Imagine walking from Kenya to Madagascar to visit lemurs or from India to Thailand to say hello to a tapir from a king cobra. It's possible to visit Bioparc Fuengirola, home to rare animals from equatorial Africa, Madagascar and Southeast Asia.
Once you cross the threshold, you'll forget you're in a family resort on the Costa del Sol. Instead of a pretty town, you'll find yourself in a rainforest of singing birds, roaring beasts of prey and the distant rumble of a waterfall.
Fuengirola Biopark is home to around 40 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. Each one has its nook reminiscent of its native habitat. And what fun it is to see what is usually hidden from view! You can see the underwater world with all its creations in the fishbowl lake with a transparent wall.
In the African Jungle, check out the monkeys (and, of course, they'll check you out). Check out the binturong in South East Asia's Southeast Asia Zone, which looks like a cat and a raccoon. Or, in the Mini-Madagascar area, sit next to a fat baobab, and the lemurs will come running. While zoo employees explain their habits, the lemurs will demonstrate what they can do. In this park, you can also find all sorts of bird, mammal and reptile species, such as Nile crocodiles, gorillas, Galápagos giant tortoises, and servals.
Of course, the park is also home to predators. They are separated from visitors by secure but inconspicuous barriers. It helps demonstrate how different animals coexist in the same habitat.
The Fuengirola Zoo also has a good collection of reptiles and insects. Both large Komodo dragons and small but dangerous scorpions live here; snakes and crocodiles are also present. It is advisable to allow at least 3 hours to visit the park. To recuperate after your walk, you can sit outside on one of the restaurants' terraces overlooking the rainforest. There are rooms with microwaves for parents with babies to heat baby food and changing tables.
Children with plenty of energy can spend their excess energy in the playground. A small water park, the Parque Acuatico Mijas, is 1 km from the zoo.
