I’ve been living in Spain for many years now and I keep discovering new places that fascinate me and are interesting to those who come on vacation. On my website costablankaru.ru I tell and advise where to go and what to visit on the Costa Blanca. Here's about another corner White Coast I want to tell you.
Near the city AlcoyThere is a safari park on Mount Aitana. It is divided into two parts - one at a time you can walk on foot and look at the animals in cages. According to the other, you are allowed to travel by car on your own, go out and see African residents within walking distance.
In the first, pedestrian part of the park, you will see raccoons, ferrets, monkeys, parrots, goats, tigers and lions, a lynx, a python basking in the sun outside a cage, and various birds.
In a larger area, about 7 km, where you need to travel by car, you will see both herbivores and predators.
The second part of the park is also divided into two areas. On one you can get out of the car without fear for your life.
On the other, where predators live, it is allowed to travel in a car with the windows closed and getting out of it is strictly prohibited. Here we saw a pride of lions, tigers, and leopards.
The roar of a lion, heard throughout the safari, makes you shiver. Without a doubt, he is the king of beasts. After all, even after looking at how the lions lie, gracefully and with some kind of independence in their gaze.
I was lucky with the tourists; we caught the moment when the park ranger was herding elephants. We were able to touch them at arm's length and watch them.
It’s interesting that two females unquestioningly obeyed and carried out the commands of the caretaker, and what I didn’t know was that elephants eat wood - they crunched dry tree branches with pleasure.
We were also pleased with the attention of the animals. Not all of them were curious and made contact. For example, the llama is an arrogant animal and did not approach us, even when we cajoled it with a treat.
But ponies, donkeys, goats, camels - they ran towards us as fast as we could as soon as we got out of the car. We escaped from some by climbing into the car, and they stuck their faces into the slightly open windows.
Hippos, hippos, dangerous animals. It is in such proximity that you can contact them. They love to roll in the mud. In the enclosure there is a bathing area and a mud puddle for them, where they spend most of the day.
The park features a large number of animals: ostriches, llamas, bison, elephants, lions, tigers, panthers, wolves, hippos, donkeys, horses, ponies, buffalos, goats, zebras, camels, monkeys, giraffe and others.
Travel and truth It turned out to be full of surprises and discoveries. Before our eyes, an ostrich laid an egg, large and very beautiful.
We saw a newborn fawn that was still unsteady on its feet, but when the keeper called her, she wagged her tail, recognizing her, just like a dog.
Residents of big cities will say - nothing surprising, just an ordinary zoo. Believe me, no. This park cannot be compared even to the Moscow Zoo. Difference? Throughout almost the entire territory of the park, animals are free, and this adds extreme excitement and a thrilling feeling that you are really traveling through Africa.
Top 6 Best Safari Parks in Spain
Visiting amazing country Spain, many tourists will be pleased not only by the warm sea, clean beaches, beautiful sights, historical monuments, but also nature reserves, as well as safari parks, where animals live in conditions close to wild ones. They will be especially interested in visiting children of all ages and nationalities. Here are the largest and most famous safari parks in Spain:
1.? Safari Park Madrid
In Aldea del Fresno this park is located where animals live in semi-wild conditions that mimic their natural habitat. Driving your car along a specially organized route, you can see representatives of African fauna and savannah inhabitants: lions, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, ostriches. Huge hippos and elephants roam at arm's length. Visitors feel as if they have woken up in the jungles of Asia. Most of the park can be traveled by car, but park guests have the opportunity to see some areas while leisurely walking, and even feed the animals at specially designated points. The park also has a mini-zoo, where its inhabitants live in enclosures: monkeys, small rodents, birds of prey and even tigers.
2.? Safari Park Aitana 
This is the most popular safari park on the Costa Blanca and one of the best in all of Spain. It is located in the Sierra de Aitana mountainous area in the vicinity of the city of Alcoy (Alicante) and occupies a huge area, which is divided into 2 zones:
– safari: here animals live almost freely in conditions close to wild ones. You can get here with your own car and a specially equipped jeep rented directly in the park. Visitors can stop in any part of the park and even get out of their cars, with the exception of areas where this may be dangerous and, as a result, are marked with special signs and plates. The only restriction is that it is forbidden to get very close to the animals and feed them. Here you can see giraffes, antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, elephants, camels, hippos, lions and tigers, various artiodactyls, etc.
