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The original settlements in Benalmadena date all the way back to the late Paleolithic period, as indicated by archaeological finds in the caves in the area. The first settlers were the Phoenicians, who landed on the coastal area in the 7th to 8th centuries, B.C. They brought with them techniques for farming and the raising of cattle. Today, remains of Phoenician architecture can be found throughout the region.
Roman settlers followed the Phoenicians. Ruins of note include that of salting factories and fishing facilities on and around the coast. Also, watchtower ruins that mark the Benalmádena coastline were probably built in this period.
Some time after the Romans’ sojourn in the region, the Arabs arrived in southern Spain. They gave the name to the town, Benalmádena, which comes from the Arabic “Ben-Al-Madina,” which roughly means “children of the mines.” The name may have been inspired by the existence of iron mines in the region, many of which had been in existence since the time of the Phoenician settlements.
Following the Crusades, Benalmádena was abandoned and left uninhabited for some time. The inhabitants had left the area out of fear of attacks from the sea. Many times did people try to resettle in the area, but the new settlements did not last long.
In the beginning of the 18th century, a settlement began to grow back in the Benalmádena area. A paper milling industry had begun to thrive, and there were several mills built around this time. In the 19th century, farming had been reintroduced. Owing to the pleasant climate of the Benalmádena region, vineyards became the plantations of choice.
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Finally, the 20th century saw the real bloom and growth of Benalmádena. Investors saw the potential of tourism in the entire Costa del Sol region and started acquiring plots of land along the coast for building the first hotels. At that point, there was no special name for the region.
The first hotel in Costa del Sol was La Roca, and many others followed: the Siroco, Tritón, Riviera, and Alay. These first class hotels all converted Benalmádena into an exquisite tourist location. The local municipal government became aware of the potential benefits of this new industry and since then has supported everything to improve the local leisure infrastructure. In 1973, the Tivoli amusement park was opened and was a totally new type of leisure spot at the time. However, soon even the Tivoli park would be eclipsed by the Benalmádena marina, the largest in the coastal area. Communication companies have awarded the marina on numerous occasions for being the best one in the world. The marina continues to attract millions of visitors each year. Finally, the Proyecto Olimpo was launched with the goal of creating new and more leisure facilities.
The general population of Benalmádena, like most of the tourist spots in the Costa del Sol, is characterized by a wide variation between periods of vacations (referred to as the high season) and the low season (periods of few vacationers). In the first months of 2006, the Benalmádena census is predicted to exceed 50,000. The increased population would allow the municipal town hall to request more financial assistance from the central government. (In Spain, the central government allocates assistance to the various municipalities based on their populations.)
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Today, Benalmádena is composed of three areas:
Benalmadena Pueblo was the original village of Benalmadena, situated about three kilometers inland, in the mountains. The original heart of Benalmádena hasn’t lost its charm as the archetypal Andalucian village. The pueblo (village) is 280 meters above sea level.
Benalmádena Costa is the low lying resort area.
Arroyo de la Miel lies between the other two areas. It houses the main bulk of inhabitants and is the most commercially active of the three areas.
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