Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena

Benalmadena train station. Out of the station, and you are on the main street.

Arroyo de la Miel is one of the three urban centers and districts that make up the municipality of Benalmadena, along with Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa. One could say it is the town center of Benalmadena.

There is a main street in the heart of the town. As with any town center you will find restaurants offering cuisines from all over – from European to American, from Mediterranean to Chinese. Most of them do brisk business. Outside of the main street, the town is a maze of winding side streets, back streets and plazas.

Since Arroyo de la Miel stands on hilly slopes at the base of mount Calamorro, there are slopes everywhere – from gentle slopes to moderate slopes to very steep slopes. The back streets, and side streets weave through the slopes. You are either going up or down a slope.

Here, you find smaller shops and businesses catering to the locals in the area. You would be amazed at the number of cafes and restaurants you find here. Most of these are small, local restaurants serving simple, local fares. However, there are also restaurants serving foreign cuisines to the enclaves of foreigners living in the area.

Arroyo de la Miel has many holiday apartments owned by Europeans who come here to escape the cold in Winter, or to enjoy the sun and sand in Summer. A big section of the people living here are retirees from the UK.

Arroyo de la Miel does not have the hustle and bustle of most cities where everybody is in a hurry. Besides the tourists on the main street, the residents in the town are mostly elderly people or retirees spending their holidays here. So, the pace here is slower and more relaxed.

Arroyode la Miel, or Benalmadena for that matter, is a nice place to visit, if you are looking to spend a few relaxing days.

Here are some places of interest in Benalmadena.

1. Costa del Sol
   Costa del Sol is the main attraction of Benalmadena. You can take a leisurely walk along the coast, or rent a sunbed and soak in the sun, or look for a nice restaurant along the beach (of which there are many), have a drink and watch the world go by.

1. Puerto Marina in Benalmadena
   Puerto Marina in Benalmadena is voted one of the most beautiful marinas in the world.

2. Sea Life
   The Sea life aquarium located near the Puerto Marina is supposedly one of the top Sea Life Marines in Europe.

3. Parque de la Paloma, or Park of the Doves. They were voted one of twenty five most beautiful parks in Europe. As the name implies, you will find many doves and pigeons.

1. Benalmadena Cable Car
   You can take the cable car to the top of Mount Calamorro to have a bird’s eye view of the town below. On a clear day, you can see as far out to Africa.

1. Benalmadena Pueblos
   Visit the villages on the mountainside. Marvel at the interesting designs of the houses built on the slopes of a mountain. Ingenious, I find.

Other than the above mentioned, Benalmadena is a town where holidaymakers relax, enjoy the sun, eat, drink and party. If that is the kind of holiday you look forward to, Benalmadena is definitely worth a visit. Just take it easy and go with the pace of the place.

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