly Park and Colomares Castle are also close to the flat, so you can build a full morning or afternoon around them.

When to go

Late afternoon works well: the light on the white walls is softer, the views from the Jardines del Muro are at their best, and you can stay on in the square for dinner.