Excursion prices from Benalmadena April 2007
Viajes Benalmadena,s.l
This recommended agency is opposite the Hotel Siroco in Calle del Siroco, Benalmadena Costa.
Compare these with those offered by Thomson, etc.
Gibraltar shopping express €13, full tour €25 - Ronda €26, with lunch €32 - Mijas and Fuengirola market €14
Granada €37, with lunch €45.00 - Nerja caves and Frigiliana €20 - Seville €37, with lunch €46
Cordoba €35, with lunch €43 - Jerez €55 - Tangier 1 day €49, 2 days €93
Mini Guides and Interactive Maps
Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel are both very well placed for visiting other cities, towns and villages that this beautiful part of Spain offers. Browse through the links at the top of the page to gain further information on the immediate area, and also the excursion possibilites on the Costa del Sol, Andalucia and North Africa. Granada, Gibraltar, Ronda, Mijas, El Chorro and Nerja are all easily accessible on a one day excursion. Seville, Cordoba, Jerez and Morocco really warrant an overnight stopover.
You have probably already have noticed from this website that there are many, many attractions within Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel themselves. Add to that the fact that you will want to spend some, if not most days, chilling out and sunbathing, and there’s only so much that you can fit into one holiday. But maybe you’re an adventurous traveller wanting to see more, or a frequent visitor eager to search the sites of the Costa del Sol? Well, as you would expect, there’s plenty for you to do to.
The aim of this section is to give you some ideas and tips for travelling and visiting the various sites in the area. It is by no means exhaustive, set off in a car and drive up into the mountains and there are many undiscovered treasures. This section will complement others within this site such as Local Transport etc., and on our sister Torremolinos and Fuengirola / Mijas pages that are full of information in themselves.
Our intention is to sow the seeds for you and don’t forget, as always, if you seek further information join our Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel Forum, where any question is greeted with answers from visitors, property owners and ex-pats with a wealth of experience in the area. There’s no such thing as a stupid question, many will have thought of it but not asked it.
The best way to approach visits is to divide the area into west of Benalmadena to Gibraltar, east of Benalmadena to Nerja, and inland as far as Seville, Granada, Jerez, Cordoba and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Benalmadena to Gibraltar
The coast west of Benalmadena has a number of popular resorts for you to visit. The first is Fuengirola, which is served by bus and train from Benalmadena and Arroyo de la Miel. Comprehensive information on Fuengirola can be found here.
If you don’t have a car, most resorts are served by bus from Benalmadena. Their route is along the main N340 coastal road, Avenida Antonio Machado, that passes through Benalmadena Costa. Just look at the information tables at each of the bus stops which now provide valuable advice on times etc. (Timetables)
The next main resort after Fuengirola is Marbella, (don’t forget double L in Spanish is pronounced as a y ‘Marbeya’). This, together with its near neighbour Puerto Banus is famous for being the home of many famous people and millionairs. If you do use the Marbella bus, please be sure to alight on the coast road in town as the bus station is quite a hike.
Excursions on the Costa del Sol and Andalucia
Places to go, sights to see and things to do from Benalmadena
In Marbella, you’ll find some lovely promenade walks, beaches and shops to roam around and savour. There are many designer shops here, alongside the traditional Spanish shops. An absolute must is a wander around the old town, situated the land side of the main N340 road. The winding streets and squares around the Ayntamiento (Town Hall) are quite beautiful. Enjoy a quiet drink in the squares beneath heavily laden orange trees and people watch. Marbella is a wonderful place to wander at your leisure. About 4kms along the coast is the famous Puerto Banus withit’s wonderful marina and designer shops. This is where the rich and famous gather to enjoy their lifestyle and where the not so rich and famous, if you’re interested in this kind of thing, watch.
The marina area is surrounded by shops and restaurants and in the evening a cavalcade of expensive cars parade around so that those who ‘want to be seen’ can do so.
Behind the marina are a number of large shopping areas once again, provided to allow those with money to part with it? Puerto Banus is well worth a visit and a wander.
Continuing on west is the resort of San Pedro, a relatively small place with hotels and bars. Many people who stay here will take the short walk to Puerto Banus.
Next is Estepona, a traditional Spanish seaside town which has caught the Costa del Sol bug and is expanding all the time to meet the property and holiday demand. Finally, we arrive at La Linea and Gibraltar. La Linea is the Spanish town right next to the border with Gib. Not much to see here, but those with Spanish hire cars that are not insured to leave Spain will need to park here.
Other than that there’s not much to see in La Linea which is a working / port town. Gibraltar and it’s famous Rock is a draw for many Costa del Sol tourists. For those without a car the best way to access it is by arranged excursions from Benalmadena. A known and trustworthy travel agent, Arman Tours, can be found in Avenida Telefonica in Benalmadena, just below the Hotel Bali.
Gibraltar itself is a strange concept to accept. A piece of Britain in the Med with British post boxes, police officers, Marks and Spencers etc. It’s biggest attraction is of course the famous Rock. Trips to the top can be arranged with an all inclusive package, and we would encourage this. If not there are many arranged tours within Gibraltar, and the taxi drivers will constantly be offering trips to the top. Check the prices carefully.
