Cable Cars in Benalmadena

It is also worth knowing, that the Teleferico or Cable Cars in Benalmadena are owned by the same company that operates Selwo Aventura in Estepona and the Selwo Marina also in Benalmadena.

If you are interested in all these excursions it is possible to purchase a group ticket at a greatly reduced price for all three trips (about 40% of the total cost), as opposed to paying per person each time.

A return trip for a family of four on the Teleferico for example it will cost 12.50 E per adult and 9.00 E per child (children are from 3-7 years) so you’re looking at 43 Euros before you’ve even thought about lunch or souvenirs.

Once at the top of the mountain, if you see the Falconry Exhibition , they do put out for free money-off vouchers for all the parks. You can take as many as you please and they are valid for the whole of that years’ season. It offers you 3 euro discount per person off entrance to Selwo Marina in Benalmadena, a whopping 5 euro discount per person off entrance to Selwo Aventura in Estepona and a further 2 euro discount off any future tickets to the Teleferico.

It is possible to buy a one way ticket, I presume being able to walk back down the mountain under your own steam…have a look at the mountain and you decide! Mountain bikers do use the one-way ticket though and you can see them from the comfort of your telecabino hurtling down the mountainside! I know where I’d rather be!

There are different opening hours throughout the year. The start of the season is February where the opening hours are 11.00 – 5.00, from April through to June it opens 11.00 – 7.00 and in July and August it opens from 11.00 – 3.00 and again at 6.00 until midnight. In September the hours are 11.00 – 7.00 and November and December 11.00 – 5.00. The Cable cars are closed from the end of December through to February.

If you are driving you need to exit the N-340 (A-7) at km222, Benalmadena/Arroyo de la Miel junction. Once off this junction, it’s actually just as easy to follow the cables above you as it is to read the signposts, the entrance is by Tivoli World so it is very well signposted. Parking is very good around here as there are huge free car parks for Tivoli World, but if you cannot find anywhere to park, stick to the adage ‘if in doubt, don’t’. You don’t want to return to find your car has been towed away!

If you are lucky enough to be staying at one of Benalmadena’s many hotels, then the entrance for the cable carsis to the rear of the town itself.

A word to the wise…if it is a little breezy down the bottom of the mountain…it will be very windy at the top! This of course reduces the temperature (my advice is take a spare jumper regardless to how hot it is in town) but it can also stop the Falconry Exhibition if too windy.

If it is a bit windy then the wind coming off the sea is better than the wind blowing from off the mountains as the birds may struggle to perform their tasks and the falconer may stop the show.

Once you start your ascent in the cable car the land below seems to fall away and you are left with magnificent views if the town of Benalmadena below and the Mediterranean Sea beyond, If it is clear, it is more than possible to see Gibraltar in the distance to your right, and The Riff Mountain Range of Africa beyond it. Over to the left hand side, if you visit February to April, you will easily see, on a clear day, the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada in Granada over 150km away.

At closer range you get a good birds-eye view of many of the luxurious villas and houses built on the hillside. Don’t be daunted either when crossing over the motorway, you won’t come to any harm!

Each car is designed to hold four people and takes about 15 minutes to get to the top of the Calamorro Mountain at a height of 769 metres above sea level. The cabins travel at speed of 3 metres per second and it is a very calm journey. The whole mountain from top to bottom is 2,646 metres high.

Once at the top the whole area has been very well designed with restaurant areas, paved routes to walk around and of course the magnificent views.

We were also quite surprised to find they put on a bird of prey show in a little arena as well as a ‘dancing’ horses show. It is also possible to ride a donkey around some of the trails.

Horse Training Exhibition	12.00	3.00
Falconry Exhibition	1.00	4.00

With donkey rides also being available throughout the day.

It is a lovely opportunity to enjoy the magnificent views of the Costa del Sol with a little bit more besides. The paths that they have created around the mountain top afford you the chance to get close to nature. They are well built and not especially hard for people of all ages to enjoy.

The entrance of the Teleferico or cable cars in Benalmadena can be found at "Tivoli World" - Explanada Tivoli, Benalmadena .

Telephone: 902 19 04 82
Website: www.teleferico.com