Benalmádena Things to Do

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One of the main reasons we stopped off at Benalmadena was to visit Tivoli world park and keep the Small Person amused. I also had fond memories of the park as a child and looked forward to the visit. The park was a short drive from Hotel La Fonda and had lots of easy parking.

There is a very reasonable entrance fee which covers 80% of the rides and activities (a couple of the special rides you have to pay for like The Bungee Rocket, which is one of the park's more unique features and catapults participants 120 metres into the air in under two seconds. It's great fun, if a little bit pricey). A 'Supertivolino' buys you a ticket for 30 of the other rides.

The great thing about this park, is you can go late at night and it is warm! Tivoli World won't appeal to adrenalin junkies, but there are enough rides to keep kids from 2 -12 years old amused ('tiny tots' have a rides section all to themselves) and there are shows, gardens and restaurants within the park for the adults. Spend an evening there strolling around. It's all at a very relaxed pace and we had a very enjoyable evening without the usual hassles of an amusement park.

The park offered a 'flamenco' show - The dancers were of a very high standard, but I should point out if you are a flamenco fan, this is not authentic, more classical Spanish dance. You can eat at an outdoor cafe while watching a show in the central square, sourrounded by cheeky peacocks strolling around the tables - (nice for small people). There are also exhibitions, theatre etc to keep you culturally amused.

Addtionally, you can get the cable car to Mount Carramolo from the entrance of the park, we didn't have time, but it looked like a cool thing to do for some great views, and apparently there are donkey rides for the kids at the top.

Returned Aug 06, par open until 2 am, weather was lovely and warm, enjoyed by all.

Don't waste money on an extortionate taxi ride from the airport into town. Get the train, it's so simple! Come out of arrivals, cross the road and walk through the car park to the other side. You can then see the 'station' ahead of you. For less than 5 euro's you can get the train into Benal', it takes about 30 mins and will cost about a 5th of what a taxi ride will cost you.

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Coming down from hiking on the upper route of the mountain we decided on taking the south panoramic hiking route as well. This turned out to be a much easier route with a great view of Costa del Sol. At the end of the route there is a big covered view platform where you can sit and enoy the views.

I recommend going there more than taking the upper route - at least on a very hot day.

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Up on the Calamorro mountain there are several hiking routes, one of which leads you to the top of the mountain. We decided on taking that route. It was ever so hot this day and the stone-trail was so slippery and the railing was so hot! I was amazed at how dangerous this route was and would never take this route again - at least not on a very hot day. We were holding on to the hot railing for our lives while slipping again and again and there was an abyss down below.

But the view was amazing at the top so it was worth it, but this is not for people with vertigo! There were 2 view-platforms at the top and telescopes.

People were hiking with their kids and wearing sandals and having difficulties sliding on the hot stone-trail. Hiking shoes are recommended here.

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There is a tourist-train which takes you around Benalmádena. The train runs from Puerto marina to Tivoli and back. We bought the tickets at the ticket-office at Puerto marina in Benalmádena. We were going to The Teleférico cable-cars opposite Tivoli (see my tip) and wanted to make a day of it and thus decided on riding on this small train. What a ride it was, it lasts for 45 minutes and it was ever so bumpy and slow and I would not decide on taking it again. We bought a return ticket but decided on walking back.

The train-stops are at Puerto Marina, Parque Selwo Marina and Parque de la Paloma, Teleférico cable car and Tivoli and back.

A round-trip costs 4 euros.

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Taking a trip on the Teleférico cablecar was something I had wanted to do for the longest time, but my fear of heights had stopped me from going. The trip was awesome. It takes you from Benalmádena Costa up to the Calamorro mountain, which is at an altitude of 800 meters.

The cable-cars are so small and we were a bit anxious, but it turned out to be so worth it! And at the top (or almost the top) of Calamorro mountain you have the most breathtaking views of Costa del Sol.

At the top there is a restaurant, a bar, shows of birds of prey (check out at what time, as we came to late for that) and hiking routes up to the top of the mountain (see my tip on two of the routes).

A return trip on the cable-car costs 13 euros but with a discount we paid 11 euros. You can get the discount leaflet all over.

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There is a pirate ship which departs from the marina in Benalmádena, It is called "Junco Chino (Chinese Junk)" and takes you for an hour´s + ride around the marina in Benalmádena and the coast-line of Torremolinos. From there you have a lovely view of the beaches of Torremolinos and view of Malaga. You can also see dolphins on the way and other sea-animals.

The ship is originally from Hong Kong and was made in 1972.

It sails all day long every couple of hours from 10:00 until 20:00 at night and at nights it is all lit up. A very popular ride.

The price of one ride is 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for kids and includes one drink.

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Parque de la Paloma is my favourite park in Costa del Sol. It is vast with a lovely lake with fish and turles, ducks and swans. You can also find roosters and hens with their chick running around the whole park and their crows fill the garden. There are also a lot of rabbits in the park running around free and they are very popular amongst the children. There are also Barbary sheep and emus fenched in, but what I like the most are the peacoks which run free in the garden and I have gotten plenty of private shows of their splendour. I caught on camera a fantastic mating ritual by the peacocks while visiting the garden once, I will add that here later on. You can feed bread to all the animals apart from the sheep and emus.

The park is 200.000 sq.m. and one of the main green areas in the municipality.

There is also a big cactus-garden and a library, 3 cafés, streams and a fountain, bicycles for rent and family-bicycles. There are 2 play-grounds for children and every time I have been there there have been groups of school-children visiting the park. It is so lovely and so much fun being there, I recommend it to anybody visiting this area. I could sit there for days reading a book or just admiring the lake and animals. The lake is man-made and the park is on a hill so the view is fantastic there.