Family fun on the Costa del Sol

If you’re considering making the move to Southern Spain, imagining yourself living in one of the many fantastic villas in Marbella or maybe an apartment in Benalmadena, but you’re wondering if the kids would be happy, then read on.

In addition to the virtually guaranteed all year round sunshine – the best weather in Europe – the Costa del Sol is a top destination for families, providing children with a fantastically healthy sunshine lifestyle. There is everything from swimming, tennis, mini golf, water sports and even ice skating. Also dotted along the coastline you’ll find an excellent choice of family friendly attractions suitable for children of all ages from toddlers to teens, such as waterparks, safari parks, butterfly parks, aquariums and much more. Here are some of the most popular children’s attractions on the Costa del Sol, starting at the Crocodile Park in Torremolinos located just a few minutes’ drive from Malaga airport and ending at Selwo Safari park on Estepona’s New Golden Mile.

Crocodile Park in Torremolinos

This amazing park has been going for over 20 years. You get the opportunity to introduce your kids to this infamous, prehistoric creature called the Crocodile. The park has over 300 crocodiles; from small babies to fully grown adults measuring up to 4 metres long. The park is open every day of the year and you can book tours. You can get a discount of 25 per cent if you book your tickets online at www.cocodrilospark.com.

Sea Life Aquarium in Benalmadena

This is a fantastic attraction for those who are interested in anything and everything aquatic. The park is divided into 4 zones and covers around 17m². Each zone is specially designed to suit the natural habitat of specific aquatic animals, such as the penguins which live in the ‘La Isla de Hielo’ or the ice island zone. The attraction has been providing important rescue and breeding programmes for over 20 years, helping to save seahorses and seals. Sea Life Aquarium is the sister attraction to the Selwo Aventura in Estepona. It is located in the marina at Benalmadena, approximately 10 minutes’ drive from popular developments such as Benalmadena Hill Views. Tickets usually cost 13.45€ per person, but you can save up to 35% on the price of tickets if you book online via this website www.visitsealife.com/benalmadena/en

Mijas Aqua Park

How much fun can kids have in the water? The answer is a lot, if they head to Mijas Aqua Park. Although there are quite a few water parks dotted along the coast, this one is the most established and located in Mijas Costa, one of the most popular family destinations on the Costa del Sol. Between May and September every year, it has rides and slides, a Jacuzzi, a wave pool, the Adventure River, a kiddies’ pool, and even a mini-golf club. There’s plenty to do, including a bar, restaurant, shop, picnic area and much more. Prices vary according to age and whether you want a 1 day pass or longer. You can save 10% on the full ticket price if you buy online from this website www.aquamijas.com/en/.

Costa Jump and Happy Days in San Pedro

San Pedro de Alcantara, just a short drive from Marbella, has several new children’s activities, firstly there is the Costa Jump indoor trampoline park, which is literally an enormous room filled with trampolines due to open soon. There is also Happy Days, which opened a trio of attractions at the beginning of August 2015; an all year round eco-friendly ice rink, mini golf and a burger bar in an authentic Airstream trailer.

For more information about Costa Jump visit https://www.costajump.com/ and details about Happy Days can be found here https://happydayscostadelsol.com. Online booking wasn’t available for either of these facilities at the time of writing.

Selwo Aventura in Estepona

Selwo Aventura is a unique nature park located in Estepona on the western side of the Costa del Sol. The park is home to more than 2,000 animals including elephants, Bengal tigers, rhinoceros, lions, giraffes and more. It is divided into different territories; Nature’s Portico, Bird Canyon and Central Village, allowing you to see the animals living in conditions similar to their natural habitats. It’s fun and educational, with exhibitions and the opportunity to meet the keepers. Entry is free for children under 3 years, children 3 to 9 and adults can save up to 39% on the full ticket price when booked via the official website https://selwo.es/en

If you would like further information about activities, the lifestyle on the Costa del Sol or information about property for sale in Marbella and the surrounding areas, contact Us.