Train stations in Benalmadena
There are only two train stations in Benalmadena. The gorgeous town of Benalmadena, in the Costa del Sol, right between Torremolinos (that boasts 5 train stations) and Fuengirola (that has 4) is lacking a few train stations; therefore, a lot of amazing places of Benalmadena cannot be reached by train at all. Think of the beautiful Marina of Benalmadena, for instance, or the unique Benalmadena Pueblo – they are both out of the trains reach. And so are the sandy beaches. But I’ll tell you how to get there by bus; after all, Benalmadena is my home.
Related posts:
The 9 Benalmadenas
Train stations in Fuengirola – all aboard tips and insights
Train Stations in Torremolinos
Train Stations in Malaga – splendid stops and a secret
Free train tickets in the Costa del Sol – Questions and Answers
Benalmádena – Arroyo de la Miel
This is the main train station of Benalmadena, and there is a taxi stand right by it. There is also a bus stop near the taxis. The station is in the heart of Arroyo de la Miel, a commercial and traditional neighborhood well worth a visit.
A must visit, in my humble opinion. Ok, I’m biased – it is the station I know better, as I’m around it almost every day – but check how many things are just around this corner:
Right behind the station there is Plaza Pueblosol, where several events happen throughout the year, such as the food trucks and the feria de día of the Feria de Benalmadena. In this same plaza there is one of the main playgrounds of the city and, soon after that, the cable car, one of the favourite attractions of Benalmadena.
The station sits on one of the ends of the Avenida de la Constitución, the main avenue of Benalmadena. Walking here you’ll find many restaurants, pubs and a variety of commerce, as well as the casa de la cultura of Benalmadena; close to the other end of the avenue, there is the Plaza de la Mesquita, where Halloween and other events – such as music or dance presentations -usually happen.
On Fridays, the street market in Benalmadena happens in a parking lot two blocks behind this station. Another interesting thing to do around here is to go up (towards the mountain side) from Avenida de la Constitución to visit the maze of streets inside Arroyo and have a grasp of the traditional feel of Arroyo de la Miel.
If, instead, you decide to go down (towards the sea), you may pass through Avenida Blas Infante, a pedestrian street that is usually beautifully decorated for special occasions (which happen often), packed with cafes.
Going down Av. Blas Infante, if you turn left on the first street, Calle Sol, you’ll find the famous wings:
And if you continue on Av. Blas Infante and turn left on the second street, Calle Felix Solesio, you’ll find this little gem, the Fountain Square, surrounded by cafes:
How to reach the sandy beaches, the Marina and Benalmadena Pueblo
If you intend to enjoy Benalmadena’s sandy beaches, drop the train on Benalmadena – Arroyo de la Miel and get bus number 103, right across the street, or venture maybe more than half an hour walk downhill (I suggest the bus, an uber or a taxi on the way back, uphill).
Bus line 103 is also good to go to Benalmadena Pueblo and to the Estupa Tibetana, as are the bus lines 112, 116, 121 and 126. To the Marina, take the same lines, which are also good to go to the sandy beaches and hotels by the Marina. All these lines stop by the bus stop near Benalmadena – Arroyo de la Miel station.
Torremuelle
Torremuelle is a platform station in the neighborhood of the same name in Benalmádena.
It has recently been on the news when mysterious mathematical equations appeared on the walls of the underground crossing between the two sides of the platform. Here is a little piece of the equation, as it is now, and you can see it is a bit different than what was on the news. It seems to have been shortened. I believe the ‘when you care you do it’ inscription was added by someone else, as the calligraphy and ink are different than… Batman’s.
Apparently, Batman either lives in Torremuelle or goes there often… which makes sense, considering this is, after all, an upscale area of Benalmadena, and more residential than touristic.
The beach in Torremuelle is rocky, and that is probably the reason why this area is less touristic than the rest of Benalmadena.
The main attraction of the area is the Torre del Muelle, a former defensive outpost by the shore. As with many areas in the Costa del Sol, the defensive past of the region influences its current name. And boy, there were towers (torres) around the area: Torreblanca (Fuengirola), Torrequebrada (Benalmádena) and the most famous of them all, Torremolinos, just to name those besides Torremuelle that became neighborhoods or cities.
In the category of monuments-that-did-not-become-names-of-their-surrounds, there is the Torre Mirador (in Torremolinos, in the Parque de la Batería) and the Torre Bermeja (in Benalmadena, near the Marina). Clearly, everybody has wanted to come to the Costa del Sol for millennia! Good thing that now we just need a visa, not a battle.
The views from the tower grounds are beautiful, and you can see as far as the Estupa Tibetana, far far away, in Benalmadena Pueblo:
The tower is so iconic that it has a child:
Conclusion
The two stations of Benalmadena are a small taste of what the town has to offer. It is a pity that there are only two of them, but at least Benalmadena – Arroyo has enough entertainment around it that it almost compensate for the lack of more stations. Good thing we can count on the buses!
In a way, I’m glad Benalmadena has (at least) two stations. Cities just as interesting as Benalmadena, such as Mijas, Marbella and Estepona, are not reached by the train at all. I hope someday we’ll all be connected; there are plans to do so, extending the train lines to reach Algeciras railway network, as well as from Málaga to Nerja, but such things tend to take decades. I guess for now we should enjoy what we have, which is, by all means, already excellent.