Benalmadena

Benalmádena is a municipality in the province of Málaga, in Andalusia. It is located on the Costa del Sol, about 16 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital. It is part of the metropolitan area of Malaga, the region of the Western Costa del Sol, the commonwealth of municipalities of the same name and the judicial district of Torremolinos.

Its municipal area occupies an area of just over 27 km² that extends from the peaks of the Sierra de Mijas to the sea, falling in some points in the form of cliffs. The territory is crossed in an east-west direction by the A-7 motorway, which connects it with the provincial capital and other nuclei on the Mediterranean coast. Along the coast runs the alternative by conventional road, the N-340 road.

With 70,204 inhabitants according to the INE in 2021, Benalmádena is the seventh most populous municipality in the province and the second in the metropolitan area, only behind Malaga and ahead of cities such as Torremolinos, Alhaurín de la Torre or Rincón de the victory. The population is concentrated in three main nuclei: Benalmádena Pueblo, Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmádena Costa, although the high urban and demographic growth tends to unify the three nuclei. It has a budget of €95,975,386.90 (2017).

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Benalmádena experienced a notable development during the time of Muslim domination, a development that would be paralyzed after its incorporation into the Crown of Castile in 1485, due to several natural disasters and the intensity of the activity of corsairs in the zone. The paper industry and the cultivation of the vineyard would reactivate the economy of the place during the 18th and 19th centuries, but the greatest demographic boom in its history would be brought about by tourism from the second half of the century XX.

Today, Benalmádena is one of the main tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol, notable for its leisure establishments, which include an amusement park, two aquariums, a casino, a cable car and one of the largest marinas from Andalusia.

Geography

The municipality of Benalmádena is located on the coastal strip between the eastern end of the Sierra de Mijas and the Alborán Sea, just over 100 kilometers from the Strait of Gibraltar. It has a mountainous character crossed by streams and torrents that, together with the sea, determine its geography. The highest levels are Cerro del Castillejo, 972 meters above sea level, Cerro del Moro, 961 meters above sea level and Mount Calamorro, 771 meters The urban center is 26 meters above sea level.

It borders the municipalities of Torremolinos to the northeast, Alhaurín de la Torre to the north, Mijas and Fuengirola to the west; and with the Mediterranean Sea to the south.

Northwest: Mijas and Alhaurín de la Torre	North: Alhaurín de la Torre	Northeast: Torremolinos
West: Mijas and Fuengirola		This: Torremolinos and Mediterranean Sea
Southwest Fuengirola	South: Mediterranean Sea	Sureste: Mediterranean Sea

Urban cores

The population of Benalmadense is distributed around the three main urban centers or distinguished districts in the municipal area, although urban development and demographic growth have made it increasingly difficult to distinguish the urban profile of Benalmadense. limits between the different urban centers of the municipality, as well as with the neighboring municipalities:

Benalmadena Pueblo preserves the urban framework of the people of Malaga

Benalmadena Pueblo

Benalmádena Pueblo is what the old town is called, whose origins date back to the period of Muslim presence in the area, when a walled town and a fortress were built. It sits in the eastern zone and on the slope of Pico Mijas. Known simply as the "Pueblo", it preserves the aesthetics of the white villages of the Andalusian Mediterranean and houses the central offices of the Town Hall.

Arroyo de la Miel

Arroyo de la Miel is the zone between the coast and the mountains. It is also known simply as "the Stream". This urban nucleus was born around a farmhouse where in the XVIII century six paper mills were built to make playing cards and various agricultural facilities. The reason for its name is due to the abundance of honeycombs that existed, already from the first years of Christian repopulation after its reconquest in an area characterized by its hills and furrowed by streams and torrents. Its greatest urban development occurred after the construction of the coastal railway, which links the towns of Fuengirola and Málaga capital. The tourist boom in the 1960s has conditioned its demographic boom and the transformation of the farmhouses of Arroyo de la Miel into the district with the largest size and population.

Benalmadena Costa

The coastal area of Benalmádena is known by this name, the "Coast", and concentrates the bulk of the hotel establishments. It is structured by the old Cádiz highway (now converted into Avenida de Antonio Machado and Avenida del Sol) that runs parallel to the beaches. Here we find the Puerto Deportivo de Benalmádena and the promenade that crosses the municipality from the limits with the neighboring municipalities.

Climate

The climate is typically Mediterranean, with mild temperatures throughout the year, no frost in the cold months and an annual average of 19 °C. Its privileged climate and its location on the southern European coast are two important factors for that the tourist industry is the main economic sector of the municipality.

Flora and fauna

Benalmádena is a highly urbanized municipality, so with the exception of the highest areas of the mountains and the areas near the streams, natural spaces are reduced. In the mountains there are typical Mediterranean species, such as zahareña, rockrose, thyme, rosemary, lily and marjoram as well as cornicabra, juniper and trees such as stone pine, carob and wild olive trees. Nearby Benalmadena streams, where small paths run, you can find flora, in addition to those already mentioned, such as sage, huge eucalyptus trees, pepper trees, fig or fennel trees

The fauna is represented by the ibex and the genet, as well as reptiles of various species, eagles, kestrels and the eagle owl. Cetaceans and other marine species have also been sighted on the coast.

Demographics

Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán

The population of Benalmádena has experienced great growth since the 1960s. According to the INE census, in 2008 it had a population of 55,960 inhabitants. However, it is estimated that habitual residents are around 80 000, a figure that triples in summer.

17,345 inhabitants of foreign origin live in the municipality, being people of British nationality the most numerous, since they represent almost 34% of the total number of foreign residents registered. Despite the fact that the birth rate is positive and frequently higher than the provincial and regional average, the average age is equally higher, due to foreign immigration of elderly people.

Place name

Descenso on cable car from the top of Mount Calamorro

Several authors have put forward theories about the origin of the municipality's name, but none have been proven true. The first documents where references to Benalmádena appear date from the XV century in the context of the struggles to reconquer the Crown of Castile against to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

The hypothesis in which most historians agree is the one that relates the Arabic place name of Ibn al-ma'din with "sons of the mines" due to the existence of iron and ocher deposits in the area. Another theory, also related to mining activity, states that the current name of Benalmádena comes from the Arabic word Bina al-ma'din, whose translation into Spanish would be "the construction or mine building".

