A few kilometers away is the most interesting and most impressive amusement park in southern Spain - Selwo Aventura Safari Park, which is definitely worth a visit if you are planning your own.
Spread over 100 hectares, the safari park is an open zoo where animals live in their natural habitat. I would like to note that the park is part of the same network with the Selwo Marina dolphinarium and the Telerifico cable car, located in the city of Benalmadena, therefore, by purchasing one ticket to visit all three places, you can save a lot.
Safari park Selvo Aventura - prices
Here we present prices for visiting only the safari park(at the time of writing): an adult ticket (from 10 years old) costs 24.50 euros per person, a child ticket (from 3 to 9 years old) - 17 euros. If you order tickets online, then the discount is 1 euro for each ticket. It is possible to purchase one ticket per family, depending on the number of children, which will be slightly cheaper than if you bought each ticket separately.
The safari park is open mainly in summer, in winter the park is closed and starts working approximately from the beginning of March. In any case, when planning your vacation on the southern coast of Spain, it is better to check in advance both the opening hours of the park and prices, and, possibly, book tickets in advance in order to be guaranteed to enjoy visiting the park. All this can be done on the safari park website: http://www.selwo.es/en.
A small note: even if you are not used to booking tickets on your own and prefer to buy all excursions and tickets from a guide, then in this case it is better to do it yourself and get a guaranteed discount on visiting all three places!
Safari park - how to get there
A trip to the safari park should definitely be planned for the whole day, since two or three hours to explore it will definitely not be enough for you. A big minus in its location: getting to the safari park will not be very easy if you are not staying in Marbella and not in Estepona. So, a free bus runs from the park on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but the route and time of arrival must be specified in advance with the guide or by calling the numbers on the site. With this bus, you are guaranteed to get to the park from Marbella for free. But keep in mind that seats on the bus must be booked in advance, otherwise the driver will not let you in.
If you don’t get a bus from the park, then it’s most convenient to get to the park by taxi, since the regular bus that runs between cities along the coast does not take you to the park, and you have to walk a decent distance uphill, which is hot, and even and with children, quite inconvenient.
In principle, in the most extreme case, if you don’t want to spend time and effort on the road to the safari park in one day, but you want to go there, you can book a hotel near the park and stay there for a few days. But this option is good for those who travel on their own by car, and of course, if your children are not quite small, since civilization will be available only a few kilometers in the form of the city of Estepona.
Selwo Aventura - animals and entertainment
Well, now let's see why we talked for so long about how to get to the park. After reading about how to get to the park, and seeing decent prices for entrance tickets, you have probably already begun to wonder if it's worth going there at all!
Calmly! Having gone to the safari park, you will definitely have a good day with your children. The park has collected more than two thousand animals from several continents, and they do not live in cages, as in an ordinary zoo, but freely roam the park in the areas assigned to them. Speaking of the safety of your children: all areas are securely fenced with nets, but do not lose vigilance to avoid unnecessary injuries, as the terrain is very mountainous.
The park is divided into three large areas that climb to the top of the mountain (by the way, from the mountain in good weather you can see the coast of Africa!). You can move between sectors both on foot and in open jeep trucks, which regularly come to the stops marked on the map.
Let's just say what these jeep trucks so that you will not be surprised when you arrive at the safari park. You will ride on high trucks like KAMAZ with an open top. In the back are wooden benches with handrails to hold on. And you need to hold on tight, as the path first goes high up along a narrow winding road, and then descends back very much down to the beginning of the park. So keep an eye on your children continuously during the trip!
In general, we recommend that you build your trip through the park in such a way that you can get to the top by jeep, and go down on foot if you have the strength and if it is possible with your children. But if you are with a stroller, then it is also better to go down in jeeps, because the transitions between the zones will be in the form of suspension bridges, along which it will be problematic to carry both the child and the stroller!
