Best Family Days Out on the Costa del Sol: Top Attractions for Kids in Estepona, Marbella and Fuengirola

Days out with the kids - Children in Spain´enjoy´particularly long summer holidays and there is always the dilemma for parents of what to do with them whilst also continuing to work and live their own lives.

Many opt for summer camps but on the Costa del Sol, we are particularly fortunate as there are a large number of enjoyable and just about affordable days out to be enjoyed by residents and holiday makers.

The following is a list of some of towns along the coast and the main attractions that they offer although sadly, Tivoli World in Benalmadena has still not re-opened.

ESTEPONA

Dino Expo XXL

The Estepona Exhibition and Congress Centre will host Dino Expo XXL, the world's most impressive dinosaur exhibition until September 13. This unique exhibition immerses visitors in time and invites them on a great journey through more than two hundred million years, recreated in a spectacular setting in which children and adults can observe more than 120 life-size animatronic dinosaurs that move, breathe and roar, such as the Triceratops, the Velociraptor or the feared Tyrannosaurus Rex. Entry costs from €11 to €13 and details may be found at https://www.dinosaurios-expo.es/ Dinosaur Museum Coincidentally, Estepona also houses its own Dinosaur Museum which features remains from the Pliocene period, including fossils between three and five million years old

The exhibition features over 2,000 fossils and covers some 600 species pertaining to the Pliocene period in Estepona and the town was recently the scene of the discovery of a series of fossils over 210 million years old which are the only ones of their kind ever found in Spain. Entry is free and the exhibition may be found at the Plaza de Toros de Estepona, Calle Matías Prasts.

Visit https://turismo.estepona.es/lugares/museo-paleontologico/ for more details.

Selwo Adventure Park

Selwo Aventura's main mission is to actively participate in the conservation of endangered species in the wild, scientific research on the animals they house, through the dissemination of information about wildlife and its natural habitats and environmental education on biodiversity They carry out this work in collaboration with other zoological institutions, universities, and research centres so visitors can enjoy seeing more than 2,000 animals from 200 species roaming semi-wild.

Tickets cost from €15.90 to €19.90 if purchased online at https://www.selwo.es/ Selwo Aventura, Avda. Parque Selwo, s/n Autovía A7 km 1062

The Orchidarium

The Estepona Orchidarium is divided into three levels at different elevations and within this space, different microclimates have been created, resulting in a diverse and attractive botanical collection of over 3,000 species, including aroids, ferns, tillandsias, bromeliads, and, of course, orchids.

There are approximately 1,500 orchid species, represented by nearly 4,000 specimens, some of which are enormous, while others fit in a thimble and produce flowers just a few millimetres in size.

Entry to The Orchidarium at Calle Terraza, 86, 29680 Estepona costs between €3 and €5 and for more information visit https://orchidariumestepona.com.

MARBELLA

Costa Jump

Great fun for children is Costa Jump which offers a number of different options including the Jumping Area which features interconnected trampolines for endless fun. Included in the one-hour entrance cost is access to the Battle of the Beams, a taste of `Gladiators´, Basketball, Dodgeball, Foam Pool and Olympic Trampolines.

Entry costs €11 to €13 for the first hour and then from €8 to €10 for future hours. Find Costa Jump at C. Ukraine, Warehouse 28 (Polygon, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara) or visit https://costajump.com/marbella/ for more information.

Aventura Amazonia

According to the owners, this is the largest adventure park in Andalucia, and one of the leading theme parks on the Costa del Sol. The park, boasts six Adventure Circuits and features over 80 treetop games and 20 zip lines, including the longest zip line in the region at 240 metres in length. Whilst some of the games are best suited to adults, there are plenty to keep the younger ones thrilled and happy.

Entry costs from €22 to €27 for three hours of enjoyment at Av. Valeriano Rodríguez, 2, 29604 Marbella and is based in the area of Elviria. For more information visit www.aventura-amazonia.com.

FUENGIROLA

Bioparc Fuengirola

Bioparc Fuengirola is an immersive, ethically focused which has become famous for its "zoo-immersion" design, which lets visitors walk through carefully recreated tropical habitats of Madagascar, Equatorial Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific.

It is home to over 200 species, including rare ones like the Sumatran tiger and Komodo dragon and a typical tour takes between two and three hours depending how long you spend in the cafeteria and the gift shop

The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon when the animals are most active. Entry costs from €23 to €29.50 and Bioparc is situated at C/ Camilo José Cela, 6 - 8, 29640 Fuengirola.

