Benalmádena (Spanish pronunciation: [benalˈmaðena]) is a town in Andalusia in southern Spain, 12 km west of Málaga, on the Costa del Sol between Torremolinos and Fuengirola.

[citation needed] With 61,383 inhabitants according to the INE census of 2010, Benalmádena is the eighth most populous municipality in the province and the third largest metropolitan area, behind Málaga and Torremolinos.

In the early 21st century Benalmádena is one of the main tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol, with leisure facilities including an amusement park, two aquariums, a casino, a cable car and one of the largest marinas of Andalusia.

[6] Historically the region has been occupied and settled by many cultures dating back to the Bronze Age, including the ancient Phoenicians and Romans, and has also been considerably influenced by the Moorish settlement of the southern Iberian Peninsula.

Two Almenara towers on the coastline date back to the 15th century, originally built to guard the coast and its population from the frequent incursions of Barbary pirates in the years following the reconquista (reconquest) of the region by Henry IV of Castile.

The municipality has been subject to an unprecedented urban expansion in recent years with many new buildings and homes built, sometimes causing environmental degradation.

The first documents which contain references to Benalmádena from the 15th century in the context of the struggle to win back the Crown of Castile against the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

The assumption on which most historians agree is the Arabic toponym of Ibn al-ma' din "son of the mines" for the iron and ochre bed found in the area.

Among the Roman remains are the ruins of Benal-Roma, a salting factory located on the coast, the site of Torremuelle, and enamelware and other items preserved in the Museum of Benalmádena.

In the 19th century the city grew through the exploitation of muscatel grapes for the wine production, but the vine plague of phylloxera ruined crops across the province.

[8] Its privileged climate and location in the southern coastal Europe are two important factors so that the tourism industry is the main economic sector of the municipality.

In Arroyo de la Miel, Avenida Garcia Lorca has the Costa del Sol's only real ice skating rink.