The first sector you enter after going through ticket control is Natura Portico. The flora and fauna of this sector is represented by animals and vegetation of tropical and subtropical climate. Similar vegetation is just near the Great Lake in Africa. Here you will meet nimble cheetahs, gazelles, unusual red pandas, caimans, flamingos, various monkeys and small meerkats.
In 2012, a new section was opened on the territory of this zone - “ land of hyenas”, which are a symbol of African living creatures. There is also a kind of tropical forest where you can meet a special kind of lemurs living only in Madagascar.
For the youngest visitors to the park, this is where contact mini-zoo, where you can pet such little animals like sheep, rabbits, piglets. There is no limit to the delight of kids, but parents need to have a large supply of wet wipes with them!
Near the petting zoo there is an entrance to a small farm with pygmy goats, don't miss it! Both you and your children will like it.
Older children, as well as, in principle, adults, can have fun jumping on a vine across the lake, which is a small copy of the Great Lake located in Africa. To participate in this attraction, your weight must not exceed 90 kg. In the same sector there is a souvenir shop and a snack bar.
From the Natura Portico sector you can get into a small area - bird canyon with many rare species of South African birds, which connects the upper and lower parts of the park.
Next, you will move to the territory where lynxes live. Some lynx species that live in the park are endangered in their natural habitat. Here, your children will be delighted to see otters of a special breed - small-clawed otters. Cute plump otters will gladly accept a good dozen cookies from you as a gift, which they will immediately eat to the delight of your children.
The most impressive sector of the park is Central Village. To the right of the Canyon of the Birds you will find a very picturesque part inhabited by the largest mammals in South Africa. Clumsy rhinos, tall giraffes, fat hippos - that's who will meet you in this part of the sector. The same territory also sheltered smaller mammals, not exceeding 400 kg in weight: zebras, antelopes, some species of which are no longer represented in Africa due to their destruction.
Not far from this part lives a family of elephants. Their head of the family, the elephant Kanwar, is known throughout the world for being the only Asian elephant born and raised not in his homeland, but in this safari park. He was born around July 2008. This species of elephants is subject to the threat of destruction in natural conditions.
The central village is a kind of middle of the safari park. Just here you can watch the family of lions - the leaders of the animals of the African savannas. The huge aviary is fenced with glass walls, animals can be viewed from different angles. There is also a cave with bats, a terrarium and a platform with eagles, where, just like in Benalmadena, eagle shows are held. A little to the side is the territory of camels, where you can even ride them.
In the Central Village sector there is a small self-service restaurant called El Mirador de Africa. In fact, the restaurant is located on one of the highest points above sea level, offering magnificent views of the coast.
But, unfortunately, in this restaurant you will find a big disappointment in the form of absolutely tasteless food and high prices. If older children can still choose a more or less edible dish for themselves, then it will be very difficult to feed the kids here. It's a shame that the quality of food here leaves much to be desired, because after such a busy day, you still want to have a full meal, and not interrupt yourself with sandwiches from snack bars that you meet along the way in other sectors.
way back can be overcome both in jeeps, departing from a stop near the restaurant, and on foot, if there is still strength left. Please note that the whole road is winding and mountainous, both ascents by cars and descents on foot! Part of the descent on foot passes, as we have already said, over suspension bridges. If you have strong nerves, you can stand in the middle of the bridge and admire the animals below, which you saw from the window of the safari jeeps. If such an extreme does not appeal to you, then it is better to return back the same way as here.
I have been living in Spain for more than a year and I keep discovering new places that fascinate me and are interesting for those who come to relax. On my website costablankaru.ru I tell and advise where to go and what to visit on the Costa Blanca. I want to tell you about another corner of the White Coast.
near the city AlcoyAytana mountain hosts a safari park. It is divided into two parts - you can walk one by one and look at the animals in cages. According to another, it is allowed to travel by car on your own, go out and see African residents within walking distance.
In the first, in the 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 the cage, various birds.
On a wider 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 territories. On one you can get out of the car without fear for your life.
