What are the differences in terrain between Fuengirola and Benalmadena, and why does it matter for buyers?

Fuengirola is largely flat, which means residents can walk easily from the train station to their apartment and to the beach without any elevation challenges. Benalmadena, by contrast, is hilly — getting from the train station down to the coast means navigating slopes. For buyers with mobility concerns, or those who anticipate mobility challenges in the future, Fuengirola's flat terrain is a significant practical advantage.

This distinction becomes especially relevant when you consider the day-to-day reality of living on the Costa del Sol. Both towns are connected by the same train line — Benalmadena's main station is Arroyo de la Miel, around 20 to 25 minutes from Malaga Airport, while Fuengirola sits roughly 10 minutes further along the line. The commute by rail is comparable. It's the walk from the station that diverges sharply between the two.

Warner Leen and the team at WL Costa Properties have lived in Benalmadena for over 10 years and know its topography intimately. The hills are part of what gives Benalmadena much of its charm — elevated positions often translate to sea views and a more dramatic landscape. But charm and practicality don't always align, and for buyers planning to live there full-time or retire there, the physical demands of a hilly town deserve serious consideration. As Leen puts it directly in the episode on Listenly, terrain is one of the factors entirely outside your control once you've bought — unlike a property's interior, which you can always renovate.

Terrain is precisely that kind of fixed, external factor. Fuengirola's flatness won't change. Neither will Benalmadena's hills. Buyers who walk easily today should still ask themselves whether they'll want to navigate slopes in ten or twenty years — a question that often tips the balance toward Fuengirola when long-term livability is the priority.