Golfers Guide To Benalmadena, Costa del Sol
Below begins our series of ‘Golfer’s Guide’ articles providing you with the most important tourist information for some of the Costa del Sol’s most popular tourist destinations.
Today we take a look at the ever popular, Benalmadena, which attracts hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers each year looking for great weather, beaches and of course golf.
Benalmadena is especially attractive due to its infrastructure and its close proximity to Malaga airport, which is conveniently located just a short drive away.
The area offers lots of nightlife, beaches, bars and other great low-cost things to see and do. You will never have trouble keeping yourself entertained in this particular part of the Costa del Sol and is why it is a holiday destination with so much appeal.
Let’s take a look at the most important aspects.
Benalmadena Weather
Like the rest of the Costa del Sol, Benalmadena enjoys an enviable sub-tropical climate, boasting in excess of 300 days of sunshine each year.
The hottest months are usually June, July and August with the temperature often exceeding
35c in July and August.
As a rule, the best months to play golf in Spain are April, May, June, September and October as it is not too hot.
Benalmadena for Great Beaches
Benalmadena Costa has around 10 kilometres of fabulous coastline and offers some of the best beaches on the Costa del Sol.
Carvajal beach, which at the Fuengirola end of Benalmadena is a firm favourite for many families with plenty going on during the summer months.
Malapesquera beach is situated next to Benalmadena Marina so is ideal for those who want to spend some time at the beach and then visit the Marina for a spot of lunch and a shop.
Image Credit: monstermunch99 [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
One of the most popular beaches in the Benalmadena area is Bil-Bil beach named after the iconic red moorish Bil-Bil castle. The beach is conveniently located in the centre of Benalmadena Costa and offers a golden sand and clear water to swim in. As an added bonus you will find plenty of bars and restaurants lining the nearby promenade, where you can enjoy a snack and cold drink while cooling off.
There are many other beaches to choose from in Benalmadena including a nudist beach (Benalnatura) for those who, well…like to get naked! You can find more beaches here
http://www.andalucia.com/benalmadena/beaches.htm
Nightlife, Restaurants and Bars
You can’t really mention Benalmadena and nightlife without speaking about the famous 24 hour square (Plaza Solymar). If you like to party hard, 24 hour square will be for you. Here you will find a multitude of bars and clubs, which are open pretty much 24 hours a day.
Popular clubs including Molly Malone’s, which is a disco pub and Discoteca Mango can both be found in the area.
If you are looking for something a little more sedate, the main coast road which runs through Benalmadena offers plenty of pubs and bars. You may also like to try Benalmadena Marina which also offers a number of bars in a lovely setting overlooking the Marina with its luxury yachts.
You can find a list of many of the local bars and clubs at http://www.malagaweb.com/nightlife/benalmadena-nightclubs.php
If you are looking for somewhere to eat, then you will be spoilt for choice in Benalmadena. If you like fast food, then you will happy to know that there is a McDonalds in the area, along with burger bars, kebab shops and places to get other favourites such as pizza and fish and chips.
If you would rather dine out somewhere a bit more upmarket, you will find many fantastic restaurants to suit every budget. Take a look at the following page for a list of many of Benalmadena’s best restaurants.
Golf Courses
Now obviously, if you have booked a golfing holiday in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol through Golf 4U Spain, you will want to know, which golf courses are close by.
The good news is that you not only have a ton of the Costa del Sol’s best golf courses just a short drive away, you also have many right on your doorstep if staying in Benalmadena.
Torrequebrada (below) is probably Benalmadena’s best golf course and came in #1 on our list of Malaga’s 8 Best Golf Courses.
If you don’t mind a short drive, you will find plenty of courses, which are well worth a visit and of which are included in many of our golf packages. We would highly recommend La Cala Golf, Santana Golf, Mijas Golf, Calanova Golf and Lauro Golf.
Image Credit: Torrequebrada Golf
Transportation
If you have booked a golf break in Benalmadena with us we can arrange for your transfers to and from the airport as well as to the golf course and your accommodation.
If you are planning to venture out and about while here, you will pleased to know that the public transport is both efficient and cost effective.
Benalmadena has an extensive bus network, which is one of the best ways to get around and discover the area. The network connects Benalmadena to its three main districts which are Benalmadena Costa, Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmadena Pueblo.
For lots of information on the local buses check out
You won’t have any problems getting a cab in the area although they are not as cheap as the buses, which will save you quite a bit of money if you plan on fully discovering the area.
Tourist Hotspots
When you are not playing golf there is much to do and see in Benalmadena.
In the centre of Benalmadena Costa, you will find Parque de la Paloma which is a large scenic park with colorful flowers, lake and animals such as emu’s, goats, rabbits, peacocks, geese and ducks. It’s a lovely park for a stroll and also has a few cafes and restaurants for refreshments.
You can’t visit Benalmadena without heading to Benalmadena Pueblo where you will find the imposing Buddhist Stupa. Thought to be the largest in the West, the Stupa was the inspiration of Buddhist Master, Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche overseeing the completion of the project in 2003.
Image Credit: Pedro J Pacheco [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Today the Stupa is one of the biggest attractions in Benalmadena. Due to its position high up on the Benalmadena coastline, views from the Stupa along the coast and to the mediterranean are truly spectacular. https://www.stupabenalmadena.org/en/
Next to the Stupa you will also find the Butterfly Park (Mariposario de Benalmadena) where you can walk among 1,500 different species of butterfly.
https://www.mariposariodebenalmadena.com/en/
One of the biggest attractions in Benalmadena is the marina (Puerto Marina), which is thought to be one of the top marina’s in the world. The marina is great during the day or in the evening, where it comes to life with tourists looking to soak up the evening entertainment.
You can take a nice walk, soak up the sun while admiring the many luxury yachts that are moored up there. You will also find many bars and restaurants situated around the outskirts of the marina where you can enjoy some refreshments.
A number of companies offer boat trips from the marina along the coast.
Image Credit: Tomas Fano on Flickr
If you don’t mind heights, then the Benalmadena Cable Car (Teleferico de Benalmadena) could be a good choice.
The cable car runs from Benalmadena to the top of the Monte Calamorro mountain.
Once a the top you will find the most amazing views of Benalmadena’s coastline. There are also daily falconry displays held in the arena at the summit where you can experience the full power and grace of birds of prey including golden eagles, peregrine falcons and eagle owls.
There are also marked walkways for you to explore all of which offer fantastic viewpoints to check out the wonderful views of the Sierra Nevada’s, Gibraltar and the African coastline.
Image Credit: Robbie Jim [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Further information on places to visit in Benalmadena can be found here
http://www.disfrutabenalmadena.com/index.php?idioma=en
Important Phone Numbers
Golf 4U Spain – +34 607 344 231
Benalmadena Tourist Office – +34 952 442 494 – http://www.disfrutabenalmadena.com/
The British Consulate (Madrid) – +34 915 249 700
National Police (Policía Nacional) – 091 (No area code required)
Local Police (Policía Local) – 092 (No area code required)
Ambulance – 112 (No area code required)
Report a crime (In English) – +34 902 102 112
If you lose your passport, you will need an emergency travel document (ETD) – https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document
The page below lists many emergency numbers you may need in Spain.
https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog/expat-tips/110-calling-the-emergency-services-when-in-spain.html
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