On the other, where predators live, it is allowed to move around in a car with closed windows and exit from it is strictly prohibited. Here we saw a pride of lions, tigers, leopards.
The roar of a lion, resounding through the safari, makes one shudder. Without a doubt, he is the king of beasts. After all, even looking at how the lions lie, gracefully and with some independence in their eyes.
I was lucky with the tourists, we caught the moment when the park ranger herded the elephants. We managed to touch them, being at arm's length and watch them.
It is interesting that two females unquestioningly obeyed and carried out the commands of the caretaker, and what I did not know was that elephants eat wood - they crunched dry tree branches with pleasure.
We were also pleased with the attention of animals. Not all of them were curious and made contact. For example, the llama, an arrogant animal, would not approach us even when we cajoled it with a treat.
But ponies, donkeys, goats, camels - they ran to us as soon as we got out of the car. From some we fled, climbing into the car, and they stuck their muzzles in the half-open windows.
Hippos, hippos, dangerous animals. This is how close you can get in touch with them. They love to roll in the mud. In the aviary, a swimming pool and a puddle of mud are arranged for them, where they spend most of the day.
A large number of animals are represented in the park: ostriches, llamas, bison, elephants, lions, tigers, panthers, wolves, hippos, donkeys, horses, ponies, buffaloes, goats, zebras, camels, monkeys, giraffes and others.
Journey and truth turned out full of surprises and discoveries. In front of our eyes, the ostrich laid an egg, large and very beautiful.
We saw a newborn fawn, which was still unsteady on its feet, but when the caretaker called her, she wagged her tail, recognizing her, well, like a dog.
Residents of big cities will say - nothing surprising, an ordinary zoo. Believe it isn't. This park cannot even be compared with the Moscow Zoo. difference? In almost the entire territory of the park, animals are free, and this gives an extreme and thrilling feeling that you are really traveling around Africa.
Safari Park "Aytana" is located in the mountains at an altitude of 1000 m. Its spacious enclosures are inscribed in the surrounding landscape so that it seems that the animals are free. It is more convenient to get acquainted with the collection with the help of a guide who will tell interesting facts about each of the pets, but if you wish, you can do it yourself. Moving around the territory is carried out only by cars.
In the Aytana safari park, tourists will see zebras, giraffes, hippos, elephants, porcupines, raccoons, noses, camels, mountain goats and rams, as well as walking domestic donkeys, ponies, cows, pigs and goats. All these animals (except hippos and elephants) are allowed to stroke and feed. In addition, the collection also includes large predators: tigers, lions, jaguars, cougars and lynxes. At the end of the tour, you will have the opportunity to take a picture with a pet python.
The infrastructure of the safari park includes toilets and the restaurant "Kanibal", stylized in African style. The restaurant serves local cuisine, as well as snacks (burgers, sandwiches, etc.).
Safari Park "Aytana" on the map
Type: Zoos, reserves, aquariums Address: CV-785, Km20, 03815, Alicante, España. Opening hours: the park opens daily at 11.00, closes in winter at 18.00, in summer at 19.00. From 14.00 to 15.00 the entrance to most of the park is closed. Guided tours start at 11.00, 15.00. Cost: 20 €, for children 4-10 years old - 16 €, for children under 3 years old - free of charge; for adult groups (more than 25 people) - 14 €, for children's groups - 10 €. How to get there: Take the AP-7 motorway, turn off at exit 66 and continue on the Villajoyosa Sella road. From the coast, it is more convenient to move along the Alcoy-Villajoyosa CV-770 highway. Restrictions: it is strictly forbidden to open the windows in the car when crossing the predator zone. Website.
General description of Aytana Safari Park on the Costa Blanca in Spain
Despite the fact that in Benidorm there is a beautiful natural zoo Terra Natura with a large number of animal species, located at a distance of 40 km to the west, among the spurs of the mountain of the same name (Aitana, 1558 m - the highest peak of the Costa Forms), safari park aitana, attracting many visitors every day. What is the reason for this attraction?