Among the less accepted theories we find those that affirm that the original name of the place means "population between springs", whose Arabic word would be Bena-A La Ena. On the other hand, it is believed that the possible name Bina al-Madina could refer to "the estate of the al-Madina family" which, according to historical data, was a wealthy family from Muslim Malaga that could have owned land in the area. Finally, it has been suggested that the name of the municipality refers to an Arab lineage where Ben al-Madana would mean "the lineage of the Madana". Perhaps the strangest is the one we transcribe; Besm Alahena that together becomes Besmalahena.

History

Prehistory

Paleolithic

Accephalus vault paint. Toro Cave

The first settlers of Benalmádena for which data are available can be placed around the Solutrean period of the Upper Paleolithic, approximately 18,000 years ago. During this period, a veritable explosion of settlements took place along the entire Andalusian Mediterranean limestone arc, and sometimes towards inland areas. However, recent investigations carried out in the Cueva del Bajondillo (Torremolinos, Málaga), document the first moments of occupation of this cave in the Solutrean period of the Middle Paleolithic. Taking this information as a reference, an earlier chronology could be speculated for the first settlers of Benalmádena if we take into consideration the proposal of some researchers about the relationship between the different habitats of hunter-gatherers on the coast. Apart from these more than viable reflections, there is enough evidence to date the first artistic manifestations in Benalmádena in the Solutrense. The Cueva del Toro has been documented from this period, a sanctuary with cave paintings located in Calamorro. The Solutrean of the initial moments is cold; the predominant vegetation was artemisia, quercus and pine (pinus halepensis). In the last moments of this period, the climate softens, at which time the maximum expansion of human groups in the Bay of Malaga occurs. Homo sapiens sapiens from the Solutrean were predatory, hunting and gathering with a subsistence-based economy.

Epipaleolithic

With the arrival of the ninth millennium, a process of changes that began in the Paleolithic was culminated. It is probable that the Cueva del Toro lasted until the Epipaleolithic, thus presenting a sequence similar to that of the rest of the caves on the Malaga coast. This period of prehistory would be characterized by the development of the microlaminar lithic industry that has its roots in the Magdalenian. Since the Upper Paleolithic, a change in the social organization has been taking place, favored by significant climatic changes, which are increasing temperatures and transforming the landscape, favoring the expansion of forests and a greater variety of flora and fauna. The economic system of these communities continues to be predation, based on hunting and gathering, fishing and shellfishing. Around the 5th millennium a new period began to be announced, the Neolithic, characterized by more complex communities.

Neolithic

Glybular obla with pyster handle. Cave of the Botijos

With the arrival of the Neolithic period, a substantial change was observed in the settlement of all the coastal and pre-coastal areas of the province of Malaga. There is an increase in the population, a fact that translates into an increase in the number of settlements, preferably cave dwellers, both as a habitat and for the development of funeral activities. In Benalmádena, the preference for this type of habitat is due to both tradition and the facilities offered by the calcareous lithology of the Serrezuela that favors the formation of caves. During this period, a dependence on environmental predation is still observed, fundamentally directed at shellfishing and fishing. The hunting activity continues, although it does not seem to play a fundamental role, observing a considerable increase in livestock and agriculture. From the dimensions, number and distribution of the Neolithic sites, the existence of a series of small family nuclei not very numerous and united by kinship lines is determined.

The trousseau of these settlers is that of the groups known as “Cave Culture with Decorated Ceramics of Eastern Andalusia”. The documented lithic industry is exclusively lamellar and leads to the chalcolithic facies that follows. As for the ceramic material, there are many typical “sack” shapes and globular containers for storage and consumption. The Neolithic in Benalmádena would be represented by several cave stations; although open-air settlements should not be ruled out, as has been observed in neighboring areas. Among the most representative sites in Benalmádena are the Cueva de los Botijos, the Cueva de la Zorrera and the Cueva del Sahara.

Old Age

Pre-Roman times

From the year 1000 B.C. C. the communities settled along the entire coast of Malaga, presented lifestyles very similar to those of the Copper Age. However, from now on, the settlers begin to have a certain predilection for occupying places near the valleys of the streams. For the first moments of the first millennium, there is no data about the settlement in the Benalmádena area, but there are data from slightly later moments.

From about the IX century B.C. C.-VIIIth century B.C. C., is located on the left bank of Arroyo de la Miel, a town known as Cerro de la Era; Without a doubt, it is a site whose study has been essential for the knowledge of this sector of the Malaga coastline in pre-Roman times. Its economy presents evidence of the use of agricultural resources. These settlers could have come from groups established in the vicinity in previous times, which in turn gravitated around what classical sources call "Tartessos", a social formation that had its axis in the vicinity of the Guadalquivir and which already formed a certain culture unit. They probably had to present hierarchical structures and social differentiation.

From the 8th century B.C. C., on the coast of the Andalusian lands the stable installation of Phoenician settlers will take place, coming from the city of Tire in the Bay of Cádiz and in the eastern area of the province of Málaga. These settlers had important commercial interests and They established themselves on the coast through pacts with the indigenous communities to be able to occupy the territory, a fact that will motivate a fusion of cultural elements between both communities known as the "Orientalizing Period". Precisely this circumstance has been verified in the indigenous houses with Phoenician influences in the town of the Era of Benalmádena, and whose closest parallel is located in the Phoenician town of Cerro del Villar, next to the mouth of the Guadalhorce river.

From the century Va. C. a restructuring is observed on the western coast, also exemplified through the town of Era, where the old houses are definitively abandoned and new ones are built. In the moments preceding the Roman conquest, the settlements were maintained in more or less elevated and strategic areas from the defensive point of view, as we can corroborate in the towns of Cerro de la Era and Cerro de Capellanía.