– dekteri: in this part of the park, animals are kept in enclosures, so visitors explore this area on foot.
3.? Vergel Safari Park 
Another park located on the Costa Blanca is located between Oliva and Denia. Its area is about 35 hectares and is home to more than 1,400 animals representing 145 species. You can drive around the park by car and watch tigers, lions, leopards, wolves and dozens of other animals. Safari Park is divided into 3 zones depending on the animals living in them: African herbivores; tiger zone; lions zone. There are several routes specially designed in the park: each visitor can choose the one he likes best. Guests also have the opportunity to stroll along the pedestrian paths, which are fenced with wooden barriers and canals, and explore the various thematic sections: Pyrenean fauna, African birds, Asian and oceanic fauna. There is a separate enclosure for reptiles, and an interesting show with the participation of dolphins and seals takes place in the pool.
4.? Safari Park Selwo Aventura 
This is the most big park in the south of Spain, it is located in Estepona on a huge territory of 100 hectares: you can spend the whole day here and even stay overnight. The highest point of the park offers stunning views of Gibraltar and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The park is home to more than 2,000 animals from all continents: they live in huge spacious enclosures, and visitors can watch them from specially equipped observation platforms. The natural habitat of the animals is recreated here as much as possible, so it seems as if they are living in the wild. During the day, about 10 animal shows take place in different parts of the park. The main attraction of the park is a mini-excursion - the Serengeti safari, which is a trip on a specialized bus-truck with stops in the habitats of various animals: rhinoceroses, zebras, antelopes, hippos, etc., some of them you can even feed. In one of the areas of the park you can ride a camel.
5.? Safari Park Aqualeon Safari 
One of the few free animal parks on the Costa Dorada. It is located in the province of Tarragona and is open only in the summer (from May to September). This feature of the schedule is due to the fact that the park includes not only an animal habitat area, but also a full-fledged water park, so a visit to Aqualeon can satisfy the desires of any child. A visit to the park takes place by bus in close proximity to tigers, lions, bears, zebras, emus and other wild animals. Visitors can also enjoy the interesting show “Flight of Birds of Prey” and an exhibition of exotic birds.
6.? Safari Park Cabarceno (Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabarceno) 
This amazing place Cantabria is a must-see when traveling through northern Spain. The park was opened in 1990 and is the largest safari park in Europe. It is located 17 km from Santander in a former quarry, where open method mined iron ore. At the end of the twentieth century, the quarry pit was refined and inhabited by animals from different continents of the planet. There are about 20 km of asphalt roads in the park, along which you can drive a car or bicycle between residential areas various types animals. The route runs through plains, gorges, lakes, glades, and natural labyrinths. Here the life of animals is perfectly organized without cages and enclosures, living in natural natural conditions. The park contains more than 150 fauna representatives. You can enhance your impression of visiting the park by taking a ride in a cabin along cable car 6 km long. Such a journey takes about 50 minutes, and the speed of movement is 2-3 meters per second. The main pride of the park is the largest herd of elephants in Europe; in addition, other species of animals that are on the verge of extinction live on the territory of the safari park - white rhinoceroses, leopards, Amur and Bengal tigers, jaguars, bison and brown bears.
It is small resort town, which is part of Alicante, has a population of more than 44 thousand people. This is a cosmopolitan resort in the north of the Costa Blanca. The sun is almost shining here all year round(325 days). To come here. You need to fly to Alicante, and then transfer to the train, which will take you to the resort in 2.5 hours. You can also take a bus that goes not only from Alicante, but also from Valencia and Madrid. And from Denia you can take a ferry to the Balearic Islands.
Denia on the map
Climate
The climate here is very favorable, because the mountains protect the town from strong winds, and the sea here is warm. In summer, the air temperature can reach not only +30 degrees, but also higher. However, the sea breeze slightly softens the sweltering heat. The water in August is the warmest - +27 degrees, in June it warms up to +20-22. In winter, the temperature here usually stays within +5 degrees.
The coastline of the city stretches for almost 20 kilometers. In the northern part, the beaches are characterized by shallow water and fine sand. These include Les Marines, L'Almadrava, Les Deveses, Les Bovetes and ELS Palmars.
Beach "Les Deveses" In the southern part, the beaches are sandy and rocky, represented by small bays. Diving is practiced on rocky beaches. Lap unta Negra and Les Rotes are especially popular. Moreover, the latter is considered a real paradise for divers and fishermen.
