Sea Life Benalmádena

Sea Life Benalmádena is exactly where it should be: inside Puerto Marina, the town’s leisure hub, a few metres from Malapesquera beach. It’s a mid-sized aquarium, very well pitched at families, and one of the best cards you can play when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

What you’ll see

• Underwater tunnel with sharks, rays and Mediterranean fish passing overhead.
• Themed zones covering tropical reef, the Mediterranean and deep waters.
• Touch pool where children can handle starfish and anemones under supervision.
• Seahorses, jellyfish and octopus, always among the biggest hits.
• Talks and feeding sessions scheduled throughout the day.

Getting there

In Puerto Marina, Benalmádena. By public transport, Cercanías line C-1 to Arroyo de la Miel, then a local bus or about a 20-minute walk downhill. By car there are paid car parks in the marina.

How long to allow

An hour and a half to two hours is enough to see it properly. It isn’t a full-day attraction: the sensible move is to combine it with the rest of Puerto Marina, a dolphin-watching trip or the cable car.

The definitive plan B

When a strong easterly blows in during August and the beaches turn uncomfortable, or when the autumn downpour arrives, this is one of the few genuinely indoor options on the coast. Worth keeping in your back pocket.

One tip

Buy your ticket online: it’s usually discounted against the gate price and you skip the queue. And check the times of the talks and feeds as soon as you walk in, then plan your route around them — that’s the part children enjoy most.