Torcularium for oil production. The Molinillos

Roman times

Marble wound. The Molinillos

After the Roman conquest there will be a series of political, social and economic transformations that will affect lifestyles. Through the archaeological remains, levels of destruction of the existing towns have not been verified, so it is inferred that the conquest did not take place with important military actions but rather with signs of full integration. With the fall of the Republic and the beginning of the Empire, the villae system was definitively implemented as a model for the exploitation of all kinds of resources, among which are especially the cetariae or salting factories. Benalmádena then enjoyed very appropriate conditions for the development of activities generated from the use of marine resources. The latest discoveries reinforce the theory of the important role played by the coast in the exploitation of its fishing resources during Roman times. These industrial farms linked to residential villas, inhabited by important owners, follow the model of the villae a mare of the Italian peninsula.

For the development of these industrial activities, other complementary activities were necessary, such as the manufacture of container containers, mainly amphorae.

Middle Ages

Bermeja Tower, Nasrid-era vineyard

After the expulsion of the Byzantines in the VII century, there is no news of the settlement in Benalmádena until the nasrid The fact that the written sources do not allude to Benalmádena does not necessarily imply its non-existence, but rather the scant importance it had in the general context of al-Andalus. We will have to wait for the XV century for it to be mentioned by Christian sources. There is evidence that Benalmádena was abundant in iron, which is why it is an important reference point for the presence of mining in this area. In this sense, it could be intuited that the population was located, since Emirate times, around two main foci: one in the vicinity of the mines and the other in the most suitable areas for agricultural exploitation in the area of Arroyo Casablanca. The nonexistence of references about the extraction of the mineral suggests that this activity ceased to be carried out for reasons still unknown to focus mainly on agriculture. Likewise, it gains importance as a strategic place and function of lookout and guard of the coast in the passage between Malaga and Mijas.

Torre Quebrada, tower of Nasrid times

In short, as mentioned in the repartimientos, agriculture played an important role in the economy; Almond, pomegranate, olive, mulberry, carob, cork, fig, basil, vines, palms and apiaries for honey production were important.

Thanks to the documentary sources, it is known that the fortress would be located in the current area of the Hermitage, its storage and transportation. Within these economic parameters and following very precise settlement patterns, the villae of Torremuelle, Benalroma and Los Molinillos.

Considering the itineraries of the classical sources, Roman Benalmádena would be located between Malaca and Suel. From the interpretations that emerge from the analyzes of these deposits, the economic activities developed here could be related to those implemented in nearby coastal deposits of Torreblanca del Sol and El Secretario in Fuengirola.

From the III century, a crisis in the production system will be accentuated throughout the territory occupied by the Roman Empire that it will have a special importance in the economic field; in this context, although on a smaller scale, in Benalmádena, industrial activities will continue to develop until the end of the V century; However, this crisis situation is not determined by the cessation of industrial activities, but rather by a transformation in the way of life, now much more sober, attested by the characteristics of the archaeological remains of these moments.

Between the 6th and 7th centuries, the coastal strip between Cádiz and Cartagena became part of the Byzantine Empire, of which the city of Málaga was the most important nucleus of the Malaga coast. The Byzantines are driven out by the Visigoths at the beginning of the VII century, resulting in widespread abandonment of coastal settlements in favor of enclaves interiors; a fact that is amply confirmed in Benalmádena with the depopulation and abandonment of the coastal enclaves in late-ancient times. and the Jardines del Muro; a privileged and strategic enclave that visually dominates the entire coast.

The roads to Málaga and Mijas would be the main roads from the town, although there were also other roads such as the one that led to Fuengirola and the sea. After the reconquest, Benalmádena was made up of houses that were distributed among the settlers; the main street would be Calle Real or Calle Mayor that longitudinally crossed the town towards the fortress. The mosque was small in size and was attached to the wall; it was donated in the Repartimientos to Bartolomé Gonçales the Master; this mosque was not reused as a church, but a new one was built; an infrequent fact, since the Christian temple used to be built on top of the mosque as a triumphant gesture over Islam. "The cemetery must have been outside the walled enclosure next to one of the gates, possibly the one located to the southeast of it, on the margins of one of the roads that started from the town". North of the town, the ejido was located, where the eras and cattle used to be established.

Aldea Vieja, is an area located in the upper course of Arroyo Casablanca that covers a wide chronological period, from the Emiral to the Nasrid times, coinciding at least with the documentary references of the last moments of occupation: it was handed over to the neighborhood and “it could be a settlement where there would be a Mudejar population, administratively dependent on Benalmádena, which would be allowed to remain in their homes to exploit various uncultivated lands”. This fact would be feasible since, when Ferdinand the Catholic conquered Fuengirola " he left the Moors there for Mudejars in their farms "

At the end of the XII century, Ibn al-Baitar was born in the province of Málaga, (it is speculated that he was born in Benalmádena) one of the most important botanists and pharmacologists of the Middle Ages.

Modern Age

In the year 1456, the army of King Henry IV of Castile departed from Antequera and arrived at the ports of Malaga. From there, he continues his campaign, destroying everything in his path. During the journey, they set fire to and devastate the town of Benalmádena, which is left abandoned; the Moors take refuge in the Sierra; but once this gale of the Christians had passed, the Moors returned to the place and rebuilt the town, its houses, ditches and wells.

There is no news of Benalmádena again until the spring of 1485, when once Marbella was conquered, and on the way back to Málaga, the town was once again destroyed at the hands of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who orders the demolition of the fortress of Benalmádena due to the danger that the town posed. According to indirect sources, the town was totally devastated and barren; and part of the Muslim population has to flee to Malaga.

Torre del Muelle. Tower of the centuryXVI

Benalmádena, remains deserted and depopulated for several years. King Fernando thus begins the repopulation work; In 1491, he commissioned the notary Alonso Palmero to repopulate it with thirty old Christians and their families, of whom he himself will be the warden under certain conditions, including the defense of the town and the repair of the fallen castle as well as the construction of new elements such as towers, doors and ramparts for the castle. The repopulation will not be carried out fruitfully until the intervention of the Royal Secretary Hernando de Zafra, in charge of making a new recruitment. The situation of instability caused by the incursions of Muslims and pirates through the sheltered coves that facilitated disembarkation and caused the insecurity of the population, was constant during the reign of Carlos I, and would continue, although to a lesser extent, throughout the 16th century. To avoid these incursions along the coast, the kings organize the defense system. For this, the existing watchtowers, Torre Bermeja and Torre Quebrada, which were part of the defense of the Nasrid kingdom, are repaired and a new one is built, Torre del Muelle. The main function of these towers was to give notice of the presence of enemy incursions along the coast so that the garrisons of Fuengirola, Mijas and Málaga would come to avoid them.

