A Cultural route around Benalmádena

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Any holiday destination is not complete unless it has a good cultural programme to go with it. A lot of people think the Costa del Sol is just a holiday region but the truth is that it is incredibly rich in culture and history. Benalmádena is no exception to this and when you visit this beautiful destination, make sure you discover its many cultural attractions.

Bil Bil Castle

Just a 20-minute walk from the Benalmádena beach hotels in Puerto Marina is an atypical castle located at the seafront, with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. We say atypical because it’s not the type of Medieval or Arab castle you might expect. Bil Bil Castle was built in 1927 by order of a wealthy family and it’s its Arab style and stunning red walls which really catch the eye. In 1980 it was bought by the City Council and it currently hosts different exhibitions, cultural events and concerts. Its gardens and fountains are of incredible beauty, perfectly recreating the area’s Nasrid heritage, making it an ideal place for a quiet and pleasant afternoon stroll.

Colomares Castle

And from one castle, we move on to another. Once again, Colomares Castle is not an ancient castle but rather a monument in the shape of a castle dedicated to Christopher Columbus. Its construction is fairly recent, since it was finished in 1994, but its many combined architectural styles make it absolutely stunning: Mudejar, Gothic, Byzantine and Romanesque are all represented in this construction which is the largest in the world dedicated to the explorer. Another incentive to visit it is that inside you can find the smallest church in the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records at just 21 ft². All in all, it is one of Benalmádena’s most popular attractions and one you must visit if you are an architecture lover.

Pre-Columbian Art Museum

Arguably Benalmádena’s most interesting museum, the Pre-Columbian Art Museum exhibits handmade objects and household items from Pre-Columbine America, more specifically from the Central Andes (Peru) and Mesoamerica (Mexico) areas, all of which dating from over 500 years ago or more. The collection belonged to Felipe Orlando, a famous artist and author who was the museum curator and who donated all of it to his beloved Benalmádena when he died. Furthermore, the museum also tells the history of Benalmádena, from its first settlers until today, illustrating it with archaeological items of up to 5,000 years of age.

Benalmádena Pueblo

Finish your cultural trip in the old town of Benalmádena, known as Benalmádena Pueblo, where you can find many historical churches, sculptures and squares. The churches of Santo Domingo and Inmaculada Concepción are two of the most important ones and in the beautiful Plaza de España you can see the famous Statue of the Girl, a bronze sculpture which became the town’s symbol.

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