In the safari park, most animals do not even have enclosures - they roam freely and graze on a vast territory. At the same time, access to this vast part of the park is allowed on your own car. Slowly driving along a winding road 7 km long, you can meet bison and buffalo, donkeys and ponies, giraffes and ostriches. Moreover, which is undoubtedly the main trump card, it is allowed to get out of the car, approach the animals - many of them are not shy, especially ponies and llamas, who themselves are trying to actively get acquainted with visitors:
And if there are not enough people, then they communicate with cars:
Elephants can be observed at the watering hole and taking 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 them and warns them not to open either the windows or the doors. At first glance, the lions and tigers seemed somehow sleepy:
Perhaps they were just waiting for someone to stick the handle out of the car?
Practical information about Aitana Safari Park
How to get to the park
If you are relaxing on the Costa Blanca, then the road to Aitana lies through Benidorm or neighboring Villajoyosa ( Villajoyosa). If you come from the south, then in Villajoyosa turn off N332 left on CV770 in the direction Orxeta, Sella. Drive along this road for about 25 km and then do not miss the left turn onto CV785, there will already be a yellow arrow pointer SAFARI AITANA. A couple more kilometers - and you are already at the gates of the park. It is convenient to use the same route if you are traveling 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 traveling from the north of the Costa Blanca (Altea, Calpe, Jabea), then you can choose the route already described above through Villajoyosa, or turn off N332 to the right a little earlier, in Altea, on the road CV 755. This path, leading to the fortress-museum of Guadalest, is described in detail. Passing Guadalest (here you can stop, having spent 2-3 hours exploring this interesting place), we move further along the CV70 in the direction of Benasau. After 19 km, without entering this town, we turn left onto the same road CV770 on Alcoleja. After about 8 miles, turn right onto CV785 in the direction of the arrow SAFARI AITANA and further as described above.
Opening hours, entrance tickets to Aitana Park
Aytana Safari Park opens at 11.00, closes at 18.00 in winter and 19.00 in summer. You also need to 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 looking at the monkeys, birds and snakes living in enclosures, children can visit the playground or have a picnic at the picnic area.
The park is divided into 2 parts. On the first one, you need to drive a car among lions, giraffes, deer, donkeys. In the second part of the usual zoo.
Safari Aitana is the most popular of the three safari parks on the Costa Blanca (near Valencia). It is located away from metropolitan areas, near the town of Penagila (Penáguila) in the province of Alicante. The park is located in the Sierra de Aitana at an altitude of about 1000 m.
Safari Aitana is divided into two unequal parts. For most of the territory, tourists travel by car (the length of the path is 7 km); at least they walk. You can drive the route with a guide or on your own. We arrived there by car.
The Safari Park was created on the private initiative of the Sevil couple in 1975. He survived difficult times due to the drought in 1983, but now he is developing again with confidence. Here, in a natural habitat or in conditions close to it, representatives of the fauna of five continents live.
Moving along the winding route, we met ostriches and giraffes, hippos and buffaloes, zebras, donkeys, mountain goats. Visitors are allowed to get out of their vehicles where herbivores live.
The most exciting moment is a safari with predators. Unfortunately, lions and tigers are only allowed to pass with closed windows without stopping. The elephants are looked after by a trainer-servant so that the giants do not harm people. Lena liked to stroke the elephant's warm trunk.
We looked at the feeding of the inhabitants of the safari park (when it is not crowded, workers are allowed to give some animals a suitable treat).
A "mini-zoo" has been created in the pedestrian zone. Raccoons and monkeys, non-poisonous snakes and parrots live there, noisy peacocks walk around the territory.
Park scheme
The park has picnic areas, a playground, and a country-style restaurant.
Opening hours and ticket prices:
The Safari Park is open daily from 11:00 to 19:00. Ticket price: adult - € 20, children (4 - 10 years old) - € 16. You can also watch the feeding of animals at 11:00 and 15:00.
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