The repopulation during the reign of Carlos I was not an easy task, however, from 1560 the Berber attacks began to decrease and the life of the people of Benalmadena began to normalize; trade will intensify and fields will be planted without fear of being captured by enemies.

In the XVII century the province of Malaga suffered epidemics, droughts, and calamities such as a tsunami, an earthquake (1680), as well as the closure of the port to English ships (1673) that paralyzed the sale of export agricultural products. However, all these difficulties that wreaked havoc on the population and the crops, tested the ability of resistance in Benalmádena, which continued with an agrarian-based economy. In the third quarter of the [XVII century century, the Benalmaden economy grew slowly with the expansion of viticulture (especially the passes), figs, almonds and sweet potatoes.

During this century, the Zurita Zambrana family gained prominence, owners of the Arroyo de la Miel farmhouse that was acquired in a sale by census by the Malaga bishopric.

In the second half of the 18th century, the Gálvez brothers strive to raise industry, agriculture and commerce from Malaga. With the approval of King Carlos III, they managed to set up a Royal Card Factory in Macharaviaya, their hometown. A Genoese specialist, Félix Solesio, will settle in Arroyo de la Miel, a favorable place due to its springs for the installation of mills for the manufacture of paper necessary for the Royal Factory of playing cards, which will have the market with America as its destination. Currently they remain in Some remains of this paper complex stand in the so-called La Tribuna building, located next to the Plaza de España, in the very center of Arroyo de la Miel.

Contemporary Age

Monument to Felix Solesio, founder of Arroyo de la Miel

In the XIX century, economic activity in Benalmádena took off, not only in the agricultural sector, but also in also in the industrial sector, especially in the manufacture of paper, which had an important impact on the changes in collective mentality. From then on, transactions and the sale of properties increase to settle loans requested to achieve different livelihoods such as the opening of all kinds of establishments.

There is evidence of several brown paper fulling mills and flour mills that can be leased. The activity of these mills and the increase in the area of land for irrigation as a result of a greater demand for agricultural products considerably reduce the possibilities of water, a fact that causes confrontations between manufacturers and farmers and even among themselves. The paper industry develops in parallel in the province of Malaga. The Solesio factories in Arroyo de la Miel manage to work longer. The English traveler William Jacob in 1809 described the wealth and beauty of Benalmádena with a stream that moves flour and paper mills. However, Madoz, in 1840 described Arroyo de la Miel as a dilapidated place with factories of almost irreversible paper due to lack of water and partly abandoned by considerable mortgages.

The residents of Benalmádena with economic possibilities do not hesitate to invest in industrial activities with the intention of making them profitable. In this sense, the town will be in continuous movement, with its paper mills, flour mills, quarries, esparto grass production, etc. Likewise, bridges, roads, ditches, terraces are built and the land is exploited with plantations of vines that produce muscatel raisins, esparto grass, sweet potatoes, aniseed, wines, etc.

In the middle of the XIX century, investors arrived in Benalmádena looking for suitable land for vines. The population increases considerably with the arrival of these new investors who lease the land and attract a significant number of day laborers. The destruction of the vineyards by the phylloxera plague in the last quarter of the XX century, wreaked havoc throughout the province of Malaga. Unemployment, famine and this plague together with epidemics of malaria, typhus and cholera are raging in Benalmádena; Deaths and emigrations will decrease the population and leave it exhausted until 1950.

The great demographic boom of the municipality began in the fifties and sixties with the birth and development of tourist activity on the Spanish coast, during the Spanish economic miracle (1959-1973).

Heritage

Heritage and monuments

• Caves: La Cueva del Toro is the most important site of the Prehistory in the municipality since it was discovered in 1969. It was occupied and used as a sanctuary about 18,000 years ago in the Superior Paleolithic. In it you can find cave paintings highlighting the one that represents an acephalic vault. It is located on Mount Calamorro. The municipality has other more recent caves, the Neolithic period, the Cave of the Botijos, the Cave of the Zorrera and the Cave of the Sahara, whose remains are exhibited in the archaeological museum of Benalmadena.

• Archaeological sites: Several sites of the Old Age located in Benalmadena. Among the most outstanding are the indigenous deposit with Phoenician influences of Cerro de la Era; Since the centuryIIa. C., the Romans were present in the municipality highlighting of these several villas dedicated to the exploitation of marine resources (custom factories) such as the so-called Benalroma site, or Torremuelle; one of the most interesting sites is Los Molinillos, a settlement dedicated to the production of oil during the Upper Roman Empire and of salazones from the centuryIIId. C.

• Torres vigías: Tres torres vigías que se encontraban dentro del municipio: la Torremuelle, la Torre Quebrada y la Torre Bermeja. Some of them are part of the system of fortifications built on the coast of East Andalusia as a defensive system of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, and then restored or built again during the Christian repopulation to protect the Spanish Mediterranean coast from the incursions of Berber pirates. Over the centuries they have suffered deteriorations (and reconstructions) because of the passage of time and the action of earthquakes.

• The Tribune Building: The origin of the urban center of Arroyo de la Miel, is located in the centuryXVIII, when Felix Solesio built there some mills and houses to house the workers of the paper factories. From this time we retain the very configuration of the square and a stone arch that crowns its entrance. After a profound reform it is possible to appreciate a building of the old factory known as La Tribuna as well as the sculpture of homage to Felix Solesio.
• Pecio Isabella: The history of this boat, also called Pecio de los Santos, has been imprecise since its discovery in 1961. However, the research carried out since 2002 has been determining to know the real history of the trade, listed as the Cultural Interest Good.
• Castle of El Bil Bil: Building built on Avenue Antonio Machado during the Second Spanish Republic. It is one of the benchmarks of the municipality of Benalmadena.

