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 -.
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