The short version
- Benalmádena is fifteen minutes from Málaga airport on the C-1 train to Arroyo de la Miel. It’s the best family base on this coast, and the train is most of the reason.
- It’s three places under one name — a hilltop village, a marina and a train-line town. Check which one your hotel is in before you book.
- The cable car costs from €17.90 adult / €12.90 child return online (€21.90 / €16.90 at the gate). Under-3s and under 1 metre go free.
- Paloma Park is free, and it’s the best afternoon in town.
- Tivoli World is closed. It shut in September 2020 and is targeting spring 2028. Don’t plan around it.
- Best beaches: Playa de Santa Ana, Playa Bil Bil and Playa Malapesquera.
If you asked me for one Costa del Sol town with children and no car, this is the answer — and I’d have given the same answer back when hotels along this coast were my professional portfolio rather than my family holidays.
Travelling with kids and want everything on site? Holiday World Resort is the big family complex, with pools, entertainment and all-inclusive options. These are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
First: there are three Benalmádenas
This is the thing that catches people out, and it’s the single most useful paragraph on this page. “Benalmádena” covers three distinct places, roughly twenty minutes apart:
Benalmádena Pueblo — the hilltop white village. Whitewashed houses, cobbled streets, flower-filled balconies, and the Castillo de Colomares. Beautiful, steep, and a half-day rather than a base.
Arroyo de la Miel — where the train station is. The practical heart of the town and the reason the whole place works without a car.
Puerto Marina and the beach strip — the yacht harbour, the aquarium, the shops and restaurants, and most of the resort hotels.
Book a hotel in the Pueblo expecting the beach, and you have a holiday involving a lot of hills. Check which one you’re in.
Getting there
Fifteen minutes from Málaga airport on the C-1 Cercanías train to Arroyo de la Miel, for €1.80 plus €0.50 once for the card.
That’s the whole argument for Benalmádena with small children. You land, walk to a platform, and you’re there before anyone has had time to fall apart. It also connects you to Torremolinos in one direction and Málaga city in the other for the same sort of money.
Full transfer detail: Málaga Airport to the Costa del Sol
What to do in Benalmádena
Paloma Park — the best free afternoon on the coast
A large green space with a small lake, several playgrounds, and ducks, rabbits and peacocks roaming loose around the paths.
It’s free, it’s shaded, and it will absorb an entire afternoon. It’s also the answer to the question every Costa del Sol parent has in July — what do we do when it’s too hot for the beach and too early for dinner. Bring a picnic.
Teleférico Benalmádena — the cable car up Mount Calamorro
The ride climbs Mount Calamorro for panoramic views along the whole coast. On a clear day you can see Gibraltar and the coast of Morocco from the top.
2026 prices:
| Ticket | Online | At the gate |
|---|---|---|
| Adult return (8+) | from €17.90 | from €21.90 |
| Child return (3–7, or from 1 m) | from €12.90 | from €16.90 |
| One-way, general | from €10.90 | — |
| One-way, reduced | from €9.90 | — |
| Under 3 and under 1 m | Free | Free |
Book online. It’s €4–5 cheaper per person, which for a family of four is the price of lunch.
One practical note: the cable car closes in adverse weather, so on a windy or low-cloud day, check before you make the journey up — and a low-cloud day defeats the point anyway, since you’re paying for the view.
Puerto Marina and Sea Life
The yacht harbour, ringed with shops, cafés and restaurants, and home to the Sea Life Benalmádena aquarium. An easy half-day, and the marina itself is pleasant to walk in the evening.
Benalmádena Pueblo and the Castillo de Colomares
The hilltop white village: whitewashed houses, cobbled streets, flower-filled balconies, and the Castillo de Colomares, a monument to Christopher Columbus that looks like nothing else in Spain — part castle, part cathedral, part folly.
Worth half a day. Not worth a pushchair.
The beaches
Playa de Santa Ana, Playa Bil Bil and Playa Malapesquera — swimming, sunbathing and water sports across all three.
Tivoli World — read this before you plan around it
It is closed, and it has been for years.
The amusement park shut in September 2020, when operator Parques Reunidos went into bankruptcy leaving around €11 million in debt. A lot of guides still describe it as “temporarily closed” or “reopening soon.” It isn’t.
What’s actually happening: owners Grupo Tremon reached an agreement with Benalmádena’s council in February 2025 and have since submitted the technical documentation for redevelopment. Construction was scheduled to begin in early 2026, with a grand opening anticipated for spring 2028 after three to four years of work.
The plan is a €100–200 million redevelopment of the 65,000 m² site into a mixed-use complex: a smaller amusement area retaining 27 of the original 85 rides, two hotels including a four-star themed property, and a shopping centre. Around 1,000 jobs, with priority to the 110 staff who lost theirs in 2020.