• La Niña de Benalmádena: One of the icons of the city located in the center of a fountain in the Plaza de España of Benalmádena Pueblo. This is a bronze sculpture made by Jaime Pimentel.

• Ventorrillo de la Perra: Sales built in the centuryXVIII. It was rebuilt in 1972 and is currently a restaurant specializing in traditional Spanish cuisine, hunting meats and fish, which maintains the atmosphere of the time of Carlos III.
• Colomares Castle: Monument in tribute to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America built by Dr. Esteban Martín and Martin between 1987 and 1994. In it you can observe several architectural styles and different materials, its interior stands out for its stained glass windows. Previously it was the scene of the rapacious bird show that today takes place at the summit of Mount Calamorro.

Tourism

Tivoli World

• Tivoli World amusement park: Opened in 1973. Its offer not only focuses on mechanical attractions, but also on shows (concerts, humor, dance), restaurants, exhibitions and thematic squares.

• Aquarium Sea Life Benalmadena: Located in the Sports Port of Benalmadena, it is a conservation and protectionist center of sharks opened in 1995. The Sea Life brand belongs to the Merlin Entertainments group, which manages more than twenty similar aquariums in Europe.

• Delfinario and Penguinario Selwo Marina: Marine fauna park that hosts the unique delfinary and ice penguinary of Andalusia. It is located in the Arroyo de la Miel fairground, next to the Paloma Park. It belongs to the chain Parques Reunidos, which also manages the Teleférico de Benalmádena and the park safari Selwo Aventura in the Costa del Soleño municipality of Estepona.

• Benalmadena cable car and Calamorro summit: Telecabina that unites the center of the urban centre of Arroyo de la Miel with the summit of Mount Calamorro, 771 meters above sea level after a journey of 5565 meters. From the summit you can see the coast, the Mediterranean and, in clear days, the Rock of Gibraltar and the African summits of the Atlas. On the top of Mount Calamorro you can take excursions, there is a café and shops and there is a show of birds of prey.

• Casino Torrequebrada: Opened in 1979 and located next to a five-star hotel of the same name. It also offers party rooms and shows. It is located opposite the beach and near the golf course of Torrequebrada.
• Butterfly of Benalmadena: Largest space in Europe dedicated to butterflies located in the city of Benalmadena (Malaga). It has 2000 square meters and is promoted by Imago Dracaena SL, owner of another butterfly and the only butterfly farm in Europe, both in the Canary Islands.

Paloma Park

Green areas

The Gardens of the Wall are an urban complex located in Benalmádena Pueblo where the fortress was once located. Among its gardens stands the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the oldest in the municipality. One of the most remarkable qualities of the environment are the views of the coast that can be appreciated from its viewpoint. The design of these gardens is attributed to the Canarian artist César Manrique.

Parque de la Paloma is located on Avenida de Federico García Lorca and has an area of 200,000 m² of lakes, lawns and pine forests. It has a cactus and succulent garden and there are various kiosks, bars and cafeterias. In this park you can see various species of animals in freedom such as ducks, swans, peacocks, chickens and rabbits. In the vicinity of Parque de la Paloma is the Municipal Auditorium, the Public Library, the fairgrounds and the Selwo Marina Dolphinarium and Penguin. In it is the Spanish flag on the highest existing pole in the region, next to the plaque in homage to the XXX Anniversary of the Spanish Constitution.

Places of Worship

There are three Catholic churches: Santo Domingo de Guzmán, and the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Cruz, Main patron saint of Benalmádena (in Benalmádena Pueblo), Immaculate Conception (in Arroyo de la Miel) and Nuestra Señora del Carmen (in Benalmádena Costa); and a Protestant church. Near the fairgrounds and Parque de La Paloma is the Hindu temple, easily distinguishable due to its peculiar architecture. There is also a small premises set up as a mosque for the use of members of the Islamic community, as well as a Muslim cemetery. Other Christian denominations such as evangelical churches or Jehovah's Witnesses also have their meeting places in the city.

The Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment, inaugurated in 2003, deserves special mention due to its originality. It is a project of the great Buddhist master Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche. The Stupa represents peace, prosperity and harmony, it is also a place of meditation. Its golden dome and its location on the mountain make it visible from almost the entire coast of the municipality.

Playa de la Viborilla

Beaches

Benalmádena has almost 20 kilometers of coastline of sand, gravel and palm groves that make up a total of 17 beaches: Arroyo Hondo, Carvajal, Bil-Bil, La Morera, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalnatura, Fuente de la Salud, La Perla, Las Viborillas, Las Yucas beach, Malapesquera / Malapesca / Torre Bermeja, Melilleros, Santa Ana, Tajo de la Soga, Torremuelle, Torrequebrada and Torrevigía. All the beaches are accessible from a promenade that crosses from one end to the other the municipality and which houses beach bars, restaurants and other tourist establishments. The eastern beaches are wide and steep, with public facilities and water activities; while the western ones are rocky, many of them calm and isolated between small cliffs, ideal for practicing fishing and scuba diving. There is also one of the first nudist beaches in Spain, called Benalnatura.

Administration and politics

The political administration of the city is carried out through a democratically managed City Council whose members are elected every four years by universal suffrage. The electoral census is made up of all residents registered in Benalmádena over 18 years of age and nationals of Spain and the other member states of the European Union. According to the provisions of the General Electoral Regime Law, which establishes the number of eligible councilors based on the population of the municipality, the Municipal Corporation of Benalmádena is made up of 25 councilors.

The first municipal elections after the restoration of democracy in Spain were won by an independent candidate, Enrique Bolín, who had already been mayor on several occasions since 1966. Four years later he would join Alianza Popular (AP), until he was arrested in 1989 in Gibraltar for possession of cocaine and in the company of several minors and pornographic videos. Expelled from the PP (former AP), Bolín created his own party, the Grupo Independiente de Benalmádena (GIB), in the image and likeness of the GIL, which at that time was sweeping the neighboring city of Marbella, and was once again in charge of the mayor's office between 1995 and 2007.

