Outside, it’s 30 °C on the Costa del Sol. Behind one glass wall, a colony of king penguins is living through the dim light of a southern polar winter.
Selwo Marina is a marine and exotic animal park in Benalmádena, on the Costa del Sol, just above the beach and the marina of Benalmádena Costa. It opened in 2002 next to Parque de la Paloma, and it’s home to bottlenose dolphins, Californian sea lions, four species of penguins, flamingos, toucans, macaws, squirrel monkeys and the reptiles and fish of the Amazon. It’s compact and one of the most popular family days out on this stretch of coast.
In this guide you’ll find how Selwo Marina tickets work, when the park is open (it isn’t open every day of the year), what’s happening with the dolphin show, and which presentations, talks and animal interactions you can plan your day around. For more ideas nearby, see our guide to the best things to do in Benalmádena.
💰 MedPlaya Hotel Bali - a family hotel next to Parque de la Paloma, close to Selwo Marina.
🏨 Hotel Best Tritón - a beachfront family hotel with a pirate-themed splash park.
💎 Vincci Selección Aleysa - a five-star boutique hotel on the seafront with only 35 rooms.
Where is Selwo Marina located?
Selwo Marina is located in Benalmádena Costa, right next to Parque de la Paloma, a big public park with a lake, rabbits and peacocks. The main entrance is on Avenida de Rocío Jurado. You’re a short walk from Santa Ana beach and Puerto Marina, so it’s easy to combine with an afternoon by the sea.
From the centre of Málaga it’s about half an hour by car or train, and from the resorts of Torremolinos and Fuengirola it’s even closer.
Selwo Marina tickets
There are several ticket types. The general admission ticket is for a fixed date, and the open-date ticket lets you visit any day until the end of the season, which helps if you don’t know which day the weather will suit you. Children under three, or under one metre tall, go free, and there are reduced tickets for younger children, seniors, visitors with disabilities and large families.
Booking online is usually the way to get the best price, as the park often runs promotions and discounts for online purchases, especially for animal interactions. The purchase process only takes a few minutes, and you can choose your date at the same time.
Combined tickets with the cable car and Selwo Aventura
The SelwoPack combines three parks from the same group: Selwo Marina, the Benalmádena cable car up to Mount Calamorro, and Selwo Aventura, a wildlife park in Estepona. The pack is valid until the end of the season, so you don’t have to visit all three on consecutive days. It’s a good choice if you’re spending a week or more on the coast with kids.
Selwo Marina opening hours and season
Selwo Marina is a seasonal park. It usually opens daily from spring to early autumn, from 10am to 6pm, with longer hours in high summer. From November it switches to selected days, mostly weekends, and around Christmas it opens only on certain dates. The park closes for most of January and reopens in late winter.
Times change by season, and outside the summer months the park isn’t open every day. In July and August, arrive at opening time to see the animals while they’re most active and before the midday heat.
Is Selwo Marina open in winter?
Partly. In November and December the park opens on selected days only, and it closes for most of January. If you’re on the Costa del Sol in winter, a weekend or a day over the Christmas holidays is your best chance.
Selwo Marina dolphin show times
Dolphins are the reason many people search for the dolphin park in Benalmádena, and Selwo Marina has the only dolphinarium in Andalusia. In summer 2026 the park welcomed a group of bottlenose dolphins from Marineland in Antibes, the French marine park that closed in 2025, and they have stayed in Benalmádena.
In October 2026 the park announced that its main pool was temporarily out of activities because of technical adjustments, so there were no dolphin show times on the daily schedule. Dolphin feeding is listed among the park’s activities, but whether the dolphins are part of the day’s programme depends on when the main pool reopens. Ask at the entrance on the day which presentations are running before you plan your visit around the dolphins.
Can you swim with dolphins at Selwo Marina?
No, you can’t swim with dolphins at Selwo Marina. In autumn 2026 the bookable interactions were with penguins, sea lions and squirrel monkeys, plus the VIP Experience. If seeing dolphins in the wild matters more to you, dolphin-watching boat trips run from several ports along the Costa del Sol, and they’re a good alternative to a dolphinarium.
Sea lion presentations and didactic talks
The sea lions are the easiest animals to plan around, as the park runs regular didactic talks and sea lion training sessions. In autumn 2026 the sea lion sessions took place at 12pm and 4pm, and the penguin talks at 12.30pm and 3pm. There are also talks about the squirrel monkeys and the park’s sea turtle conservation project, plus zone talks about the Amazon and the Tropics.
The schedule is different at weekends and changes by season, weather and operational needs. Ask at the entrance for the day’s times and build your route around two or three presentations.
The only ice penguinarium in Andalusia
Isla de Hielo (Ice Island) is the first and only ice penguinarium in Andalusia, and it’s the highlight of the park for many families. It recreates the icy cliffs and rocky shores of the far south, with glass walls so you can watch the penguins both on land and underwater. A computer system controls the light, air and water, so the penguins live through the seasons of the southern hemisphere, with almost 24-hour daylight in their summer and very short days from May to July.
Four penguin species live here: king, gentoo, Magellanic and macaroni penguins. The first king and macaroni penguin chicks born in Spain hatched at Selwo Marina, in 2008 and 2009, and three of the four species are part of European breeding programmes for endangered species.
Other areas of Selwo Marina
The park is divided into themed areas, and you can see all of them in a few hours without rushing.
The Antilles
Las Antillas is the Caribbean-themed area with the dolphin and sea lion pools. It’s also home to red flamingos, which you can watch from the Flamingo Viewpoint, and a tortoise nursery where tortoises are looked after before they move on.
La Hondonada and the Tropics
La Hondonada is the South American zone, with macaws, toco toucans, two-toed sloths, golden lion tamarins and roseate spoonbills. The exotic birds flight presentation takes place in a special area next to it, where macaws and toucans show off their flying skills. A wooden footbridge leads to the Tropics, a large walk-through aviary with species from endangered tropical rainforests.
Amazonia
Amazonia is an indoor area of aquariums and terrariums that recreates the Amazon River and its forests. You’ll find red piranhas, poison dart frogs, a broad-snouted caiman, emerald tree boas and other reptiles and amphibians. It’s a welcome cool break on a hot afternoon.
Animal interactions and unique experiences
If you want to get closer to the animals, Selwo Marina offers several unique experiences that you book on top of your entry ticket. They include the Penguin Encounter, where you go into the penguins’ cave (from two years old), the Sea Lion Encounter, the Squirrel Monkey Encounter and the VIP Experience. Places are limited, so book animal interactions online in advance, especially in summer.
Conservation at Selwo Marina
Selwo Marina is a member of EAZA, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, and takes part in conservation and breeding programmes. Its sea turtle project has helped release loggerhead turtles into the sea, and the park runs school programmes and summer camps for children. If you’re interested in how zoos work behind the scenes, the conservation talks are worth fitting into your day.
How to get to Selwo Marina
By train, take the Cercanías C-1 line from Málaga or the airport to Benalmádena-Arroyo de la Miel. From there it’s a 10 to 15-minute walk or a short taxi ride to Parque de la Paloma. Local buses also stop nearby.
If you’re driving, leave the A-7 at the exit for Benalmádena and Arroyo de la Miel and follow the signs for Parque de la Paloma, where there is usually street parking nearby. A hire car makes it easy to add Selwo Aventura in Estepona or the white village of Mijas to your week.
Tips for your visit
Plan three to four hours, and longer if you want to see several talks or book an interaction. There’s a children’s playground in La Hondonada and the Cabaña de las Delicias restaurant next to it, so you can stop for lunch without leaving the park. Bring sun cream and hats, as many paths are outdoors.
Selwo Marina works best with children from about two to twelve. If your kids want slides as well as animals, our guide to the best water parks in Spain will help you choose one, and for a bigger marine day out you can compare it with the Oceanogràfic in Valencia.
Practical information
- Selwo Marina tickets are best bought in advance. You’ll skip the ticket queue at the entrance and avoid the risk of the park selling out on busy days.
- Address: Parque de la Paloma, s/n, 29630 Benalmádena, Málaga, Spain
- Buy tickets on GetYourGuide
Hotels near Selwo Marina
Benalmádena Costa is the most convenient base for Selwo Marina, with hotels between Parque de la Paloma, Puerto Marina and the beach. These three are within walking distance of the park.
💰 MedPlaya Hotel Bali
A three-star hotel right next to Parque de la Paloma, about 250 metres from the beach and close to Puerto Marina. It has two pools, a small interactive pool and a playground for children, and a buffet restaurant with themed dinners. Family rooms and balconies in every room make it a practical, good-value base for a family holiday.
🏨 Hotel Best Tritón
A big beachfront hotel about 200 metres from Puerto Marina. It has three outdoor pools, an indoor pool and a pirate-themed splash park with slides, plus a playground and two buffet restaurants. It’s a favourite with families who want plenty for the kids to do between days out.
💎 Vincci Selección Aleysa
A five-star boutique hotel on the seafront of Benalmádena Costa, near Puerto Marina, with only 35 rooms, all with sea views. There’s a spa with a hammam and sauna, a salt-water pool and a Mediterranean restaurant. It suits couples and families who want a quieter, more upmarket stay close to the beach.
Selwo Marina FAQ
Are there dolphins at Selwo Marina, Benalmádena?
Yes, Selwo Marina has bottlenose dolphins, and it’s the only dolphinarium in Andalusia. In October 2026 the main pool was temporarily out of activities because of technical adjustments, so dolphin presentations weren’t on the daily schedule.
Is Selwo Marina worth visiting?
Yes, Selwo Marina is worth visiting with children, especially for the penguins, the sea lion sessions and the exotic birds. It’s smaller than the big zoos, which makes it easy with little ones, and a half day is enough to see everything.
Is there an aquarium in Benalmádena?
Yes, Benalmádena has Sea Life Benalmádena in Puerto Marina, and Selwo Marina has aquariums in its Amazonia area. Together with the cable car, they make Benalmádena one of the best family bases on the Costa del Sol.
What is there to do in Benalmádena with kids?
Besides Selwo Marina, you can ride the cable car to Mount Calamorro, see the birds of prey show at the top and spend an afternoon in Parque de la Paloma. The beaches of Benalmádena Costa and Puerto Marina are a short walk away.
How long do you need at Selwo Marina?
Plan three to four hours for Selwo Marina. That’s enough to see every area and two or three talks, and you can add time for an animal encounter or lunch at the restaurant.
