Benalmadena arroyo de la Miel Costa Marina History
Felix Solesio, the founder of Arroyo de la Miel.
I had entered the square between old pillars that bear an iron shield which reads Portal de San Carlos and bears the name Felix Solesio, said to be the founder of Arroyo de la Miel. Under his family crest the inscription says, ‘‘a neoclassic archway built of out of sandstone and tufa (a soft type of sandstone) which carries the family coat of arms and the date 1791 written on the lintel.
This is, beyond any doubt, the most relevant and representative architectural element that remains in any construction made by Felix Solesio in Arroyo de la Miel.’’ So who was this man Felix Solesio? Well history is not brimming with pages of in-depth information regarding Felix. What I can gather is that he arrived in Arroyo in 1784 from Genoa where he was born, and bought a farm, converting it into six paper mills. These produced both brown and white paper, to be used in playing cards made by card factories in Macharaviaya, but Felix Solesio’s mills became bankrupt when the factories ceased production in 1806.
What remained of the mills and the dwellings became the origin of Arroyo de la Miel’s town centre. These days Felix stands aloof from all the gossip and tittle-tattle on a plinth at the southern end of the square. Dressed very dandily in doublet, breeches, hose and a three-cornered hat, a plaque proclaims that ‘‘Felix Finarius Solesio Buraggi was a master paper maker and founder of Arroyo de la Miel.’’ (Arroyo is a stream and Miel is honey, so one suspects the translation means River of Honey or even Sweet Water.)
Plaza España or Fountain Square
Days and nights in the square are a riot of noise, eating and drinking. Some of the contestants taking part in the conversation are boasting about their trips home to have a new hip or knee. ‘‘Ow Moooch?’’ a Yorkshire man exclaims when one of his table companions tells of the cost of his operation. ‘‘Bloody quacks; must ‘have villas up in the Pueblo.’’
In the top left hand North West corner of the square is the restaurant and heladeria Otelli. Mike Schoenmaker is the owner with whom I often have an exchange of humorous banter. Mike and his glamorous girls serve a good line of food, coffee and ice cream, and also provides outside catering. Next to him is a Spanish owned restaurant with Pedro as mine host; a good Pizzeria called Victoria at top right hand side and at the bottom is a new bar and an Internet and telephone café. Plaza España, or Fountain Square, is so called because it once contained a splendid gurgling fountain with a nice spray that carried on a breeze, cooling hot-under-the-collar locals and overheated pigeons. However the fountain disappeared around five years ago.
There have been many rumors regarding the mystery of the fountain’s removal: some say that it was broken, others say that it encouraged mosquitoes. Some residents complained that visitors washed their feet and clothing in it. All conjecture and nothing of substance. The only image left now of the square with a fountain appears in a painting that hangs in the doorway of the Otelli restaurant, showing how the square looked in all its glory.
Arroyo de La Miel
Arroyo now is a thriving busy little town. I like the little pavement cafés close to the railway station that can zip you in 30 minutes to the Malaga International airport or Malaga or, if you are going the other way, to Fuengirola. (The coming year should see this line extended to Marbella.) Arroyo’s little back streets have tiny quaint patios, some just wide enough for two people to pass. I occasionally hear clucks from chickens as I walk. In the centre of the town, almost opposite the Casa de la Cultura, is a building with high arched ceilings that houses numerous restaurants, and shops like an old fashioned Mall. The restaurants mostly specialize in meat. It is possible that this building was once one of the paper mills that were built by Felix Solesio in the late 18th century, and the first known Inn in Arroyo was opened in Calle Los Pozos around 1887.
The distinctive Casa de la Cultura is surrounded by fancy little gardens and a fountain. It has a charming Muslim style interior, and outside the immaculately trimmed umbrella style trees are always welcoming during the heat of the day. Close by to the railway station is the recently built pretty little church. I suppose if Arroyo has become famous for one thing it would be Tivoli World amusement park, built and finished in 1973. Opposite the Tivoli entrance is the cable car that takes you to giddy heights, 769-metres up to the summit of Mount Calamorro that dominates Arroyo's skyline and provides breathtaking views along the coast line to Gibraltar, Mediterranean, and Africa’s coast. Arroyo also has the first Palliative care hospital founded by Joan Hunt OBE, which is financed by charities and the numerous Cudeca shops in Andalucia.
Parque de la Paloma in Benalmádena Costa
At the southern end of Arroyo that divides it from Benalmádena Costa is the wonderful Parque de la Paloma. With a lake, playgrounds for children and cafés, as well as having a variety of plants and trees it has a magnificent tropical garden with a large selection of tropical plants. The park also boasts a large selection of birds and wildlife running freely. North of the park is the excellent Library, and to the south is Selwo Marina, a theme park with dolphins, penguins, and sea lions.
Benalmadena Pueblo
Arroyo de la Miel was originally a separate village, just about one kilometer back from Benalmádena Costa, and sandwiched between was the original village, the Benalmadena Pueblo. Approximately 200m above sea level, the Pueblo is a charming collection of dazzling white painted typical Andalucian houses, gift shops and charming little plaza, villas and apartments with stunning views to the coast, along with a nice array of restaurants.
Close by is the imposing sight of the Buddhist Stupa that stands 33 meters tall, and is said to be the largest in the western world. This construction was finished in 2003. For the many that visit it is a haven of tranquility away from the heat and noise of the coast road and the beaches. The same can be said of the Hindu Temple on the south side of the Parque de la Paloma. Below the Buddhist Stupa has many people build their dream homes with luxury villas and properties because of the panoramic view and the harmony of the area.
