Selwo Marina (Benalmádena)

Selwo Marina is a marine animal park in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, inside the Parque de la Paloma and about 0.8 km in a straight line from the Benalmádena–Arroyo de la Miel train station. It has the only dolphinarium and penguinarium in Andalucía, according to the regional tourist board, plus an Amazon area and a tropical bird show. The tourist board does not publish prices or hours for it and refers visitors to the park’s own website (checked November 2026). It suits families with children who want a half day with dolphins, sea lions and penguins; skip it if you object to animals in shows.

Quick facts

• Names: Selwo Marina, also searched as Selwo Marina Benalmádena. Not to be confused with Selwo Aventura, the safari park in Estepona from the same group.
• What: dolphinarium, penguinarium and exotic animal park. OpenStreetMap maps it as a zoo.
• Where: Avenida Federico García Lorca s/n, Parque de la Paloma, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena (Andalucía tourist board); postcode 29630 (spain.info).
• Coordinates: 36.5928, -4.5322 (the mapped main entrance).
• Animals: bottlenose dolphins, Patagonian sea lions, king, gentoo, Magellanic and rockhopper penguins, tropical birds, and more than 800 animals of about 50 species in the Amazon area (Andalucía tourist board).
• Prices and hours: not published by the tourist board, which says to check the park’s website, selwomarina.es (checked November 2026).
• Reduced rates: for children, large families, over-65s, young people and groups (tourist board).
• Facilities: restaurant, bar, toilets and a shop.

Access and parking

By car: the park is in Arroyo de la Miel, the inland part of Benalmádena between Benalmádena Pueblo and Benalmádena Costa (Wikipedia). It sits on the west side of the Parque de la Paloma, the town’s large landscaped park. Málaga city centre is about 17 km away in a straight line.

Parking: OpenStreetMap maps street-side parking 70–90 m from the entrance, part of it marked free. A group of surface car parks 140–250 m north of the entrance is marked as paid. On busy summer days expect to search for a space; we could not confirm the parking charges.

By train: Benalmádena–Arroyo de la Miel station is about 0.8 km in a straight line from the entrance.

By bus: the nearest stops on OpenStreetMap are Urbanización Pueblo del Parque, about 220 m away, and Pueblo Evita, about 300 m away, where the stop lists route M-103. There is also a stop named Selwo Marina on Avenida Antonio Machado, about 0.7 km away. We could not confirm timetables.

What to expect

A compact park you can see in a few hours. On OpenStreetMap the site is only about 160 m across, much smaller than Selwo Aventura. The Andalucía tourist board describes a route through settings from South America, “from the warm Caribbean to the icy Antarctic”:

• Las Antillas dolphinarium: a dolphin and sea lion show, with underwater viewing of the bottlenose dolphins.
• Splash: a close encounter with the dolphins from a semi-submerged walkway, designed to run in every season. There is also a VIP programme, “Los Delfines y sus Amigos”, and swims with the sea lions.
• La Hondonada: a bird show with toucans, cockatoos, macaws, grey parrots and peacocks.
• Amazonía: more than 800 animals of about 50 species and 40 plant species, including a see-through leafcutter ant nest. Spain.info lists piranhas, arrow frogs and Amazon tarantulas.
• Isla de Hielo: the first ice penguinarium in Andalucía, with king, gentoo, Magellanic and rockhopper penguins. The tourist board says king and gentoo chicks born here were the first of their species born on the Iberian Peninsula.

Prices and opening

Neither the Andalucía tourist board nor spain.info publishes prices or opening hours for Selwo Marina: the tourist board’s listing says “consultar en su web”, check the park’s website (checked November 2026). The park’s own site, selwomarina.es, could not be opened from our research setup, so we give no figures here. Look up the current calendar before you go. We could not confirm whether Splash, the VIP dolphin programme and the sea lion swims are included in the general ticket.

The tourist board lists special rates for children and large families, for over-65s, and for young people and groups. The park holds the Spanish “S” tourism sustainability certificate shown on the listing.

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Because the park is small and much of it is about shows, check the show times for the day before you arrive. The Splash dolphin encounter is designed to run all year, and the penguins live in an ice house, so the park is not only a summer trip. A morning visit leaves the afternoon for the Parque de la Paloma next door, which OpenStreetMap lists as open 09:00 to 22:00.

Nearby alternatives

• Castillo de Colomares, 3.6 km away: a historic site in Benalmádena.
• Benalmádena Stupa, 4.4 km away: a Buddhist monument in Benalmádena.
• Bajondillo Cave, 4.3 km away: a historic site in Torremolinos.
• Mijas Pueblo, 9.4 km away: the village centre of Mijas.
• Bioparc Fuengirola, 10.6 km away: an animal park without dolphin shows.

Also close: the Benalmádena cable car base station, about 1 km away on Avenida del Tívoli, and the Aqualand water park in Torremolinos, about 4.3 km away. Tivoli World, the old amusement park in Arroyo de la Miel, has been closed since 2020 (Wikipedia). Distances are in a straight line from the entrance.

FAQ

Where is Selwo Marina?

In Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, inside the Parque de la Paloma on Avenida Federico García Lorca. The entrance is at 36.5928, -4.5322.

How much does Selwo Marina cost?

The Andalucía tourist board does not publish prices and refers you to the park’s website (checked November 2026). There are reduced rates for children, families, over-65s and groups.

Is there parking at Selwo Marina?

Yes. There is street-side parking 70–90 m from the entrance, part of it marked free, and paid car parks 140–250 m away.

How do I get to Selwo Marina by train?

Take the train to Benalmádena–Arroyo de la Miel station, about 0.8 km from the entrance, and walk.

Can you swim with dolphins at Selwo Marina?

The park offers Splash, a close encounter with the dolphins from a semi-submerged walkway, and a VIP dolphin programme. Swims are offered with the sea lions, according to the tourist board.

Sources and freshness