The Best Day Trips from Benalmadena

The day trips from Benalmadena are one of its most underrated advantages. I live in Málaga, about 20 minutes up the coast, and I still find myself pointing visitors towards Benalmadena as a base specifically because of how much is within reach.

Mijas Pueblo is 25 minutes by car. The Caminito del Rey is 70 minutes.

Granada, with the Alhambra and the Albaicín, is just over an hour and a half. Most people arrive expecting a beach holiday and leave having explored a chunk of Andalusia they hadn't planned on seeing.

This guide covers nine day trips worth making: distances, what to do when you get there, and the honest caveats I'd give a friend.

Málaga

The easiest day trip from Benalmadena is also the best. Málaga is 30 minutes from Arroyo de la Miel on the Cercanías C-1 train, costs under €5, and you arrive directly in the city centre.

For a day trip, I'd focus on the old town. The Alcazaba, built by the Hammudid dynasty in the early 11th century, is one of the best-preserved Moorish fortresses in Spain, and the cathedral sits two minutes away.

The Atarazanas market is the right place for lunch. The port promenade at Muelle Uno is a good way to finish the afternoon.

For everything there is to see and do, Things to Do in Málaga covers the city in detail.

One honest caveat: most attractions in Málaga close on Mondays, including the Picasso Museum and the Alcazaba. Check opening days before you go.

The market closes around 2pm on weekdays, so aim to get there before lunch if that's on the plan.

Mijas Pueblo

The views from Mijas Pueblo are the first thing that stops you. The village sits at around 430 metres above the coast, and on a clear day you can see across to the sea from almost anywhere on the main streets.

It's about 25 minutes by car from Benalmadena, and worth every minute of it. The cave shrine, the main square, and the bullring, built in 1900 and one of the only oval-shaped ones in Spain, are all within ten minutes of each other on foot.

The bus via Fuengirola is cheap, but it fills up fast in summer. For parking options if you're driving, Parking in Mijas Pueblo covers everything you need to know.

For the full picture on what to see and do, Things to Do in Mijas Pueblo covers the village properly.

Arrive early if you're driving. By 11am in summer the car parks are full, and the village is at its best before the day trips from the coast arrive.

Marbella

Marbella is about 40 minutes by car, and it splits neatly into two very different experiences. The old town, the Casco Antiguo, is the one I'd prioritise: narrow streets, a central square lined with orange trees, and some of the best-looking architecture on the Costa del Sol.

Puerto Banús is the other half of the equation. It's a large marina with around 915 berths, lined with designer brand shops and restaurants, and the kind of place where the boats and the cars compete for your attention.

I prefer the old town. But Puerto Banús is worth an hour if that world interests you.

A day trip covers both comfortably. Walk the old town in the morning, then drive the 6km along the coast road to Puerto Banús for the afternoon.

For the full guide, Things to Do in Marbella covers both in detail.

Antequera

Antequera is about 45 minutes inland from Benalmadena, and it's one of the most underrated day trips on the Costa del Sol. Most people on the coast have never been.

The Dólmenes de Antequera are the first reason to go. Among the largest megalithic monuments in Europe, built between 3500 and 2500 BC and UNESCO World Heritage since 2016, entry is free.

I went expecting to be mildly impressed. I stood there in actual silence, which I hadn't expected.

The Alcazaba above the town is worth the climb for the views over the rooftops. It's not the largest fortress in the region, but the position alone makes it worth an hour.

El Torcal, the limestone rock formations outside town, needs an honest caveat: it deserves most of a day to explore properly, with a stop for lunch. If you're combining it with the dolmens and the Alcazaba, something will get shortchanged.

For everything worth your time, Things to Do in Antequera covers all three.

Nerja and Frigiliana

An hour's drive from Benalmadena, Nerja and Frigiliana are a natural pair. They're 10 minutes apart, and most people who go to one end up at both.