Benalmadena history Phoenicians Roman Muslims
Benalmadena historical story starts at the upper end of the Palaeolithic times, and evidence of remains has been found in the municipality’s caves at Cueva del Toro, Cueva de los Botijos and Cueva de la Zorrera. In the 7th and 8th centuries BC the Phoenicians arrived, giving rise to cultural and trading exchanges. The Romans followed and Benalmádena Costa has several recent excavations of Roman sites.
The Muslims arrived in 711 in the country called ‘‘Spania’’ since the Byzantine occupation and these lived in Andalucia peacefully after negotiating pacts. The only force used in occupation was by Omar Ibn Hafsud who ruled Bobastro (Málaga) but he surrendered his ownership at the beginning of the 10th century.
Ibn al-Baytar of Benalmadena
One of the most famous sons of Benalmádena where he was born in 1197 was Ibn al-Baytar (the veterinarian's son) also called Diya al-Abu Mamad Abd Aliah Ibn Ahmed al Andalusi al Malaqui (the man from Málaga) al-Nabati (the Botanist) and he became one of the outstanding botanist and pharmacologists in the middle ages. With Arab culture and sciences so advanced during this time, Al-Bayter travelled extensively to capital cities of the Muslim Empire, becoming head botanist in Cairo, and then onto Damascus where he became the Vizier.
His books on botany, zoology and mineralogy, and his book Mogni fi addwiya el Mofridat (a basic treatise on simple remedies) became a practical guide for doctors with 1400 examples of natural remedies (a sort of a herbal remedies guide).
Benalmadena town
At this time Benalmádena was only a few little settlements and hamlets. Around the 11th century Benalmádena started to develop a social structure within a small walled town and a fortress. Two Almenara towers from the 15th century w e r e built to protect t h e inhabitants of the coast from Barbary pirates, and their ruins can still be seen today.
By the 13th century farming had become the main occupation for the Muslims; sugar cane brought by them from the east became a great source of income, like figs, grapevines and white mulberries used in the silk industry. The name Benalmádena derives from the Arabic word ‘‘Ibn al-Madena’’ meaning children of the mines, as iron and ochre were being mined at the time of the arrival of the Moors. The word Madena, is thought to been the name of a family or person who worked or owned the mines.
The earthquake in Benalmadena
Around the middle of the 16th century Benalmádena had ten families with about 50 inhabitants and this group started to shape the trade between it and Mijas. One of the oldest families of the area was the Zurita Zambranas who acquired large plots of land in Arroyo.
October 9th 1680 was a very black day for Banalmaina (its Arab name) when an earthquake struck destroying every single house and other structures, and this was followed by a huge tidal wave that destroyed boats and the remaining buildings that were still standing.
Benalmadena marina
The turn in fortune for Benalmádena Costa came in the 1960s when a plan was hatched to build a Marina and work started on November 12th 1972. Now with moorings for over 1,000 yachts and boats, it has been described as stunning for its looks and ambience. Certainly at the outset the plans were described by the skeptics as madness. Now it has proved that skeptic wrong, as everyone agrees that it was an innovative and grandiose plan.
Maybe a little madness is what was needed to create something so beautiful. Since it was built the Benalmádena Marina has won several major awards including quite rightly the ‘‘Best Marina in the World’’. The complex has a great selection as you would expect of shops and restaurants and gives you an opportunity for a close up look at the yachts. Take a boat trip out to see dolphins unhampered by confined areas like Selwo Marina, swimming freely and playing, living a longer life than they will in captivity. The marina also has a very nice Sealife aquarium.
The 24-hour square and along the sea line
In the area known as ‘24-hour Square’ there are bars, disco clubs and many gift shops and general shopping. The reason for the 24-hour tag is that youngsters gather at around midnight, and I’m told that it becomes the type of place that we of a more gentle mature age should not be seen.
The Bil Bil has become a landmark situated between the two roundabouts known as the ‘Windmills’ and the ‘Sails’ on the sea road from Torremolinos through to Fuengirola. The Bil Bil has nice fountains and benches to sit and read the Sunday papers, alongside the bronze statue of Ibn al-Baytar (hero of Benalmádena).
In the whole area the sea front has good beaches and promenades, with my favorite Sunday lunchtime beach restaurant ‘‘Maracas’’. The first hotel in Benalmádena was the La Roca, followed quickly by the Siroco, Tritón, Riviera, Alay and then the Torrequebrada Hotel and Casino. These days Benalmádena Costa has a very good tourist figures that are drawn by good beaches and excellent facilities.
Plans and project for Benalmadena
Now Benalmádena Costa, along with the Pueblo and Arroyo are said to have around 53,000 inhabitants, so what does the future hold for Benalmádena as it moves onto a new phase? More properties of course. To the trepidation of many of the residents, the council wants to launch a project called Proyecto Olimpo (Olimpo project) whose main objective is to build a Monorail.
Many of us thought that this plan had been killed off but beware. Certain people in the municipal government still want to build this intrusive system over our houses and apartments so that when you are sitting on your terraces your privacy will be invaded by wagonloads of people as they trundle by peering into your windows. Other plans ahead ‘‘are to enlarge the Marina and improve and/or adapt all infrastructures so as to provide Benalmadena municipality with quality standards and sustained growth that its 21st century inhabitants and tourist are asking for’’ (their words not mine).
However most of us can see that as dreams. Meanwhile I will sit on a bar terrace in Arroyo and sipping a Bacardi lemon, looking down over Benalmádena Costa and watching cruise ships Queen Victoria and Queen Mary going in to Malaga new cruiser port or heading off to exotic places, and then my wife and I will take a short stroll into Arroyo and have a little repast, and in attendance will be the happy and smiling Mike at Otelli’s in Plaza España/Fountain Square.
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