After the 2007 municipal elections, Javier Carnero Sierra, from the Spanish Socialist Workers Party, held the position of mayor, after agreeing with other groups since the socialists obtained 7 councilors compared to 5 from the GIB, 4 from the PP, 4 from Movimiento by Benalmádena (MpB), 3 from IU and 2 from Iniciativa Democrática por Benalmádena (IDB). The following year, in 2008, Bolín was sentenced to eight years of disqualification for a crime of urban prevarication and a few months later, already In 2009, the independents of Benalmádena, both those of the GIB and those expelled from the MpB (the latter accused by the outgoing Corporation of turncoat), joined the Popular Party and through a controversial motion of censure presented by administrative means on 5 May 2009 and the plenary session of said motion being held on May 18, 2009, they managed to replace the mayor Javier Carnero of the PSOE with Enrique Moya Barrionuevo, of the Popular Party and former councilor delegate of GIB-Bolin.

In the 2011 elections, the PP won but did not achieve an absolute majority, so Enrique Moya was replaced by Javier Carnero as mayor thanks to a pact between PSOE, UCB and IU. This pact was broken a year later by the UCB group, which went on to lend its support to the PP. In turn, the mayor Encarnación Cortes, No. 2 of UCB leaves the party, and goes to the Mixed group to not support the motion of censure that prospered, thanks to the other three mayors of the group, where he presented himself for administration on 12 June 2012, against Javier Carnero where on June 23, 2012 he would remove him from the mayor's office to be replaced by Paloma García Gálvez (PP).

On November 18, 2014, Mayor Paloma García Gálvez dismissed her Deputy Mayor and government partner, Francisco Salido Porras. This dismissal occurs because Francisco Salido refuses to dismiss the Manager of the Marina and Vice President of UCB, José Manuel López Merino, sentenced to 6 months in prison and an economic amount for professional intrusion. Days later on November 20 Before the impassive activity of the Independiente councilor Concepción Tejada, the Mayor of Benalmádena, is forced to dismiss the mayor, since she does not decide to support the dismissal of her fellow party members Francisco Salido and José Manuel López Merino, leaving the PP, in a minority within the government team, with 11 councilors and the support of Juan Olea.

After the elections of May 24, 2015, the local results gave representation of the 25 seats to 7 of the 9 political formations that opted for candidacy in these elections. The results were the following:

Where again the Popular Party wins the elections and the PA and UCB, former government partner of the PP, were left out of the Local representation.

After several weeks of negotiations, Paloma García Gálvez found herself unable to reach an agreement for her re-election as a candidate for Mayor of Benalmádena, where the new political actors requested the dismissal of the elected mayor, in order to reach an agreement. After a period of courtesy, the second most voted force was forced to come to an understanding with all the political forces and presented a pact for the governability of Benalmádena without even knowing who would be invested as mayor of this town, where PP and VpB were invited to participate in this stability proposal, where they renounced to stamp their signature. At the investiture plenary session held on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. With the vote in favor of an absolute majority of the political forces, the candidate Víctor Navas, obtains the mayoralty, thus removing Paloma García Gálvez, as the former councilor of the town.

In the new elections held, on May 26, 2019, 10 political groups concur, (PSOE, PP, Cs, IU, VOX, FOR MY PEOPLE, WE CAN, WE ARE BENALMÁDENA, WITH YOU "Former councilors of C ´S´, MAS CSSP), of which 5 groups consign, representation in the town hall. The composition is as follows:

This time the PSOE of Benalmádena, with great satisfaction, manages to obtain an absolute majority with a governance pact with the IU, without having the pressure of pacts with other formations, and thus be able to govern calmly for the next four years. For the first time, the far-right formation Vox, led by Gema Carillo, enters the city hall for the first time. They repeat as electoral heads; Elena Galán (IU), Víctor Navas (PSOE), which in turn incorporates the leader of the independent party Alternativa por Benalmándena, Encarnación Cortés, into its list. On the other hand, the PP takes as leader and electoral poster, the only councilor and candidate of the previous legislature Juan Antonio Lara (Neighbors for Benalmádena), brought by the hand of the former Municipal Councilor Enrique Bolín. The Electoral poster of POR MY PUEBLO, is welcomed by the resigned councilor of the PP, José Antonio Serrano, who formed the government team of former mayor Paloma García. We are Benalmándena, he is presented with another former PP councilor, Ana Macias, who was also part of the government team with Paloma García Gálvez. The candidate of the CONTIGO formation presented Bernado Jiménez, former local leader of Cs. Later and halfway through the legislature, Elena Galán announced that she was abandoning her councilor act, for personal reasons.

Benalmadena Shield, version with the old ornamentation

Symbols

The official symbols of Benalmádena are its flag and its shield. These were officially approved by the Junta de Andalucía on January 30, 2001 and are defined by the following description:

"Escudo: In the field of azur, on waves of sugar and silver, a castle of gold, closed, donjonado, almenado and mazonado de sable, accompanied to the right and sinister by a siple oak, ripped and fusted, whose copies are surmounted, respectively, by the initials F and Y, of gold, in the right and sinister cantons of the boss. The castle and the holm oaks are housed in a mountainous massif of its colour placed on a girdle. To the crown of the Spanish Royal Crown closed, composed of a circle of gold and stonework, with eight florons and eight intercalated pearls, closed with eight garrisoned diadems, also of pearls, which converge in a world of azur, with an equator and a semi-meridian of gold, and added of a cross of gold, lined the crown of gules".

"Bandera: To endoze rectangular, tafetan, with a proportion of three modules long by two broad (2/3), or, what is the same, once and a half longer than wide, cut by half in high, the upper half soft yellow, and the lower half orange, which will carry entirely with its timbre, the shield of Benalmadena before described, adjusting the width of the two.

Benalmádena Day is celebrated on November 8 in commemoration of the date on which in 1491 the Catholic Monarchs granted the Charter of Privilege for the repopulation of the recently reconquered town to Don Alonso Palmero.

