Sea Life Benalmádena — Attraction in Benalmádena

We were really looking forward to visiting SEA LIFE Benalmádena, but overall, it was quite a disappointing experience.

The tanks, especially for the larger species, appeared small and cramped, which made us question the welfare of some of the animals. The aquarium itself is quite compact, and it filled up very quickly, making it difficult to enjoy the exhibits.

To make matters worse, there was a large group of over 30 primary school children visiting at the same time. They were screaming and crying, completely filling the walkways and viewing areas. It made it almost impossible for other visitors to appreciate the displays. For such large school groups, the aquarium should really consider private visiting times to avoid disrupting other guests.

We were also frustrated to find that the VR experience tickets weren’t included in the main ticket price. By the time we reached that area, we had to walk back downstairs, queue again in a long line (now even longer than when we arrived), and there was only one attendant issuing tickets.

Finally, drinks at the bar were extremely overpriced, which added to the disappointment.

Overall, while the marine life is fascinating, the way the place is managed significantly impacts the experience. It felt crowded, poorly organised, and overpriced, and unfortunately, we left feeling underwhelmed.

UPDATE Thanks for your reply, I've changed my rating from 1 tp 3 as was possibly a bit harsh, and I appreciate your comments.

We arrived at 10.30am when you open so did try to plan our visit to avoid the busiest times, and while I agree its wonderful to be educating younger generations about our seas and marine life, we were overwhelmed by the large party of very small children, they got scared during the later part of the display and the majority were screaming and crying in a very small enclosed area which made it overcrowded and too overwhelming to enjoy. When we exited into the VR area, and it was frustrating to then be redirected back downstairs to the back of the now long line to buy tickets for the VR display.

It was amazing to see the marine life you support and care for, but the facility does seem small for the larger creatures especially the sharks and large majestic sea turtle which seemed cramped, personally I would be much more comfortable seeing these in much larger enclosures. Perhaps after visiting hours you have other spaces that are opened up for them, but that...

My 2yr old and 4yr old loved it! We went last year too and there was so much to see. The glass tunnel with the sharks and turtles swimming around you is cool... also a great photo spot if you manage to get there when it's not full of people doing the same thing! You get to touch some living underwater plants if you want to.

They gave the kids a really easy going spot-the-creature sticker chart. They then get to spin a little wheel at the end for doing it to win a little prize. They got a choice out of a lolly or sweets and then a snap wrist band. Which they were chuffed with.... As were we as that was free! There's only 1 queue to get in so doesn't make a difference if you've bought tickets before hand or not, as its just as quick buying there and then.

There's not much to offer re food in the little cafe outside at the end, just coffees, cold drinks, muffins, crisps and chocolate. But you're in Benalmádena Marina so plenty of food options just next door! The Frappe at the sealife cafe was amazing though!! And it was attached to a great kids play area with a little softplay type obstacle course, seesaws, an indoor bit with table chairs and a TV. All sheltered quite well but no aircon as mostly outside.

The only negative we had really was that we would have liked to have somewhere we could leave the pushchair as we walked around. There a few steps here and there, which is fine it just means you have to leave it at the bottom of the steps, to then go back and get it before moving on to the next exciting thing. But that's just a minor thing, luckily it wasn't overly busy at midday when we were there. So not too many other pushchairs.

We spent around 2 hours there plus the time chilling in the cafe and kids area.

All in all another lovely time at the Benalmadena Sealife Centre. I would definitely recommend for all ages....

Too expensive — not worth the money. Parking is hard to find unless you really want to visit.

The SeaLife aquarium we visited is about average, following the same layout as most aquariums in this chain. However, it is much, much smaller compared to others. In some areas, it even seems like the fish have trouble swimming. For example, there’s a tank with several large fish that’s not even three meters in diameter, so they just swim around in circles.

Overall, it’s clean, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk through from start to finish. However, some tanks don’t look very clean and could use better maintenance, and in some places, water seeps or leaks out. Paying over €60 for two adults and a 3-year-old feels quite expensive for what it offers, especially compared to other aquariums we’ve visited.

Another downside is the toilets — they’re not at the entrance or exit but only on the first floor near the bar, and they’re poorly marked. The doors only show a pirate and a mermaid instead of clear “toilet” signs, so it’s easy to walk right past them. Once inside, the toilets are quite clean, especially by Spanish standards, probably because not many people find them.

Overall, it’s an interesting visit, and you can stop by if you’re in the area, especially if you’re a Sea Life fan, but it’s not something I would actively recommend.

There are some extra activities upstairs, like mini-golf, and a terrace where you can have chips and a soda, but no sandwiches or hot food. In the port, about 50 meters from Sea Life, there are several very touristy restaurants where...