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Benalmádena Nightlife
For those who have children, or
who are just plain tired, there are two main options. The young ones will be sure to
enjoy a fun evening at the Costa's main theme park Tivoli
World which has the usual rides and attractions but
also features live music and dance shows which the whole family will enjoy.
From can-can dancers to superbly organised flamenco routines, you will be able to see these activities on
one of the park's several stages and in summer you might be able to see an
opera or another major event. Tivoli World sensibly doesn't open until the
early evening and shuts after 1a.m. which means that visitors won't be
expected to suffer the worst of the day's heat.
With
more than a dozen
restaurants the adults can enjoy a meal while the children
experience the attractions in the park.
Tivoli
World lacks the hi-tech thrills of parks such as Alton Towers, but what
it lacks in cutting edge technology it makes up for with bags of
charm.
When
the adults venture out to play they might consider a walk
around
Benalmádena's
beautiful marina followed by dinner at
one of the many restaurants there, or maybe they would prefer to visit the
casino at Hotel
Torrequebrada, where dinner is combined with a live
cabaret. Since the shows start at around 10p.m. you can still be in bed
early - by Spanish standards!
This
won't suit the night owls who will doubtless choose to make their presence
felt in 24-Hour Square, the only place to be if your idea of fun is
drinking and dancing 'til dawn.
The name of this plaza is self-explanatory and its intense
concentration of bars and clubs means that it's the place to be for all
serious party animals.
While
you will undoubtedly find your own favourite bars, the serious party-goers
at marbellalife.com particularly recommend Silvers, a friendly bar with a
relaxed atmosphere and the Dutch Inn, which has a high popularity rating
with Scandinavian and British tourists. Jules is one of the larger bars
which is usually packed with holidaymakers, but if you walk along the back streets
of the square you will find small bars which specialise in
cocktails, shakers and other drinks at reasonable prices and tend to be
less crowded.
Once you've had a few cocktails you will probably be
thinking about moving on to one of the nightclubs for some serious
dancing.
The main club is Kiu, no doubt about it, which is a monster
of a disco. Compared to some of the smaller and less organised venues on
the Coast this is utopia. There are three rooms: one for Latin music, one
for Spanish and another for more international sounds. Dancers and video
screens provide the atmosphere and a cloak room takes care of some of the
more practical aspects of a night out. A standard cover charge includes a
free drink and, since each client is given a stamp, you are free to come
and go as you please. A top marbellalife.com tip: arrive early in the
evening, pay your fee, enjoy your free drink and then head off to another
bar. If you return when a massive queue has formed you can beat the crowds
by showing your stamp and entering via the other
door.
Other large discos in the area include Club Punto Com and
Club X.
The port
of Benalmádena tends to attract the older
crowd and, although there's a huge number of bars and clubs in this area,
they are a good deal more laid-back than the frentic examples to be found
in 24-Hour Square. The port is a ten minute walk from the square and
features a large number of good quality restaurants as well as some
unusual bars which are situated on boats. The main disco at the port takes
place on the Willow, a paddle steamer.
Dress Code
Benalmádena doesn't have a strict dress code. As long as men are
wearing shirts and pants and women are wearing anything more formal than a
bikini it is unlikely that they will encounter any problems.
Getting There
If you
intend to have a night on the tiles, avoid driving and share a
taxi.
You can get the bus to Benalmádena, but check the timetable before you leave your hotel
or apartment. Around 10p.m. parking is easily obtained, but if you arrive
around 2a.m. you will find it far more difficult. A
word of warning: although the Spanish police tend to be far less fanatical
about administering the breathalyser test than they are in Britain or the
Scandinavian countries, they do tend to become rather more zealous in the
summer. If you intend to drink then DO NOT DRIVE!
Money and Safety
A night out in Benalmádena will cost an average of between 50€ and 100€. This
will pay for your entrance to the disco (between 10€ and 20€), a few beers and a fast food snack.
The area is safe, with plenty of police and traffic guards
taking charge of security.
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