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Benalmádena Marina

It’s hard to believe that summer is once again in full swing. The Costa del Sol is bustling with tourists, and today we’ve come to a point where the Spanish property market has made a significant leap in the right direction as projections suggest that Property for sale on Costa del Sol will continue to be snapped up at a rapid rate.

For many UK buyers, owning a second home is more than possible now, considering the strong pound especially against the Euro. Buying property in Marbella, luxury property for that matter; is more than affordable. If we were to give one piece of property advice, it would simply be to buy now! Don’t forget there is more to the Costa del Sol than just Marbella…keep reading!

Benalmádena Marina, the Diamond in the Rough
Just twelve kilometres to the west of Málaga on Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol located in the stunning beach town of Benalmádena, is one of the largest and most extensively equipped marinas in the Mediterranean. Architect Eduardo Oria created a unique Moorish, Arabic and Andalusian architectural masterpiece which took 10 years to complete and has been twice awarded ‘Best Marina in the World’.

Benalmádena, situated between two famous tourist destinations and beach towns on the Costa del Sol: Torremolinos and Fuengirola, is already a popular tourist destination and is home to an amusement park, two aquariums (one of which is located in the marina), a casino, a cable car, beautiful beaches and much more, but it is mainly famous for its magnificent marina, which on its own is responsible for the incredible numbers of all year round tourism.

The history of Benalmádena’s famous award winning marina dates back to the 1960s, when the mayor at the time, Don Enrique Bolín, planned the implementation of an infrastructure that would see Benalmádena become a high quality tourist attraction, whilst enhancing the historical relationship of this beach town with the sea.

There was initial opposition to the project’s innovative design and grandeur. Luckily the Mayor pushed for its completion and managed to overcome all objections. Today, it is a world famous fairy tale marina, and one of the most attractive environments for sport, leisure and recreation on the entire Mediterranean coast.

Construction of the marina began on November 12, 1972. The Benalmádena Marina was originally inaugurated in 1979 under the name “Puerto Príncipe”, which translates to the “Prince’s Marina”. It was then renamed to Puerto Marina in 1982. The marina is characterised by its spectacular and unique architecture, which has given it worldwide recognition, especially among European tourists. It has over 1100 berths that accommodate boats up to 35 meters in length.

In 2009, the Junta de Andalucia (the Andalusian regional government) introduced plans to expand the marina to add 825 new berths, as well as a larger boathouse. This expansion would make the Benalmádena Marina the largest marinas in all of Andalusia. Renovations have been underway for the last six months resulting in the marina being awarded three certificates for quality.

The marina currently occupies over 100,000 square metres of protected waters, as well as over 160,000 square metres of dry land, 28,000 square metres of which are dedicated to parking and gardens, and a further 4,000 square metres for the Nautical Centre.

In July 1996, under instructions from the Benalmádena Town Hall, the marina has been managed by its own Sociedad Anónima Municipal which is responsible for all utilities, administration and communications for the marina’s occupants. Entertainment and sporting events are hosted at the marina on a regular basis, including concerts, competitions, ferias, flamenco dancing shows, gastronomic fairs, as well as fishing and sailing events.

Contrasting the old with the new, at the entrance of the marina is the Torre Bermeja, which was a lookout tower whilst Andalusia was under Moorish ruling many centuries ago. Today, it is safe to say that Benalmádena Marina is the hub of the town. It is in this bustling compound that you will find hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping, the Club Naútico Marítimo de Benalmádena, a luxury residential island area and an aquarium. It is currently one of the most visited tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol – day and night.

One of Benalmádena marina’s most popular attractions is SeaLife aquarium. It’s a great family day out, where you can watch feeding demonstrations (including sharks on select days*), 36 displays of many aquatic creatures (such as sharks, giant turtles and rays, among others), a beautiful underwater tunnel with some of the aquarium’s 2000 creatures swimming above, a children’s soft play area and the ‘Rockpool Experience’, which means visitors have the opportunity to touch starfish or hold a crab. The aquarium also has its own cafeteria overlooking the sea.

*The shark feedings are on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

No matter whether you’re visiting with your family, going out for a meal, shopping or simply soaking up the surroundings, there is something for everyone at Benalmádena’s beautiful marina.

It will come as no surprise to learn that Benalamádena is also one of the most popular locations to buy property for sale on Costa del Sol and newly released developments such as the fantastic Benalmadena Hill Views, offering stunning sea views, are selling out fast.

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