My recommendation is to start at Frigiliana. It's the hillier of the two, and doing the uphill streets first means you arrive in Nerja ready for lunch on the beach.

Frigiliana is one of the best-preserved white villages in Andalusia, and it has a quieter feel than some of the more visited pueblos on the coast.

From there, head down to Nerja for the afternoon. The Balcón de Europa is the obvious first stop, a viewpoint above the sea right in the centre of town.

Playa Burriana, below the town, is one of the better beaches on the coast.

The Nerja Caves are worth knowing about even if you're not sure they're for you. Discovered in 1959, they contain stalactites formed over five million years and cave paintings believed to be among the oldest in Europe.

Book cave tickets in advance. They sell out.

For everything in both villages, Things to Do in Nerja and Things to Do in Frigiliana are the full guides.

Caminito del Rey

The Caminito del Rey is a 7.7km walkway pinned to the walls of the El Chorro gorge, about 70 minutes from Benalmadena by car. It's one of the most dramatic walks in Spain and doesn't require any particular fitness level.

I'll be honest: I'm not great with heights, and there are sections where the drop below you is significant. It is daunting in places.

But the path itself is wide and secure, and I'd do it again.

Book early in the morning if you can. Midday in summer is genuinely hot, and the gorge offers little shade.

The tickets are the critical part. They sell out weeks, sometimes months, in advance, especially on weekends.

Book online before you plan anything else around the trip.

The full guide at Caminito del Rey covers the booking process, what to bring, and the route in detail.

Ronda

Ronda is about 80 minutes from Benalmadena. The Puente Nuevo bridge, completed in 1793, spans a 120-metre gorge at the centre of the town, and the Plaza de Toros, opened in 1785, is one of the oldest bullrings in Spain.

Most people walk the old town rather than drive through it, which is the right call. I've done it, and the walking is genuinely good.

Take more water than you think you need. The uphill sections are steep and there isn't much shade.

There are plenty of restaurants around the main square, and a park near the viewpoints where children can play while adults look down into the gorge.

Setenil de las Bodegas is 30 minutes from Ronda, a village built into a gorge where the rock face forms the ceiling of the houses. It's worth combining into one day.

Parking in Setenil is notoriously tricky. Check Parking in Setenil de las Bodegas before you go.

For the full guide, Things to Do in Ronda covers everything worth your time.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is about 90 minutes from Benalmadena, and it's genuinely unlike anywhere else on a day trip from the Costa del Sol. The territory covers just 6.7 square kilometres, but it fits in a surprising amount.

The Rock is the obvious draw. The Upper Rock Nature Reserve gives you the views, St Michael's Cave, and the Barbary macaques, the only wild primates in Europe.

They are entertaining. They will also steal things, so keep your bags closed.

Main Street below is a compact shopping strip where euros and pounds are both accepted. It's not the reason most people go, but it adds to the oddness of being somewhere that feels simultaneously Spanish and British.

The border crossing at La Línea can have long queues, particularly on weekends and public holidays. A weekday visit is significantly easier.

Granada

Granada is the longest trip on this list, about an hour and forty minutes from Benalmadena, and the one that justifies the drive most fully. I love it.

The Alhambra draws around 2.7 million visitors a year, and for good reason. The Nasrid Palaces are the centrepiece, and timed entry tickets sell out weeks in advance, sometimes longer in peak season.

Book before you plan anything else around the day.

If you arrive without Alhambra tickets, don't give up on the day. The Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter across the gorge, is one of the most interesting neighbourhoods in Andalusia to walk through, and the viewpoint at the Mirador de San Nicolás gives you the Alhambra from the outside, which is honestly a sight in itself.

Sacromonte, the cave district above the city, is worth a walk if you have time after the Albaicín.

Granada rewards a full day. If you can manage an early start from Benalmadena, you'll have time for the Alhambra in the morning and the Albaicín in the afternoon.

For everything worth seeing, Things to Do in Granada has the full guide.