Economy

The economic activity of the Puerto Deportivo de Benalmádena "Puerto Marina" is a basic pole in the municipal economy

The main economic activities in Benalmádena are construction, tourism and activities derived from these two. With almost 13,000 hotel beds of different categories, from a five-star hotel to cheaper hostels and pensions, Benalmádena is one of the municipalities with the largest hotel offer on the Costa del Sol, an offer that is completed with a significant number of restaurants and shops.

In addition, the municipality concentrates a good part of the large leisure complexes in the metropolitan area of Malaga and the Western Costa del Sol, such as aquariums, a casino, an amusement park, a cable car, a marina, as well as golf courses and other facilities tourist activities that add to the offer of sun and sand and that represent an important source of income.

Agricultural and industrial activities are merely anecdotal. The cultivated area barely reaches 16 ha in which avocados, ornamental flowers and olive trees are grown, while the livestock census is made up of 11 heads of cattle, 23 sheep, 4 goats and as many horses. Fishing is equally marginal, since the Benalmaden port is exclusively for sports use.

According to a 2007 study by the Andalusian Institute of Statistics (IEA), income per inhabitant in Benalmádena is 17,301 euros, 2,463 euros higher than the average for Andalusia and almost 1,800 euros higher than the provincial average. The same study yields positive data on the business and commercial fabric; With 4,922 commercial establishments, only six towns in the province surpass Benalmádena in number of shops.

Evolution of outstanding municipal debt

The concept of outstanding debt includes only debts with savings banks and banks related to financial credits, fixed-income securities and loans or credits transferred to third parties, excluding, therefore, commercial debt.

Graphic of evolution of the living debt of the City of Benalmadena between 2008 and 2021

Living debt of the City of Benalmadena in thousands of euros according to data from the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.

Services

Health

In Benalmádena, the Cudeca Foundation, a Hospice of Spanish-British origin created by Joan Hunt and Marisa Martín Roselló in 1992, is a unique model in the Spanish territory, offering palliative care to the community, adhering to high-quality standards, Totally free for patients and families. Cudeca's programs are characterized by their flexibility and ability to adapt to priorities as they arise in order to meet the problems of patients with medical advice and palliative care at home; in outpatient consultations; attending rehabilitation in the Day Unit or admitted to the Foundation. There have been more than 5,800 patients treated since 1992, and more than 650 people assisted from the Cudeca Center.

The Lágrimas y Favores Foundation includes Cudeca in its statutes as a beneficiary of its solidarity objectives together with the University of Malaga. The Cudeca Foundation volunteer program deserves a special mention and has more than 600 volunteers who generously give part of their lives with the vision and purpose of the foundation in the field of care. The cultural diversity of the inhabitants of Benalmádena enriches this work and improves the quality of care for patients and their families.

In addition to Cudeca, there is a public health High Resolution Hospital Center (CHARE), and next to it, Vithas Xanit, a private hospital.

Transportation

Benalmadena-Arroyo de la Miel Near Station

Roads

Through the territory of Benalmádena there is a section of two important national roadways: the N-340, which runs more or less parallel to the coastline, and the Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7 E15), which runs inside. Both follow the same route that connects Algeciras, in the province of Cádiz, with La Junquera (in the province of Gerona) and El Pertús, on the French border.

A third road, this one at the regional level, the A-368, connects Mijas with Torremolinos through Benalmádena and also links the three urban centers of the municipality.

Public transportation

The City Council of Benalmádena is part of the Metropolitan Transport Consortium of the Malaga Area, which offers a system of payment with a Transport Card for urban and interurban buses, commuter rail, Malaga Metro, public bicycle loan system of the Málaga City Council Málagabici and the rest of the transport affiliated to the network of Metropolitan Transport Consortiums of Andalusia.

Map of public transports of Benalmadena and Torremolinos

In Arroyo de la Miel is the Benalmádena-Arroyo de la Miel station that connects the municipality with Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Málaga through the C-1 line of Cercanías Málaga. This line stops at the main transport centers in the province: the Cercanías station at the airport and the Málaga-María Zambrano station with a high-speed rail connection and other medium and long-distance destinations; and connected through the El Perchel Interchange with the intercity bus station and the current Málaga metro network.

There are also other train stations in Benalmádena such as Torremuelle, which follows the same railway itinerary as line C-1, located in a more isolated and quiet area of Benalmádena Costa. Finally, there is another railway station, which is Carvajal, which is located in a geographical area bordering Benalmádena but politically belongs to the municipality of Fuengirola. Even so, the station is considered to be from Benalmádena, due to its name, which is that of the Urbanization of Carvajal, belonging to Benalmádena.

Since the beginning of the century, works have been carried out to improve the railway line in order to increase the frequency of the trains. In addition, the railway link of the line from Nerja to Málaga and from here to Manilva in what is known as the Corridor of the Costa del Sol or "Litoral Train" with a high-speed section from Malaga to Marbella.

Benalmádena is also linked to the rest of the towns on the Costa del Sol through the intercity bus network of the Málaga metropolitan area, which also connects the different town centers. The Benalmádena urban bus service is managed by the company CTSA-Portillo and is made up of line M-103. This service is part of the Malaga Area Metropolitan Transport Consortium. In addition, two ferries for tourist use connect the port of Benalmádena with the ports of Málaga and Fuengirola (Starfish Dos).

The intercity bus lines of the Metropolitan Transport Consortium of the Malaga Area that provide service in its territory can be consulted in the following online.

Culture

El-Bil-Bil Cultural Center

Cultural events

The main periodic cultural event of the municipality takes place during the months of July and August and the first week of September, when the different events of the so-called Benalmádena Summer Festival (FVB) program take place, which combines cinema, music and theater in the Municipal Auditorium of Parque de la Paloma in Arroyo de la Miel, although it has not been held for several years.

The film screenings continue during the month of November with the Benalmádena International Short Film and Alternative Film Festival (FICCAB), where hundreds of films from all over the world are presented.

In addition, the Culture delegation of the Hon. Ayto. de Benalmádena organizes a wide repertoire of cultural events, whose quarterly program can be consulted in the house of culture and on the website of the council.

For 15 years a powerful telescope has been installed in various areas of the municipality and throughout the year, so that Benalmadens and tourists can observe through it.

