Castillo De Colomares In Benalmádena, Spain

Castillo de Colomares (eng. Colomares Castle or Colomares Monument) in Benalmadena is one of the most stunning pieces of architecture you’ll see in your life. It’s located in Benalmádena, only a few kilometers from busy tourist resorts on Costa del Sol.

Even though Castillo de Colomares looks like a fairy-tale castle, in reality, it’s a monument. Its creator dedicated it to Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America. The castle covers an area of 1500m2 which makes it the largest monument in the world dedicated to the explorer.

Colomares Castle in Benalmadena

Colomares Castle was built between 1987-1994. Looking at it you would never guess that it was designed and built by… a doctor. Surprising, huh? Let’s look at this story in more detail.

History of the Colomares Castle

Dr. Esteban Martin was a doctor in New York. He was very fascinated by the life of Christopher Columbus and thought that nowhere in the world there was a monument that properly honored his hero. So he decided to build one himself. He gave up his practice and returned to his hometown in Benalmádena in Spain where he owned a piece of land. In 1987 construction work began, and it ended 7 years later in 1994. The most fascinating thing in this history is that Castillo de Colomares was built with no outside financial support only by three people: dr. Esteban Martin and his two friends who were bricklayers. The sad thing is that the project ruined dr. Martin. He passed away on February 8, 2001.

Back then Esteban Martin was seen as “a little” weird but we guess now everybody is glad for his weirdness. Thanks to this we can admire stunning Castillo de Colomares.

Christopher Columbus is a big deal for Spain

Up to this day Spain celebrates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. La Fiesta Nacional de España (eng. National Day of Spain) or Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day) is a national holiday in Spain. The celebration started in 1935 and takes place on October 12th. It commemorates the day in 1492 when the first Columbus expedition claimed the Americas for Spain.

Colomares Castle architecture

Dr. Esteban and his friends transformed brick, mortar, and cement into elements related to Christopher Columbus and his journeys. While you wander around Colomares Castle you’ll find elements like the three ships Columbus traveled in, gargoyles, or stone maps.

Castillo de Colomares takes inspiration from a mixture of different architectural styles like Gothic, Romanesque, and Mudéjar.

World smallest church in Castillo de Colomares

In the middle of the Castillo de Colomares world’s smallest church stands. It covers an area of just 1.96m2 and is listed in The Guinness Book of Records as the smallest church in the world. Moreover, dr Martin hoped that one day the remains of his hero would one day be buried there.

Colomares Castle, Benalmadena – ticket prices and opening hours

A visit to Colomares Castle only costs €3 for adults and €2 for children and pensioners (November 2022).

Opening hours depend on the season, so always check the official website.

• Spring: 10AM – 8PM
• Summer: 10AM – 2PM & 5PM – 9PM
• Autumn: 10AM – 6PM
• Winter: 10AM – 6PM

Important. On Mondays and Tuesdays Castillo de Colomares is closed.

Castillo de Colomares – Our thoughts

Do we recommend visiting Castillo de Colomares? Definitely yes. It’s a really marvelous piece of architecture. While there, you really can feel like being in a fairy tale, in a fairy tale castle. For us, it definitely was one of the most interesting buildings we’ve seen so far. We were really shocked that only 3 people built it – it’s really admirable. So if you’re in the area don’t hesitate and visit Castillo de Colomares in Benalmádena.

How to get to Colomares Castle, Benalmadena?

Castillo de Colomares is located in Benalmádena Pueblo, which is only 8km from Mijas Pueblo, 25km from Malaga, 35km from Marbella. As always, the fastest way to get there is by car.

You can also try buses or taxis. Here are your options from Malaga, Mijas and Marbella.

There is a small parking lot available on site, right beside the road. You can also park your car in Benalmádena Pueblo public parking, which is located only 600m from Castillo de Colomares. Then you can combine a trip to Colomares Castle with a Benalmádena Pueblo sightseeing. Both parking lots are free.

Restaurants, accommodations, and map

Check out various recommended places below.