According to a 2024 report by European Best Destinations, Málaga ranked in the top 10 cities for family travel due to its safety, green spaces, cultural sites, and family-focused infrastructure.
When people talk about moving to southern Spain, they usually imagine wine on a terrace, maybe a golf swing mid-retirement, the sea doing its hypnotic ripple thing. What they don’t picture—at least not at first—is what it’s like to live here with kids.
And yet, here you are. Considering whether that villa overlooking Marbella has room for Lego bricks and a bedtime story. You want culture, sure. Sun, yes. But also something that keeps the children occupied, engaged—and safe. You want a place that doesn’t just suit you, but grows with your family.
Welcome to the Costa del Sol. It’s more than just a well-worn postcard. It’s a real place where families actually live. And live well.
- Selwo Aventura & Selwo Marina: More Than a Day Out
There are zoos—and then there’s this. Selwo Aventura in Estepona is not your average afternoon of looking at sad giraffes behind wire fencing. It’s a safari-style park with actual zebras, lions, and the sort of wooden rope bridges that make grown men rethink their life choices.
📍 Avda. Parque Selwo, s/n, Autovía A7 km 162.5, 29680 Estepona, Málaga
🌐 selwo.es
Down the coast in Benalmádena, Selwo Marina does the sea life version: dolphins, penguins, and the only ice penguinarium in southern Europe. It’s smaller, yes. But tidy. Clean. And has that golden ratio of entertainment-to-attention-span.
📍 Parque de la Paloma, s/n, 29630 Benalmádena
🌐 selwomarina.es
- Parque de la Paloma: Where the Locals Go
If you want to know how people actually live here—go to Parque de la Paloma on a Sunday. Chickens wander between benches. Kids feed rabbits they didn’t ask for. The lake reflects little paddle boats shaped like giant ducks. And everyone, absolutely everyone, brings snacks.
📍 Avenida Federico García Lorca, 29631 Benalmádena
🕒 Open daily, early to late. No ticket. Just show up.
- Aqualand Torremolinos: The Wettest Kind of Chaos
Yes, there are queues. Yes, someone will lose a flip-flop. But Aqualand remains the undisputed heavyweight of Costa del Sol waterparks. Gigantic slides. Lazy rivers. Wave pools. And a café with exactly the type of pizza a six-year-old believes is authentic Italian.
📍 Calle Cuba, 10, 29620 Torremolinos
🌐 aqualand.es
- Sea Life Benalmádena: Not Just for Rainy Days
You’ve done beaches. You’ve done parks. Enter Sea Life. Air-conditioned. Calm. Full of sharks that don’t make the news. The underwater tunnel lets kids feel like they’re swimming, without getting wet. Educational, yes, but not smug about it.
📍 Puerto Deportivo, 29630 Benalmádena
🌐 visitsealife.com
- Aventura Amazonia Marbella: The Tree-Top Rethink
For the brave and bendy. This is climbing meets obstacle course, with helmets and harnesses and zip lines that make you feel momentarily heroic. There’s a kid’s circuit too—less Indiana Jones, more Forest School—but no less entertaining.
📍 Avenida Valeriano Rodríguez, 2, 29604 Marbella
🌐 aventura-amazonia.com
Culture (Yes, They Do That Too)
Walk Málaga’s centre and you’ll find cobbled lanes echoing with history. Visit the Alcazaba fortress-palace, and watch your kids pretend to be knights or spies. Duck into the Picasso Museum—a 16th-century palace as captivating as the art inside. This isn’t a sightseeing tour. It’s just Tuesday.
You’re never far from a national park, mountain trail, or clean blue-flag beach. Even in urban hubs like Marbella or Estepona, you can reach unspoiled countryside or coastline in under 15 minutes by car.
The Beaches: Clean, Watchable, Swimmable
Playa de la Malagueta is perfect for families—walkable, safe, equipped. Playa de Cabopino brings dunes and calm shallows. Beachfront restaurants don’t mind sand-covered children. They’ll even pour a glass for you before you ask. Soon enough, you’ll have a table that feels like yours.
Outdoor Life: Quietly Extraordinary
You can ride horses through Mijas in the morning and kayak Nerja’s cliffs by noon. There are walks toddlers can manage and hills teenagers can tackle. It’s not a day out—it’s the week. And somewhere along the trail, you realise: you’re not escaping life. You’re creating it.
Eating Together
Most places won’t bother with a 'kid’s menu'. Children eat tortilla, albóndigas, anchovies, even octopus. They’ll eat like locals before they speak like them. No rush. No fuss. A dog under the table, a neighbour’s wink, and a waiter who remembers your drink. That’s lunch.
Festivals, Markets, Real Life
There’s always something. A flamenco procession in May. A jazz night in July. Markets that sell more gossip than groceries. The calendar never stops. Nor does the impulse to gather. It’s life with a pulse—and you’re part of it.
Making It Permanent
You’ll come for the sun. You’ll stay for the structure. International schools ease the kids in. Spanish slips into your family’s language. There’s a paediatrician, a GP, a yoga class. Your evening ends a bit later, your mornings feel lighter. This isn’t a sabbatical—it’s a new routine.
Let’s Talk About Property
A villa with a proper kitchen. A terrace for real dinners. A garden your dog actually uses. We curate homes that make this life possible—homes that work for families who aren’t just escaping the old, but building something new.
📍 Ultimate Lifestyles Costa del Sol
Address: Calle Jasmines 463 A, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella 29660, Spain
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: +34 951 12 07 12
🌐 Website: ultimate-lifestyles.com
Ready for something more than a second home? Visit ultimate-lifestyles.com to find properties built for real life—and the people you love living it with.