Beach "Les Rothes" Anyone can rent a yacht on Molins beach, and on Les Deveses you will find many bars, a volleyball and football area. There are also showers here. There are also sunbeds, umbrellas and catamarans available for rental. On this coast the wind is quite strong, and therefore they are engaged in sailing and windsurfing. Les Bovetes has fine sand, but as you approach the south it changes to round stones. The beach stretches for 3 kilometers.
Beach "Les Bovetes" Attractions
The city has a centuries-old history. The Phoenicians made attempts to find minerals in this territory, the Greeks, in turn, made a port here, and the Romans erected a temple during their reign, which is dedicated to the goddess Diana. From the time of Arab rule, ruins of bastions and walls have been preserved here, and on Mount Montgo you can see the ruins of an Arab castle. Also worth seeing is the 13th century Asuncion Church, which is located in Plaza de Constitucion.
There are shipyards in the city from the 17th century, as well as a monastery and the church of St. Antonio, which were built in the 18th century. During the time of the Moors, a castle was built, which now houses an ethnic museum. Near the city there is a Safari Park where you can watch the Dolphin Show.
Entertainment and nightlife
The city is located near natural park Montgo, which is decorated with the mountain of the same name. By the way, you can climb the mountain; its height is 650 meters. There are also caves here that you can also look into, they are called La Cova de L'aigua.
Gourmets are spoiled for choice as Denia has a wide variety of restaurants serving a variety of cuisines from around the world. However, despite the diversity, tourists first of all strive to try local cuisine, which is a combination gastronomic tastes those peoples who once lived on this territory. Of course, there are many seafood and fish dishes, but also vegetables and fruits. The most popular are paella, orno, and aroz banda. As for meat dishes, these are rabbit with garlic, lamb chops, homemade sausages.
Paella - traditional food in Spain As for night bars, clubs and cafes, they are mainly concentrated along the embankment. This is where you can find a place to suit your taste, where you can have fun until the morning.
Leisure
On rocky beaches, as already noted, excellent conditions for diving and fishing have been created. In addition, sailing and windsurfing are practiced here. Possible at local beaches exercise and rowing.
Denia also has a golf club, Club La Sella. People here do hang gliding, mountaineering, mountain biking, and just go for walks. In addition, there is a yachting school in the city.
Car and home rental
To explore the region as fully as possible on your own, it is better to rent a car. You can select a convenient rental point online in advance and order the car you need. Often you can also get an additional discount when booking online, and you can cancel your reservation or make changes for free on most resources. On the spot, you only need to present your passport, international driving license, voucher and credit card. The closest rental points to the city of Denia are Jesus Pobre (5 km), Gata de Gorjos and Els Poblets 8 km. You can rent a car directly in Alicante, perhaps this will be the most convenient way. In addition, the cost for 3 days is quite reasonable - from 1,700 rubles.
Moreover, you can choose either a two-door or a four-door version and for a different number of people.
Renting an apartment is also easy. There are different options and different prices. For example. A two-room apartment for 4 people can cost around 6,500 rubles per day. A three-room cottage can be rented for 10,000 rubles, but there are options that are much cheaper. For example, a four-room house for 8 people can be rented for less than 5,000 rubles. The minimum period of accommodation starts from a day, but more often there are options where a minimum rental of 3 days or a week is required, there are options where at least two weeks of stay are allowed, so pay attention to these nuances when booking accommodation. In addition, the price depends on the area where the apartment is located, as well as on the conditions it provides.
Shopping
Because this small town, then shopping here is not very exciting. Of course, you can buy souvenirs, clothes and shoes, but no wide choice. For it, it’s better to go to Alicante, where there are many more shops, there are large shopping centers and you can buy branded items.
However, be sure to try the local wines and buy the ones you like for home, as Denia is famous for its stunning bouquet that can be felt in every sip.
Safari Park Safari Aitana. Benidorm. Costa Blanca.
A great way to get a lot of positive impressions is to go to a real safari park. It is located 33 km from Benidorm, Spanish resort entertainment. The safari is located 20 km from Alicante along a mountain serpentine road.
Tigers and elephants, lions and giraffes, hippos and zebras live in the park. We buy bread in advance, because there will be an opportunity to feed the giraffes, although these animals, while happily eating the delicacy, do not allow themselves to be petted (.
