Benalmadena Pueblo Holidays

Narrow streets, whitewashed houses and bougainvillea spilling from balconies are all part of the picture at Benalmadena Pueblo on Spain’s Costa del Sol. So are the mountain and sea views that frame this peaceful hillside village. And it all comes with the sort of relaxed vibe that has locals chilling out alongside tourists in the bars and restaurants. As for beaches, there’s a whole coastline waiting in the wings.

Benalmadena Pueblo is the old village that belongs to Benalmadena, about 10 minutes’ drive away. It’s here that the coast offers up 10 kilometres’ worth of beaches – a mixture of watersport-packed stretches of sand and quiet coves laced with shingle. The locals love Blue Flag Santa Ana, while snorkellers and scuba divers head straight for Tajo de la Soga.

From the orange tree-lined main square, Plaza de Espana, narrow streets take you to the Iglesia de Santa Domingo, a pretty little whitewashed church. Just below the village is the quirky Castillo De Colomares, a modern-day castle with a fairytale design. Surprisingly, there’s also a huge Buddhist monument, the Estupa de la Illuminacion, here as well.

Just 10 minutes’ drive and you’re at coastal Benalmadena. It’s big on things to do, with a huge butterfly park, an aquatic centre filled with Europe’s biggest shark collection, plus the Tivoli World theme park. And in less than half an hour, you could be in Malaga, which pulls together the Picasso Museum, a 16th-century cathedral, an ancient Arabic fortress and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre.