Things to do in Benalmádena with children over 7 days

Day 1Discovering Benalmádena, Parque de la Paloma and the first afternoon at the beach.

After the journey, making too many plans for the first day is often a mistake, especially with young children. That’s why we’re starting the holiday with a simple day.

One of the best first stops is Parque de la Paloma, one of Benalmádena’s best-known green spaces.

Located in Benalmádena Costa, it’s a brilliant place for a family stroll, to let the children have space to run about and to start getting to know the area at a leisurely pace.

The great thing is that this plan works for practically any age group.

With babies and children aged 1 to 4, you can enjoy a leisurely stroll and make short stops along the way.

For children aged between 5 and 9, the park offers a chance to explore and enjoy the great outdoors.

With older children and teenagers, it can easily be combined with a walk to the coast afterwards.

After the park, the best option is to head to the seafront and round off the afternoon by the Mediterranean.

There’s no need to organise a full day at the beach. A quick dip, a stroll along the shore and a quiet dinner can be an excellent way to start your holiday.

An alternative for the first day.

If you arrive in Benalmádena feeling tired, save Parque de la Paloma for another day. Settle into your accommodation, have a stroll around the neighbourhood and head to the beach at sunset.

Day 2Selwo Marina, one of the top family-friendly activities in Benalmádena.

Day two brings one of Benalmádena’s best-known family attractions: Selwo Marina.

Situated next to Parque de la Paloma, it’s one of the options you might want to consider if your children like animals.

Its location means you can combine two activities without having to rush from one attraction to the next all day.

What age groups do we recommend Selwo Marina for?

It’s particularly suitable for families with children aged roughly 3 to 12, although the visit can also be enjoyable for teenagers and adults interested in the animal world.

With young children, it’s best to take the visit at your own pace. There’s no need to try and see absolutely everything in the shortest possible time.

With primary school-aged children, you can make the most of the experience to turn the visit into more than just entertainment: observing species, asking questions and discovering interesting facts about the animals.

And if you’re travelling with teenagers, you can combine a visit to Selwo Marina with other activities on the same day.

Comprar entrdas Selwo Marina

During busy periods, it’s a good idea to check opening times, conditions and prices before you go.

After your visit, you can head back to Parque de la Paloma, find somewhere to eat in the area or carry on to the beach.

An alternative if you don’t want to visit Selwo Marina

Not all families want to spend part of their budget on animal parks. In that case, you could organise a morning at the beach followed by a visit to Parque de la Paloma and save the money for another experience later in the week.

Day 3Benalmádena Cable Car and Monte Calamorro

On the third day, we’re changing the scenery completely.

From Arroyo de la Miel, you can take the Benalmádena Cable Car up to the area around Monte Calamorro.

The journey itself is part of the experience: for many children, riding in a cabin and watching the landscape change as they gain altitude can be one of the highlights of the trip.

Once at the top, the day shifts from a beach atmosphere to mountains and stunning views.

Is this a good outing with young children?

It really depends on each family:

If you’re travelling with babies or very young children, it’s a good idea to check the access conditions in advance and consider what equipment you’ll need.

For children aged 5 to 10, the cable car usually offers that element of adventure that turns a simple journey into an experience.

And with pre-teens and teenagers, you can make the most of the mountain setting and spend more time exploring the area.

Tickets for the Benalmádena Cable Car If you’ve finalised your travel dates, you can check the available options in advance.

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What if someone is afraid of heights?

It’s absolutely no problem: a family holiday has to work for the whole family.

A good alternative is to spend the morning exploring Arroyo de la Miel, stop for lunch and then enjoy an afternoon by the pool or on the beach.

Day 4SEA LIFE and Puerto Marina

After the mountains, we’re back by the sea, but this time to discover what lies beneath the surface.

SEA LIFE Benalmádena is located in the Puerto Marina area and offers a chance to include a different kind of activity in the week’s itinerary.

It’s particularly recommended when travelling with young children as the visit can be very visually engaging.

An activity for all ages

Ages 2 to 5: colours, fish and movement make the tour a very visually engaging experience.

Ages 6 to 10: they start to take a much greater interest in the species and curiosities of the marine world.

Ages 11 and over: you can make the visit a more educational experience and combine it with exploring Puerto Marina.

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When you’ve finished, don’t be in a hurry to leave the area.

Take some time to explore Puerto Marina, admire the boats and continue along the seafront promenade.

It’s also the perfect day to enjoy a meal by the sea.

Budget-friendly option

If you’re planning a trip to Benalmádena with children on a tight budget, you can skip the aquarium entrance fee and stick to visiting Puerto Marina, the seafront promenade and the beach.

That way, you’ll still have a full day out without having to pay an admission fee for every member of the family.

Day 5Butterfly House and Benalmádena Pueblo

So far, we’ve mainly explored Arroyo de la Miel and Benalmádena Costa. The fifth day is a great opportunity to discover another side of the town.

You could start by visiting the Benalmádena Butterfly House, a particularly captivating experience for children interested in animals and nature.

The visit offers a complete change of scenery from the previous days.

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Afterwards, you can spend part of the day exploring Benalmádena Pueblo.

Here, the pace is once again more relaxed. The idea isn’t to cram in as many attractions as possible, but to take a stroll and discover another part of Benalmádena.

A stop at Colomares Castle

Another place you could include in your day out is Colomares Castle.

Its distinctive architecture makes it particularly photogenic and can easily spark children’s imaginations.

You could even suggest a little game: before telling them what the monument actually is, ask them what they think they’re looking at.

A castle? A palace? A film set?

Turning cultural visits into little games usually works much better than trying to explain every historical detail to a child for half an hour.

What age groups do we recommend this day out for?

It’s a very flexible outing, though it may be particularly interesting for children aged 4 or 5 and above.

You can also make the most of this day with teenagers interested in photography.

Day 6a family day at the beach and activities on the Mediterranean

After five days exploring Benalmádena, it’s time to set aside almost a whole day to enjoy the very reason why so many families choose the Costa del Sol: the sea.

Benalmádena has a variety of beaches, so you can choose the one that best suits your plans.

Options in the area include Santa Ana, Bil Bil, Las Viborillas and Playa Bonita.

But a day at the beach doesn’t have to mean spending eight hours lying on a towel.

With young children

Building sandcastles, collecting shells, playing at the water’s edge and taking breaks from the beach are usually enough. There’s no need to organise anything else.

With children aged 6 to 10: You can organise simple games and water-based activities suitable for their age.

With teenagers: Here you can start looking for slightly more active experiences and check out the water sports available in Benalmádena and other nearby spots on the Costa del Sol.

FIND FAMILY-FRIENDLY BOAT TRIPS

Before booking any water-based activity, always check the minimum age, requirements, weather conditions and rules set by the operator.

An afternoon of espetos by the sea

After a day at the beach, you can round off the experience by finding a beach bar and discovering one of Málaga’s great classics: espetos.

For adults, it can also be an opportunity to try other dishes from Málaga’s cuisine whilst the children rest after a day at the beach.

And after lunch or dinner, there’s nothing better than a leisurely stroll along the Mediterranean.

Day 7a day trip from Benalmádena or a return visit to your favourite spot

On the last day, we’ve deliberately left things a bit open.

After six days, the children will probably already have a favourite spot.

Perhaps they’ll want to go back to Parque de la Paloma. Perhaps they’ll want to spend another morning by the pool. Or perhaps your family would prefer to make the most of the last day by going on an excursion.

Benalmádena can serve as a starting point for exploring other places on the Costa del Sol and in the province of Málaga.

Option 1: Málaga city A day trip to Málaga allows you to add a more urban element to your holiday.

You can tailor the itinerary to suit the children’s ages and combine historic areas, a stroll, local cuisine and family-friendly activities.

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Option 2: Organised day trip

If you don’t want the hassle of driving or planning routes, another option is to book an organised day trip from the Costa del Sol.

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Option 3: Don’t go on any excursions at all

That’s also an excellent option.

A swim in the morning, a leisurely lunch, a nap, an afternoon at the beach and a final stroll at sunset. You don’t have to pack every day of your holiday full to feel that you’ve made the most of your trip.

What to do in Benalmádena with children, depending on their age?

One of the advantages of Benalmádena as a family destination is that you can easily tailor your holiday.

Benalmádena with babies and children aged 0 to 3

It’s best to prioritise short days out and places where you can take breaks.

Parque de la Paloma, walks along the coast, Puerto Marina and short spells on the beach can become your best allies.

In summer, try to avoid the hottest part of the day and remember that the pace of your holiday is also set by your little traveller.

Benalmádena with children aged 4 to 7

This is probably one of the age groups with the most options. Selwo Marina, SEA LIFE, the Butterfly House, Parque de la Paloma, the beach and the cable car mean you can organise a very varied week.

Benalmádena with children aged 8 to 12

At these ages, you can introduce more activities, walks and short excursions.

The cable car, animal-related experiences, the beach and certain water-based activities can make for a very well-rounded programme.

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You can also get them involved in the planning: let each child choose one of the week’s activities.

Benalmádena with teenagers Travelling with teenagers requires a different approach.

As well as the beach and the swimming pool, you can look for water sports, day trips, boat trips and slightly more active experiences.

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Giving them the chance to choose an activity usually helps to ensure the holiday is truly for the whole family.

What to do in Benalmádena with children if it rains?

Although we tend to associate the Costa del Sol with days at the beach, it’s always worth having a backup plan.

SEA LIFE is one option to consider when the weather isn’t suitable for spending the whole day on the beach.

You can also take the opportunity to reorder this itinerary and save the cable car, the mountain or a full day at the beach for a day when the weather is better.

That’s precisely the key: use this 7-day itinerary as a guide rather than a strict schedule.

Free things to do with children in Benalmádena

Travelling as a family can quickly run up the costs when you have to buy three, four or five tickets for each activity.

That’s why we recommend mixing paid experiences with free activities.

Parque de la Paloma, a stroll through Puerto Marina, exploring different parts of the town, a walk along the seafront promenade or enjoying the beach are all great ways to fill a good part of your holiday without paying an entrance fee.

A simple formula could be: one main paid activity + the beach, a park or a free stroll.

As well as keeping costs down, this prevents the children from getting overwhelmed.

Tips for spending 7 days in Benalmádena with the family

Don’t try to see everything.

A week seems like a long time until you start adding up beaches, parks, attractions and day trips.

Leave some time free.

During the hottest months, plan your activities with the temperatures in mind and take special care to protect the children from the sun.

Also check the opening times and terms and conditions of attractions before you go, as these may vary depending on the season.

If you’re booking tickets or day trips, check the cancellation policies and minimum age requirements before paying.

And, above all, tailor the trip to your family.

A three-year-old and a fourteen-year-old won’t experience Benalmádena in the same way. That’s precisely why we’ve included a range of options in this itinerary.

Is Benalmádena worth a visit with children?

Absolutely! Benalmádena offers something particularly appealing for a family holiday: lots of different things to do in a relatively small area.

And you don’t need to go on a different outing every day to keep the children entertained.

You can spend the morning doing an activity and set aside the afternoon for a rest. Or devote a whole day to the beach and swap that for a trip on the cable car the next day.

So, if you’re looking for a destination on the Costa del Sol to spend 7 days with children, Benalmádena lets you organise a varied holiday without every day having to turn into a mad rush.

Looking for somewhere to stay with children in Benalmádena?

If you want to enjoy these activities without having to rely on a car for everything, the location of your accommodation can make a big difference during a family holiday.

Plan your holiday in Benalmádena

Before you travel, save this guide and only book the activities that really require advance booking. You can decide on the rest once you’re here.

A week goes a long way, but you don’t need to see everything. Choose your must-sees, leave a few days open for spontaneity, and enjoy Benalmádena with the children at a leisurely pace.

Because the best memories of the trip probably won’t just be the tickets you booked, but also that swim that went on longer than planned, the stroll after dinner or that afternoon when the children decided they’d rather go back to the pool.