Family days on the Costa del Sol
Benalmádena with kids is easy to fill: a boat with a water slide, an aquarium tunnel surrounded by sharks, penguins at Selwo Marina and a cable car up Mount Calamorro. Here is what each ticket covers, the age and height rules the listings give, and what to book first.
Quick answer
The short answer. For one big day of Benalmádena with kids, book the shared boat trip at $100 per person: 3.5 hours with a 6-metre slide, snorkelling, lunch on board and hotel pickup. For a group of up to 10, our top pick is the private boat at $191 per boat. Child prices are not in our data, so check child prices on the listing.
Seven family options
Some prices are per person, some per boat: read each with its label.
| Activity | Price | What the price covers | Ages and heights | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat trip with a slide | $100 per person | 3.5 hours: slide, kayak, snorkel, lunch, pickup | Check the listing | 4.5 · 311 |
| Private boat, our top pick | $191 per group, up to 10 people | The whole boat, 1 to 6 hours, snorkel gear, fishing rods | Check the listing | 4.8 · 178 |
| Private boat for up to 12 | $213 per person | Shown per person; a private boat, 2 to 3 hours | Check the listing | 5.0 · 7 |
| Aquarium | $24 per person | Entry: shark tunnel, touch rockpool, otters | Check the listing | 4.1 · 477 |
| Selwo Marina | $18 per person | Entry: penguins, sea lions, birds | Child ticket 100 to 140 cm | 4.1 · 601 |
| Cable car | $19 per person | Up Mount Calamorro, 1-way or round trip | Child ticket 100 to 140 cm | 4.5 · 2,422 |
| Colomares Castle | $10 per person | Entry and a 40-minute guided visit | Stairs; check the listing | 4.6 · 847 |
The boat day
Benalmádena with kids on the water: a slide, lunch and hotel pickup in one ticket.
The shared trip at $100 per person is the family boat day here, and with 311 reviews at 4.5 the most reviewed of the six boats. For 3 hours 30 minutes there is a 6-metre water slide, a kayak, a paddle board and snorkelling, with lunch on board. Dolphins may show up on the way: a chance, not a plan.
A minibus collects you from Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Málaga, and if sea conditions stop the trip, the listing offers a new date or a full refund. Orla from Ireland: «All the family loved the slides and water activities.» Our data gives no minimum age, so check the listing before you book with small children. Check dates.
What the week can look like
A slide, penguins and the cable car.
The slide drops from the top deck into the sea, paddle boards alongside.
Penguins on the rocks by their pool at Selwo Marina.
A cabin between the pines, with the sea far below.
Private boats
Our top pick: the private boat with drinks, $191 per boat. Up to 10 people, 1 to 6 hours from Puerto Marina, and its listing names families among its guests. Snorkel gear and fishing rods are on board, with snacks, and beer, sangria and cava for the adults. Rated 4.8 from 178 reviews. Giedre from the United Kingdom: «The children even got to steer the boat!» Sarah from Ireland: «The ladies were amazing with our 2 year old girl!» See our top pick.
The private boat for up to 12, $213 per person as listed. It leaves Puerto Marina between 10 am and 10 pm for 2 to 3 hours. The price shows per person although the boat is private, so check your group’s total before you pay. Rated 5.0, from 7 reviews.
Before you book
These rules come from the listings. Where a listing gives no age or child price, check the listing.
The catamaran party at $95 per person is for adults 18 and over, with ID.
Both self-drive rentals need a driver over 18 with ID and a deposit.
At the cable car and Selwo Marina, the child ticket covers 100 to 140 cm. For smaller children, check the listing.
The cable car and Selwo Marina tickets are non-refundable. The boats, the aquarium and the castle tour have free cancellation.
Aquarium
The Benalmádena aquarium costs $24 per person, and the ticket stays valid for 1 month. The route runs from a Mediterranean zone through a 180-degree tunnel surrounded by sharks and a green turtle to an Amazonia freshwater zone. In the interactive rockpool you can touch a starfish or a hermit crab, and the otters have a feeding session. Free cancellation applies; rated 4.1 from 477 reviews. Check aquarium tickets.
Selwo Marina
Selwo Marina costs $18 per person. The listing describes penguins being fed on Ice Island, sea lions, exotic birds in flight and tropical jungle habitats, with talks on how to help these species. An Encounter with Penguins is among its extra experiences; check the listing for what it costs. The ticket is non-refundable. Rated 4.1 from 601 reviews. Check Selwo Marina tickets.
Up the mountain, into the castle
Two shorter tickets for a day off the water.
Cabins with an audio guide climb Mount Calamorro, 1-way or round trip. Six hiking routes start at the peak. Rated 4.5 from 2,422 reviews. Check cable car tickets.
A 40-minute guided visit in English or Spanish tells the story of Christopher Columbus. It involves stairs and has free cancellation. Rated 4.6 from 847 reviews. Check castle tickets.
Our verdict
Book the boat day first. For Benalmádena with kids, the shared trip at $100 per person packs a slide, snorkelling, lunch and hotel pickup into 3.5 hours. A group of up to 10? Our top pick, the private boat at $191 per boat, is yours alone. Then add one day on land: the aquarium or Selwo Marina.
Book direct
Check whether each price is per person or per boat. On the rental, an adult over 18 drives.
★ 4.8 · 178 reviews
★ 4.5 · 311 reviews
★ 5.0 · 7 reviews
★ 4.6 · 41 reviews
Common questions
A boat day with a slide and lunch on board, the aquarium’s shark tunnel and touch rockpool, penguins and sea lions at Selwo Marina, and the cable car up Mount Calamorro.
Our data gives no minimum age for the boats, so check the listing for your child’s age. Sarah from Ireland, on a private boat: «The ladies were amazing with our 2 year old girl!»
The listing sells a child ticket for 100 to 140 cm and an adult ticket above that. For smaller children and for child prices, check the listing.
No. The catamaran party at $95 per person is for adults 18 and over. Book the shared trip with the slide or a private boat instead.
The driver must be over 18 with ID and a deposit; $135 or $146 per boat covers up to 6 people. Thomas from the United Kingdom: «our teenagers went again the next day!» For passenger ages, check the listing.
Pair it with a boat trip
A day on land balances well with a day at sea. Compare the six boats on our main page, or go straight to our top pick: the private boat with drinks at $191 per boat for up to 10 people.
Go deeper
Which Benalmádena boat trips look for dolphins: the shared trip with a water slide, private boats and self-drive rentals, and what each price covers.
Benalmádena cable carThe Mount Calamorro cable car from Benalmádena: what the ticket covers, how long it takes and what you see from the top.
Selwo MarinaSelwo Marina in Benalmádena: what the admission ticket includes and how it fits with a boat trip.
Colomares CastleColomares Castle in Benalmádena: the guided visit with entry ticket, how long it takes and what you see.
Gibraltar day tripThe day trip to Gibraltar from Benalmádena: what the price covers, how long the day is and what to bring.
Setenil and Ronda day tripThe day trip from Benalmádena to Setenil de las Bodegas and Ronda: route, length and what the price covers.
Benalmádena: Private Boat:Drinks/Snacks, Activities&Dolphins
★ 4.8 · 178 reviews · 1 - 6 hours