Cultural facilities

• Archaeological and Pre-Columbian Art Museum: the museum exhibits the pre-Columbian art collection of archaeologist Felipe Orlando with pieces from Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Colombia and Ecuador. Subsequently, the contributions of other collectors have led to the existence of one of the best pre-Columbian art collections outside Hispano-America. It also contains an archaeological collection with pieces found in the municipality from the Upper Palaeolithic period to the Punic and Roman times. The museum is located in Benalmadena Pueblo.

• El-Bil-Bil Castle: This Arab-style building was built in the 1930sXX. and it is the work of Enrique Atencia. It is located on the avenue of Antonio Machado, on the promenade on the shores of the Mediterranean. It is currently a cultural centre and multipurpose building.

• Exhibition Centre: building of minimalist architecture built in Mudejar brick of influence designed by Angel Cañizares and Raúl Gante. It has 600 m2 for temporary exhibitions. It is located in Benalmadena Costa near the Benalmadena Sports Port.

• House of Culture Pablo Ruiz Picasso: The House of Culture building houses the Arroyo de la Miel Town Hall and is the scene of numerous events such as exhibitions, theatre contests, carnival and cinema. Every Thursday international films are projected within the activities of Cineclub More Wood. Its greatest architectural attraction is its Andalusian style interior patio.

Municipal Public Library Arroyo de la Miel

• Municipal Auditorium: it is an auditorium discovered with a capacity for 1177 people who host theatre, music and dance shows; mainly in summer times such as the Benalmadena Summer Festival or musical concerts during the patron saint's parties in late June. It is located between the fairgrounds of Arroyo de la Miel, the Paloma Park and the Delfinario Selwo Marina, close to Benalmadena Costa.

• Municipal Public Library Arroyo de la Miel: the building of the Municipal Library is of recent creation and combines modern architectural elements with extensive interior lighting through a large glass window from which a small lake of the Paloma Park is seen. Among its funds of all subjects is a section of books in foreign languages, a hemeroteca, a free computer service and a loan service of videos, music and DVD discs.

Popular festivals

On Corpus Christi day in Benalmádena Pueblo it is traditional to dress the main streets with floral carpets. A mass is celebrated in the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, from where a procession starts through the flower-bedecked streets where various personalities from the municipality carry palm leaves. The boys and girls who celebrate their first communion in the month of May also participate in this procession. A similar act is held in the afternoon in Arroyo de la Miel where a mass is celebrated on an altar that is built for the occasion at the doors of the Church of the Immaculate.

Statue in bronze in the port

In August, homage is paid to the Virgen de la Cruz with a pilgrimage and a fair that begins with breakfast: chocolate and biscuits, cakes, pastries... which are donated by different shops in the town and distributed by the women of the Virgin Rock of the Cross. After breakfast there is a party for the children and a little later there is dancing and singing and food is given to all attendees free of charge by the merchants' association, the club and the town hall itself. In the afternoon other activities take place such as motorcycle treadmill races.

On the third Sunday of June, the Pilgrimage of San Juan is celebrated. The Pilgrimage leaves with its carts and decorated horses from the neighborhood of San Juan de Arroyo de la Miel to Benamaina Sur.

On June 23, the beaches of Benalmádena fill up with people to celebrate the night of San Juan and the Arroyo de la Miel fair. Groups of people gather on the coast to spend the night making bonfires and waiting for the sunrise. Next to the El-Bil-Bil castle, a great concert opens the festivities after the rockets that announce midnight. Following the tradition, Arroyo de la Miel is filled with júas (paper dolls and old rags) and a fun contest is held in which originality and creativity are rewarded.

After the Night of San Juan, the night of San Juan is celebrated in Arroyo de la Miel, from June 23 to 29. Parties with lots of fun, music, dancing, musical performances and popular events that attract a large number of locals and foreigners. The day fair takes place in the square next to the railway station and the night fair takes place in the fairgrounds.

During the Fiestas del Carmen, on July 16, the Benalmádena Marina awaits the arrival of the patron saint of sailors. Sailors and followers put the Virgin in a gondola and go out to sea to bless the waters. Dozens of ships, boats and launches accompany her and with her whistles they announce her arrival. The night ends with fireworks and the sailor salute by the orchestra that enlivens the party.

Cinema and TV

Films shot in Benalmadena

Rolled series in Benalmadena

Sports

Benalmádena has a marina called Puerto Deportivo de Benalmádena "Puerto Marina". It was inaugurated in 1982 and has 1,108 berths. The port is home to the Club Náutico Marítimo de Benalmádena, commercial facilities and the Sea Life Benalmádena aquarium. Its original architecture has given it some international recognition such as "Best Marina in the World" on two occasions. The port annually hosts the Costa del Sol Nautical Week, a sailing competition that consists of several regattas and that is scored for both the Andalusian Championship and the Spanish Cruiser Championship.

The first permanent covered natural ice rink in Andalusia is located in the municipality, within the facilities of the Benalmádena Ice Club, which also has an indoor swimming pool. To these are added two municipal sports centers located in Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmádena Pueblo, which have outdoor tracks for athletics, soccer, tennis, mini-basketball and a swimming pool, as well as covered pavilions. There is also an artificial water field for field hockey (home of the Benalmádena Hockey Club), two golf courses, a racket club and a skate park among other facilities.

On the other hand, there is the Francisco Alarcón "Isco" Stadium of the Atlético Benamiel Club de Fútbol municipality club and named after the current Real Madrid Club de Fútbol player, and born in Arroyo de la Miel Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez.

Outside the facilities, the Bicycle Festival takes place, a recreational and sporting event that takes place annually. The party is non-competitive and prizes are awarded for the costumes displayed by the cyclists and the decoration of the vehicles. The party concludes with raffles for bicycles and other prizes for the winners. It is held at the end of April.

In addition, another of the annual events is the traditional Turkey Race, the 37th edition being held in 2019. It consists of a competitive event of about 4.5 km, with raffles and gifts among all attendees, which is held in the middle of from December.

Panoramics of the Sports Port of Benalmadena Puerto Marina

Notable people

Twin cities