Everyone seems to have been to a dolphinarium before, and the programme is known ahead of time: the dolphins perform tricks — the audience applauds. But Selwo Marina in Benalmadena offers much more fun for the whole family. Its speciality is the excellent conditions for discovering wildlife, communicating with the animals and learning more about the earth's fauna. A hot Costa del Sol holiday will transport you to icy Antarctica and hike through the Amazon forests.
Where would you like to start? Selwo Marina Delfinarium combines the features of a zoo, a botanical garden and a circus. The star attraction here is bottlenose dolphins and Patagonian sea lions. If the circus, we recommend checking the show schedule in advance.
No matter how much you praise them, you can't convey their charm, agility and wit. Dolphinarium also hosts a show of exotic birds, where parrots of different colours act as actors. The penguins are not taught any tricks, and feeding them becomes a show, attracting hundreds of spectators.
If you see Selwo Marina as a zoo, you can imagine yourself as a sailor discovering new lands. The Antilles are home to several species of dolphins, sea lions and flamingos. It is also home to the royal palm (which is usually featured in Caribbean holiday brochures).
Four species of penguin live on Ice Island. Strangely enough, red-eared turtles have taken root in this frozen kingdom. There's also a thuja tree and an Aleppo pine tree. You'll find an assemblage of fearsome creatures in the Amazon zone. Snakes, lizards, spiders, poisonous frogs and crocodiles... The cute saimiri monkeys and the magnolia and jacaranda plants are a delight for those who don't like all this cold-blooded wildlife. You can admire parrots, ibises, armadillos and other exotic animals in the tropical zone.
The Dolphinarium in Benalmadena also offers you the chance to get up close and personal with the animals. You can swim with the dolphins and sea lions and interact with the penguins for an additional fee.
You'll spend more than an hour at Selwo Marina, so it's good to know that two restaurants, snack and drink stands are on site. There is also a playground on the dolphinarium grounds. Benalmadena is also home to the Sea Life Aquarium, the Butterfly Park. All of these attractions are fun for children and adults alike.