For more information visit https://www.bioparcfuengirola.es/.

LA CALA DE MIJAS

AquaMijas AquaMijas offers exactly what the name suggests with numerous slides and adventures all connected with the massive pools. Some of the attractions are only available for older children, but there is absolutely plenty to entertain all ages. When you take a break from the water then you can eat and drink at one of the four catering establishments on site or if you prefer enjoy your own picnic at one of the special shaded areas. Understandably it does get quite busy but is certainly guaranteed to be enjoyed by all of the family.

Entry to AquaMijas which is located at C/ Autovía del Mediterráneo, km 1.016, 29651, Mijas Costa costs between €11.50 to €18. For more information, visit https://aquamijas.com/.

BENALMADENA Monowa This is a 900 m² tropical garden where between 1,800 and 2,000 tropical butterflies from all over the world fly daily. Visitors can also enjoy the sight of birds, fish, turtles, and stick insects in an ecosystem carefully designed to recreate the conditions of their native habitats. Not only is this an enjoyable day out, but it is educational as children can view and understand all the stages of the butterfly life cycle including courtship, flight, egg-laying, and feeding. T he heart of the park is the puparium, a unique space where visitors can witness butterflies emerging live. Entry costs from €10 upwards depending if you book online or at the box office which is slightly more expensive.

Monowa is situated at C. Mistletoe s/n, 29639 Benalmadena and for more information visit https://monowa.es/.

Sea Life Sea Life Benalmadena is a popular indoor aquarium located at the entrance to the Puerto Marina and features an interactive bio-beach, a 360-degree underwater tunnel with sharks and sea turtles, and a dedicated Asian short-clawed otter oasis. It´s not just a simple aquarium but in today`s modern world it promotes ocean and biodiversity conservation, fostering respect for the environment. Declared goals are the promotion of message through conservation, research and education encouraging community participation and an understanding of the marine environment which is so important to the Spanish way of life.

Tickets cost between €16.50 and €21 if booked on line although more expensive tickets include admission to a virtual reality experience. For more information go to

https://www.visitsealife.com/benalmadena.

Selwo Marina Also based in Benalmadena, Selwo Marina is a relatively small marine and wildlife park and is home to Andalucia's only ice-cooled penguinarium but actually features four main zones: Antillas (dolphins and sea lions), Las Hondon (exotic birds), Isla de Hielo (penguins), and Amazonia (South American rainforest flora and fauna).

Based in Parque de la Paloma S/N, 29630, Benalmadena, tickets cost from €13.90 to €15.90 if purchased online at https://www.selwomarina.es/ although prices are higher at the box office on the day.

For those who want to take advantage of a special deal, there is a greatly reduced ticket for anyone who wishes to visit both Selwo Marina and Selwo Aventura in Estepona.

TORREMOLINOS

Crocodile Park If you want to get up close and personal with these scaly creatures which have miraculously roamed the earth for some 200 million years, then the Crocodile Park is the ideal choice. Having been around since the time of the dinosaurs, crocodiles and close cousins’, alligators have naturally evolved over the millennia but they still employ the same cold and relentless hunting techniques of their ancestors. The main species that can be viewed very close to are the Nile crocodile the Spectacled caiman and the American alligator but the star of the show had always been the 600 kilo Gran Paco although having died in 2018, his body is now on show as a perfect example of taxidermy.

Located at C/ Cuba, 14. 29620 Torremolinos, entry costs between €13.50 and €18.50. For more information visit

https://www.cocodrilospark.com/

Aqualand Torremolinos

The proprietors boast that Aqualand Torremolinos is the largest water park on the Costa del Sol, covering some 70,000 square metres and offers 19 adult slides—including the 22metre Kamikaze (one of Europe’s highest), a massive wave pool, and the Mayan-themed Pirate Bay for kids. Also located in Calle Cuba, tickets cost from €29 to €37 but as a special money saving bonus, tickets for both Aqualand and Crocodile Park are available online.

For more information visit https://www.aqualand.es/ These are just a few suggestions of how to entertain the children during the long summer break but this is only the tip of the iceberg as almost every town and village has its own Summer Fiesta which normally run for a week or so. In addition, the larger towns and cities arrange special nights of entertainment which are free or cost a few euros intended for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike. One word of warning however, the Fiestas can be very busy and noisy, so beat that in mind when deciding where to go and at what time.