Some words of advice. The tensions between Spain and Britain on Gibraltar varies significantly. Visits by British nuclear submarines or a fall out between the border staff can all take their toll on the ability to pass into or out of Gib and as usual, we become the meat in the sandwich. If you do have a hire car, check that you can take it out of Spain and into Gibraltar and take all your documents with you. You also require your passport. Gib is outside the duty free arrangements in the EU, so you can bring back duty free goods into Spain. Stick to the limits religiously, bags are often searched as you file through border control and the Spanish police will seize goods / impose levies if you are found to be above the limits. Finally, although everything else in Gibraltar is British the currency isn’t. The Gibraltar pound and coins are used in Gibraltar – same denominations, different notes / coins. You’ll find that Euros are widely accepted but you’ll probably get your change in Gibraltar currency. It’s no use outside Gibraltar so spend as much as you can get rid of.
Benalmadena to Nerja
We now head east from Benalmadena. The first major town is Torremolinos and details on this wonderful town that has enjoyed a Spanish renaissance in recent years can be found on the Torremolinos page here.
There’s one little gem which isn’t often mentioned and it’s nearly free! The walk between Torremolinos is one that many holiday makers enjoy. It’s about two and a half miles and is well worth the effort. To walk there and back at five miles is a little demanding for some so we would suggest that you either get the bus from Benalmadena Costa or the train from Arroyo de la Miel and alight at Torremolinos. Walk down the main shopping street, Calle San Miguel, towards the sea and you will come to a shop, hostal and bar lined staircase that takes you all the way to the front, and bringing you out at Casa Antonio. This internet link will show you the exact spot from the Torremolinos live webcam. From here turn right and walk all the way back to Benalmadena Puerto Marina. The bonus of doing it this way round is having you face in the sun all the way back.
The second bonus is walking through La Carahuela, once a sleepy little fishing village, but now a lovely small resort in itself, with bars, churenguitos and shops. La Carahuela is famous for it’s many wonderful fish restaurants. Time it just right for a special lunch to break your walk.
When you leave Torremolinos heading for Malaga, and just before the airport, there is a left turn to a small town named Churriana. If you go through the town and on the road to Alhaurin del Torre you will arrive at a newly renovated attraction called Senda el Retro. This is a huge botanical and ornithological park that houses many species of flora and fauna as well as birds and other wild life. El Retioro is sure to become a major attraction on the Costa del Sol.
Moving on further east we come to Malaga. Almost unaffected by the English influence on the Costa del Sol, Malaga stays absolutely Spanish and thank goodness it does. The city is easily accessed either by the regular bus service from the N340 in Benalmadena Costa, or by the half-hourly train service from Arroyo de la Miel.
The visit to Malaga is well worthwhile, and if its your first time you could use the Malaga Tour buses, which follow a circular route to all the attractions of the city. And what attractions there are too! The Cathedral, the old Alcazabar, recently renovated, and the Castillo on top of the hill with its fantastic views over the city and where you see all the many church towers. This web link will take you to the Malaga webcam to provide some of the views.
Malaga boasts many designer shops and you can wander through the little side streets and shop until you drop. The fish, vegetable and meat market provides a cultural delight and there are many famous visiting cruise liners in the port to look at.
In short, Malaga is a delight to visit and is well worth the effort. Don’t forget that shops are closed on a Sunday, and also on weekdays in the siesta time, between 2pm and 5pm. So try and tailor your visit to make the most of the experience.
Travelling further east are the seaside towns of Rincon de la Victoria, Torrox and many others, but about 30 minutes drive further east brings you to Nerja with it’s famous Balcon de Europa. Nerja is a lovely and popular coastal resort which is well worth a visit.
Inland from Benalmadena
Obviously, you have the whole of Spain to have a go at and it is readily accessible by train from Malaga. The high speed train link is just being finalised and from 2007 Madrid’s current four hour journey will be reduced to two! But a little closer to home are several places worth a visit.
A short drive or bus ride from Benalmadena is the beautiful white village of Mijas. There are details of the village and all it’s attractions on the Fuegirola/Mijas sister site. Well worth a visit. And on that journey the bus travels through Benalmadena Pueblo, the main administrative seat of the area. This is another very pretty place to visit with white walled houses, narrow streets, lovely bars and restaurants and fantastic views over Benalmadena Costa.
Further up into the mountains is Ronda with it’s famous bridge which links the old and new towns. Wonderful views again and recommended for a visit. It can be accessed via Mijas and Coin but for those of a delicate disposition it may be easier to take the N340 to Marbella and follow a straighter route up through the mountains.
Whilst we’re up in the mountains it’s a good place to mention the lakes at El Chorro at the top of the Guadalorce Valley and over which most of the planes into Malaga descend and you may have been lucky enough to have seen this area on your way into the airport. El Chorro is about 20 miles north of Malaga and can be accessed either by car or arranged excursion. The route takes you up through the valley where the old railway line was cut into the valley side with stunning views and bridges. The railway was used for filming in the Frank Sinatra war film Von Ryan’s Express. Beyond and above the railway line are the beautiful turquoise lakes. They are very popular with the Málagueños and weekends are best avoided. There are some bars and restaurants but many take picnics and BBQ’s to enjoy whilst relaxing on the beaches or swimming in the lakes.
The final place on our excursion list is the town of Antequera. About 25 minutes drive north from Malaga, this very picturesque town is famous for it’s many and varied churches. It is rumoured to have more churches per square kilometre than any other in the whole of Spain. Well worth the relatively short journey to experience the delights of Antequera.
Most folks will enjoy the many delights that Benalmadena has to offer, but those more adventurous souls, or regular visitors with more time to spare, have the options of so many other places to visit. It is these options that make Benalmadena such a wonderful place to visit.