Safari Aitana
You can also move around the park on foot, but this is dangerous in places where there are predators. The park has a one-lane road, everyone moves in cars, slowing down near the animals. Remember that animals are wild and may carelessly kick or take treats with their teeth.
It is prohibited to touch or feed animals on the territory, but visitors touchingly reach out to trusting llamas, deer calves, and donkeys. Animals themselves poke their faces into open car windows, hoping to treat themselves to a piece of apple.
Giraffe and llama require a treat)))))
For visitors, Safari Aitana is divided into two areas. One park in which animals move freely around the territory, visitors drive through own cars. They go around the second park, it is small.
In areas where panthers, tigers and lions live, there is a net, but just in case, the car windows should be kept closed. You can approach the elephant, they walk accompanied by a park employee. A walk through the safari park brings great delight to both children and adults, and the magnificent photographs taken against the background and next to the animals remain as memories. There is a restaurant on site where you can refresh yourself before visiting the second park, where monkeys and birds live.
A ticket for an adult costs 17 euros, but if you go to the official Safari Aitana website and buy a ticket there, you can save 10%.
Guadeleste Alicante
Returning back, you can stop by Guadalest, a mountain village located in picturesque place over the reservoir. The village has many souvenir shops and a store selling inexpensive leather goods. There are many museums in the village.
Guadeleste Alicante
For example, one is the museo de tortura y pena capital, a torture museum that tells about criminal law and the punishment system of the 12th-17th centuries. I think the museum was created in memory of the period of the Inquisition, which was in use in Spain. There is a fortress in the village, the cost of visiting which ranges from 3.5 - 1.5 euros, depending on age. You will also have to pay about 2 euros for parking.
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General description of the Aitana Safari Park on the Costa Blanca in Spain
Despite the fact that Benidorm has a wonderful natural zoo called Terra Natura with a large number of animal species, the one located 40 km to the west, among the spurs of the mountain of the same name (Aitana, 1558 m - highest peak Costa Blanca), safari park Aitana, attracting many visitors every day. What is the reason for this attraction?
In the safari park, most of the animals do not even have enclosures - they roam and graze freely in a vast area. However, access to this vast part of the park is allowed by your own car. If you drive leisurely along a 7 km long winding road, you can meet bison and buffalos, donkeys and ponies, giraffes and ostriches. Moreover, which is undoubtedly the main trump card, you are allowed to get out of the car and approach the animals - many of them are not timid, especially ponies and llamas, who themselves try to actively get to know the visitors:
And if there are not enough people, then they communicate with cars:
You can watch elephants at a watering hole and while they take a shower:
True, you won’t be able to approach the predators so easily - they are in specially fenced large enclosures, you drive up to the barred gate, a special employee opens it and warns you not to open either the windows or the doors. At first glance, the lions and tigers seemed somewhat sleepy:
Perhaps they were just waiting for someone to stick their hand out of the car?
Practical information about Aitana Safari Park
How to get to the park
If you are vacationing on the Costa Blanca, then the road to Aitana lies through Benidorm or neighboring Villajoyosa ( Villajoyosa). If you come from the south, then at Villajoyosa you turn off N332 left to CV 770 in the direction Orxeta, Sella. You need to drive along this road for about 25 km and then don’t miss the left turn to CV785, there will already be a yellow arrow pointer SAFARI AITANA. Another couple of kilometers - and you are already at the park gates. It is convenient to use this same route if you are coming from Benidorm, or go in the direction of Finestrat ( Finestrat) By CV758, which after this town will lead to the same CV770.
If you are coming from the north of the Costa Blanca (Altea, Calpe, Xabaya), then you can choose the route already described above through Villajoyosa, or turn off from N332 turn right a little earlier, in Altea, onto the road CV 755. This path leading to the Guadalest Fortress Museum is described in detail. Having passed Guadalest (you can stop here, spending 2-3 hours exploring this interesting place), we move further along CV70 in the direction of Benasau. After 19 km, without entering this town, we turn left onto the same road CV770 on Alcoleja. After a little over 8 kilometers turn right onto CV785 along the arrow on SAFARI AITANA and further as described above.
Opening hours, entrance fees to Aitana Park
Aitana Safari Park opens at 11.00, closes at 18.00 in winter, and at 19.00 in summer. You should also keep in mind that from 14.00 to 15.00 the entrance to most of the park is closed. In general, it’s okay, you can spend this time examining the monkeys, birds and snakes living in enclosures, children can visit the playground or have a picnic at the picnic area.
