Issue #8

Benalmadena: My kind of town

Thank you to the 25 people who responded to the survey. It helped me to realize that I am exactly where I should be!! Jessica Selzer, author of Do It Afraid, was the only person who said being near a city was the most important although 5 other respondents said being near an international airport was really important. Being near the beach was of top importance for 7 people, nature got 4 and pueblo 3, only one person said being close to cultural events was number 1 but plenty of the folks who answered the survey made it their number 2.

Wikipedia describes Benálmadena as a municipality in the province of Málaga, part of Andalusia in southern Spain. The municipality is 12km west of the city of Málaga, on the southern coast between the tourist areas of Torremolinos and Fuengirola. It has a population of approximately 53,000 residents but also caters to a large number of tourists. There are three parts one of which is Benalmádena Pueblo, the original village, which is about 3 kms inland at approximately 200m above sea level. Its core is a typical white-washed Andalusian village. It has an archaeological museum, a bull-fighting ring and the largest Buddhist Stupa in the Western world. Benalmádena Costa has discos, hotels, beaches, shopping centres, and a marina. Tourist attractions include SeaLife aquarium and Selwo Marine Park. Casino Torrequebrada is along this same stretch. And then there is Arroyo de la Miel which means stream of honey. This is where I live. It was originally a separate village and lies between Pueblo and Costa making it very convenient to both the sea and the mountains. It is also convenient to Malaga airport and the city of Malaga because of the train station. It has become the main residential area, and is also the most commercially active. Arroyo de la Miel is home to the Tivoli World amusement park and the teleferico, a cable car which runs to the top of Calamorro mountain (769 metres). From here one can enjoy panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada, Gibraltar and on clear days, the Moroccan coastline.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.