The Perfect Benalmádena Extreme Day Trip Itinerary ✈️☀️

When people ask me for an easy first extreme day trip, Benalmádena is always near the top of my list.

It’s affordable, easy to navigate, usually blessed with sunshine and most importantly, you’re not wasting half your day getting from the airport to where you actually want to be.

In October, my sister and I decided to head to Spain for the day. It was her first ever extreme day trip and, as it turned out, one of my favourite girls’ days we’ve had together.

We flew from Stansted and landed in Málaga to a very welcome 25°C.

One of the best things about Benalmádena is how easy it is to reach from the airport.

As soon as we landed, we followed the signs to the train station, bought a super cheap ticket and within about 10 minutes we were already arriving in Benalmádena.

From the station, it’s around a 10-minute walk to the Benalmádena Cable Car (Teleférico Benalmádena).

I’d pre-booked our tickets online.

At the time of writing, return tickets are approximately:

🎟️ Adults: around €17.90 online price and worth booking in advance to save money.

It’s definitely worth checking current prices before you travel, but booking online is usually the easiest option.

Now feels like a good time to mention that I am absolutely terrified of things like cable cars…Not mildly uncomfortable.Properly questioning my life choices the whole way up.

So naturally I spent the entire cable car journey providing free entertainment for my sister as I panicked my way towards the top of Mount Calamorro.Thankfully, every time I started convincing myself we were definitely too high up, I’d get distracted by another incredible view.

The coastline stretched for miles.

The Mediterranean sparkled below us.

And then we spotted something completely unexpected…An abandoned fairground sitting quietly beneath us.It looked bizarre and fascinating all at once.Definitely one of those random travel moments that sticks with you.

Once at the top, the fear immediately became worth it.

The views are incredible.

You can see right across the Costa del Sol and out across the Mediterranean.

Naturally, we did the very sisterly thing of taking far too many selfies and then we wandered around the viewpoints, took everything in and sat down together to enjoy a beer overlooking the coast.

A little cheers to our girls’ day.

One of those simple moments that ends up becoming a favourite memory.

After taking in the views, we made our way back down the mountain because we originally had booked a boat excursion for the afternoon but unfortunately the sea conditions had other ideas and the trip was cancelled.

But honestly, it ended up working out perfectly.

With a free afternoon suddenly available, we headed towards the beach and found a restaurant along the promenade and settled in for exactly the kind of lunch you hope for in Spain.

Sangria.
Tapas.
Sunshine.

No complaints whatsoever.

One of the things that still makes me smile about this trip is that it was October.Back home people were digging jumpers out of wardrobes meanwhile we were changing into swimwear and heading into the Mediterranean.

We spent about an hour swimming, floating about and generally feeling quite smug about our life choices.

After drying off, we spent a couple of hours wandering through the little seafront shops where we eventually found matching bracelets and, because we’re sisters, obviously bought them

As we reached the marina, we spotted a company offering one-hour boat rides and since our original trip had been cancelled, we decided to ask about availability.A little negotiation later and we’d somehow managed to get free drinks included too.

Result.

For the next hour we cruised along the coastline, drying off our hair from our swim, enjoying the sunshine and raising a few drinks to a successful girls’ day.

After our boat trip, we settled down for dinner overlooking the marina.

Pasta.
People watching.
Golden evening sunshine.

Honestly, the perfect way to end the day.

A short train and flight later we were back in England with my wonderful husband was waiting to take us home and just like that, our girls’ day in Spain was over.

Highly recommend!

Planning Your Own Benalmádena Extreme Day Trip?

Benalmádena is one of the best extreme day trips from the UK thanks to its affordable flights, quick airport transfer and year-round sunshine. Located on Spain’s Costa del Sol, it’s an ideal destination for travellers looking for a cheap European day trip packed with sea views, beaches, food and unique experiences.

If you’re searching for:

beginner-friendly extreme day trips
day trips from Stansted Airport
cheap flights to Spain
Benalmádena day trip itinerary
things to do in Benalmádena in one day
Costa del Sol travel ideas
Málaga Airport to Benalmádena transport
affordable European travel
girls’ trip ideas from the UK
Spain day trip inspiration

then Benalmádena should be high on your list.

With cable cars, beaches, boat trips, tapas, sangria and beautiful marina views, it’s one of the easiest destinations to enjoy in a single day while still feeling like you’ve had a proper holiday.

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