Benalmádena, Málaga
Encyclopedia
Benalmádena is a town and municipality
in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community
of Andalusia
in southern Spain
. The municipality is situated approximately 12 km to the west of the city of Málaga
, on the southern coast between Torremolinos
and Fuengirola
, in the heart of the Costa del Sol
and Alhaurín de la Torre
in the North. It has a population
of approximately 53,000 residents, but also caters for a large number of tourists. The town is also home to Benalmádena Stupa, the largest stupa
(a structure important in Buddhism
) in the Western world, standing 33 m tall.
, including the ancient Phoenicia
ns and Romans
, and has also been considerably influenced by the Moorish
settlement of the southern Iberian peninsula
. Two Almenara towers on the coastline date back to the 15th century, originally built to guard the coast and its population from the frequent incursions of Barbary pirates in the days following the reconquista
of the region by Henry IV of Castile
.
In contemporary times, along with the rest of the Costa del Sol area it has become an important tourist destination
. The municipality has been subject to an unprecedented urban expansion in recent years with many new buildings and homes built, sometimes causing environmental degradation.
The name is derived from the Arabic
"Eben al-Medina", or "Son of the Settlement".
Benalmadena has both a traditional Spanish village and a modern, coastal, tourist area.
stupa
in the Western world
, Benalmádena Stupa, constructed in 2003.
In Arroyo de la Miel, (Avenida Garcia Lorca), is the Costa del Sol's only real ice skating rink together with an indoor swimming pool.
File:Torre Quebrada.JPG|Torre Quebrada watchtower
File:Bil-bil.jpg|Bil-bil Castle
File:Castillo de Colomares.jpg|Colomares Castle
File:Benalmádena pueblo.jpg|A street of the town
File:Teleférico Benalmádena.jpg|Cable Car facility in Benalmádena
File:Delfines Selwo Marina.jpg|Dolphins in Selwo Marina
File:Vista de Benalmádena.jpg|Part of the coast
File:Teleférico Benalmádena 1.JPG|Cable Car facility in Benalmádena
File:Playa de Benalmádena.jpg|One of the many beaches in Benalmádena
File:Monte Calamorro.jpg|This mountain can be accessed by the Cable Car facility.
, that offers a payment ticket available on the metropolitan and urban bus, railway and, for the future Malaga Underground.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
in southern Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The municipality is situated approximately 12 km to the west of the city of Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, on the southern coast between Torremolinos
Torremolinos
Torremolinos is a municipality on the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean, immediately to the west of the city of Málaga, in the province of Málaga in the autonomous region of Andalusia in southern Spain...
and Fuengirola
Fuengirola
Fuengirola, in ancient times known as Suel and then Suhayl, is a large town and municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga, autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is a major tourist resort, with more than 8 km of beaches, and home to a mediæval Moorish fortress...
, in the heart of the Costa del Sol
Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the Mediterranean coastline of the Málaga province. The Costa del Sol is situated between two lesser known costas: Costa de la Luz and Costa Tropical...
and Alhaurín de la Torre
Alhaurín de la Torre
Alhaurín de la Torre is a town in the province of Málaga, Andalusia, Southern Spain. The town is part of Málaga Metropolitan Area and of the Comarca of Valle del Guadalhorce....
in the North. It has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of approximately 53,000 residents, but also caters for a large number of tourists. The town is also home to Benalmádena Stupa, the largest stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
(a structure important in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
) in the Western world, standing 33 m tall.
History
Historically the region has been occupied and settled by many cultures dating back to the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, including the ancient Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
ns and Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, and has also been considerably influenced by the Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
settlement of the southern Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Two Almenara towers on the coastline date back to the 15th century, originally built to guard the coast and its population from the frequent incursions of Barbary pirates in the days following the reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
of the region by Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV of Castile
Henry IV , King of the Crown of Castile, nicknamed the Impotent , was the last of the weak late medieval kings of Castile...
.
In contemporary times, along with the rest of the Costa del Sol area it has become an important tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
. The municipality has been subject to an unprecedented urban expansion in recent years with many new buildings and homes built, sometimes causing environmental degradation.
The name is derived from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
"Eben al-Medina", or "Son of the Settlement".
Benalmadena has both a traditional Spanish village and a modern, coastal, tourist area.
Geography
The municipality has three main urban areas:- Benalmádena Pueblo, the original village, which lies about three kilometres inland at an elevation of approximately 200 m above mean sea levelAbove mean sea levelThe term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Its core consists of a typical white-fronted Andalusian village, although including numerous recent buildings in modern architectural styles. The town of Benalmádena also has an archaeological museum with locally-derived artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age.
- Benalmádena Costa, an urban agglomeration on the coast. Here there are discos, hotels, beaches, shopping centers and an extensively-equipped marinaMarinaA marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
. Tourist attractionTourist attractionA tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s include SeaLife aquarium and Selwo Marina, a theme park with dolphins, penguins and seals among other species. The Parque Paloma is a more recent addition to the attractions, a landscaped park containing a large lake and animals running wild. - Arroyo de la Miel, originally a separate village, is in the interior between the other two areas. It has become the main residential area, and is also the most commercially active. Buildings are tightly packed and tend to be apartment blocks. It also has several attractions such as the Tivoli World amusement parkAmusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, and a teleferico (cable carGondola liftA gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
running to the summit of the 769-metre Calamorro mountain, which provides panoramic views of the Sierra NevadaSierra Nevada (Spain)The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the region of provinces of Granada and Almería in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at 3478 m above sea level....
, GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and on clear days, the MoroccanMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
coastline. Arroyo de la Miel translates as "Stream of Honey" in English.
Main sights
The township of Benalmádena has the largest example of a BuddhistBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
in the Western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, Benalmádena Stupa, constructed in 2003.
In Arroyo de la Miel, (Avenida Garcia Lorca), is the Costa del Sol's only real ice skating rink together with an indoor swimming pool.
File:Torre Quebrada.JPG|Torre Quebrada watchtower
File:Bil-bil.jpg|Bil-bil Castle
File:Castillo de Colomares.jpg|Colomares Castle
File:Benalmádena pueblo.jpg|A street of the town
File:Teleférico Benalmádena.jpg|Cable Car facility in Benalmádena
File:Delfines Selwo Marina.jpg|Dolphins in Selwo Marina
File:Vista de Benalmádena.jpg|Part of the coast
File:Teleférico Benalmádena 1.JPG|Cable Car facility in Benalmádena
File:Playa de Benalmádena.jpg|One of the many beaches in Benalmádena
File:Monte Calamorro.jpg|This mountain can be accessed by the Cable Car facility.
Public transport
Benalmádena Council is integrated in Malaga Metropolitan Transport ConsortiumMalaga Metropolitan Transport Consortium
The Málaga Area Metropolitan Transport Consortium is a Spanish public transport company founded on 18 September 2003 as an associative Public Law Body comprising the Andalusian Regional Government, Málaga Provincial Council and the local councils of Málaga, Mijas, Benalmádena, Rincón de la...
, that offers a payment ticket available on the metropolitan and urban bus, railway and, for the future Malaga Underground.