Village’s municipal area stretches from the foothills
of the Sierra de Mijas to the sea, where it occupies a short
coastal strip.
Completely devoted to tourism, Benalmadena is one of the most important
resorts on the western Costa del Sol, offering a variety of options: firstly,
the village itself, located in the upper part of the municipality, featuring
traditional architecture which reflects its origins and affording beautiful
panoramic views; further down stands a district of great importance, Arroyo
de la Miel, where most of the population live, with its wealth of tourist
facilities, including an international pleasure park; and, finally, Benalmadena
Costa, where a lot of facilities for sun and sand tourism are concentrated:
hotels, a casino, golf courses, a pleasure harbour etc. Worthy of note
for its originality is Bil-Bil Castle, on the sea front, a curious structure
built in Neoarabic style in 1934, used for cultural purposes by the local
council.
History
Arabs gave the village its name, which appears to be derived from Banu
Al Madena, meaning sons of the mines, a reference to the important mineral
deposits which had been heavily exploited since Roman era; a number of
archaeological remains pertaining to this period have been unearthed here,
notably a mosaic which can be found in the Alcazaba Museum in Malaga .Prior
to the Moslem occupation, Benalmadena had been colonised by Phoenician
merchants. During Arabic times, the castle was an important defensive
structure. After the surrender of Marbella, the Catholic Monarchs turned
their attention to Benalmadena, believing that the remaining villages
on the way to the city of Malaga would present few difficulties. This
was not the case, however, as its inhabitants, protected by their fortress,
offered stiff resistance, and King Ferdinand was forced to direct operations
himself. Following its capture in 1485, the castle was totally destroyed
and its inhabitants dispersed. In 1491, the Catholic Monarchs granted
a citizen of Malaga, Alonso Palmero, a letter of privilege allowing him
to repopulate the area and rebuild the village and its castle under the
supervision of the chief magistrate of the aforementioned city. Benalmadena
became a key location in the defence of the coast against the attacks
of North African pirates. Remains of 3 towers can still be found on the
coast: El Muelle, Quebrada and Bermeja. Despite the presence of Roman
remains and a mosque in Arroyo de la Miel, a district of Benalmadena,
the suburb as we know it today appeared at the end of the 18th century
as a result of the hydraulic installations and paper and playing card-producing
facilities created by the Galvez de Macharaviaya family, and the presence
of the sugar and honey cane factory, the sweet residual waters of which
gave the area its name - Arroyo de la Miel translates as the Stream of
Honey -.