So: if you’re planning a trip before 2028, Tivoli World is not an option. Paloma Park, the cable car and Sea Life are what the town actually offers children right now, and they’re enough.accommodations, delicious local cuisine, and plenty to explore, it’s no surprise that so many travelers return year after year.
Where to stay in Benalmádena
Luxury — Vincci Selección Aleysa Hotel Boutique & Spa. Beachfront five-star with sea views, a spa and refined dining. The grown-up option in a town mostly built for children.
Families — Holiday World Resort. The big family complex: pools, organised entertainment, all-inclusive options. If you want the children occupied without leaving the site, this is it.
Mid-range — Mac Puerto Marina Benalmádena. Solid four-star by the marina, walking distance to the aquarium, the restaurants and the shops.
Budget — Hotel San Fermín. Near the beach, has a pool, does the job.
Also worth a look: Estival Torrequebrada and Sahara Sunset Club.
More: Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol
Getting around
Most of what you want is walkable within each of the three areas, and there are buses and taxis between them. The cable car and the train cover the rest.
You don’t need a car here. That’s unusual on this coast and it’s the main practical reason to choose Benalmádena over Marbella or Estepona with young children.
When to go
Spring and early autumn are the best of it — comfortable temperatures, fewer people. Summer is lively and good for the beach, and hot enough that you’ll want Paloma Park’s shade in the middle of the day.
Eating
The marina and the beach strip have the range. For paella specifically, we’ve written separately about where we actually eat it: Best Paella in Benalmádena.
Read next:
- Costa del Sol with Kids
- Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol
- Málaga Airport to the Costa del Sol
- Occidental Torremolinos Playa Review
- Best Paella in Benalmádena
Frequently Asked Questions About Benalmádena with Kids
Is Benalmádena good for families with kids?
Yes — it is the town we would choose on this coast with children and no car. It sits fifteen minutes from Málaga airport on the C-1 train to Arroyo de la Miel for €1.80, and has more to do within walking distance than anywhere else on the Costa del Sol: Paloma Park, the cable car up Mount Calamorro, the Sea Life aquarium at Puerto Marina, and three calm beaches.
How much is the Benalmádena cable car in 2026?
An adult return costs from €17.90 booked online or €21.90 at the box office, for visitors aged 8 and over. A child return for ages 3–7 or from 1 metre tall costs from €12.90 online or €16.90 at the gate. One-way tickets start at €10.90, and children under 3 and under 1 metre travel free. Booking online saves around €4–5 per person.
Is Tivoli World in Benalmádena open?
No. Tivoli World closed in September 2020 after its operator went into bankruptcy, and it remains closed. Owners Grupo Tremon agreed a redevelopment with the council in February 2025, with construction scheduled to start in early 2026 and a grand opening anticipated for spring 2028. The plan retains 27 of the original 85 rides alongside two hotels and a shopping centre, so any trip before 2028 should be planned without it.
What is there to do in Benalmádena with children?
Paloma Park is the standout and it is free — a large green space with a lake, several playgrounds and ducks, rabbits and peacocks roaming loose, which easily absorbs an afternoon. Beyond that: the Teleférico cable car up Mount Calamorro, with views to Gibraltar and the Moroccan coast on a clear day; the Sea Life aquarium at Puerto Marina; the Castillo de Colomares in Benalmádena Pueblo; and the beaches at Santa Ana, Bil Bil and Malapesquera.
Which part of Benalmádena should I stay in?
Benalmádena is three distinct places about twenty minutes apart. Benalmádena Pueblo is the hilltop white village — beautiful, steep, and better as a half-day visit than a base. Arroyo de la Miel has the train station and is the practical centre. Puerto Marina and the beach strip hold the aquarium, the restaurants and most of the resort hotels. Check which one a hotel is in before booking.
How do you get from Málaga airport to Benalmádena?
Take the C-1 Cercanías train from the airport station to Arroyo de la Miel — around fifteen minutes for €1.80, plus a one-off €0.50 for the rechargeable card. The same line connects Benalmádena to Torremolinos in one direction and Málaga city in the other, which is why you do not need a car here.
Which are the best beaches in Benalmádena?
Playa de Santa Ana, Playa Bil Bil and Playa Malapesquera, all with swimming, sunbathing and water sports. They are calmer than the beaches further west, which is part of why the town suits families.
When is the best time to visit Benalmádena?
Spring and early autumn give the most comfortable temperatures and the smallest crowds. Summer is lively and good for the beach, but hot enough that you will want the shade of Paloma Park in the middle of the day.
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