High-rope adventure course winding through palm trees at Jungle Family, Málaga

Local Costa del Sol guide

Find the best things to do on the Costa del Sol

Discover what to do in Costa del Sol with curated local guides, seasonal plans, and family-friendly ideas across Malaga, Marbella, Mijas and beyond.

12 kid-tested reviews 7 ways to explore

Featured reviews

Most recently reviewed

Castellar de la Frontera 2.4

Zoo de Castellar

Zoo de Castellar is a rescue zoo in Castellar de la Frontera, just inland from Sotogrande, that takes in animals confiscated by the authorities — but at €86 for a family of four it is priced as a family day out, and judged that way it disappoints, with installations in much need of some love, no real café and a feeding set-up that has turned the animals quite feral at the fences.

€86 for a family of four when we visited in October 2026; bags of mixed nuts to feed the animals sold at the entrance 2-3 hours

Elviria 4.7

Aventura Amazonia Marbella

Aventura Amazonia is a very big treetop adventure park in the pine forest at Elviria, just off the A-7 between Marbella and Fuengirola. It is well maintained, set up for a high volume of people and properly staffed, with courses for everyone from three-year-olds up to some very high and very risky ones for adults — you could easily spend half or three quarters of a day here and not get bored.

Children €20, juniors €22, adults €24, Mini Kids (3-6) €10 — €23 / €25 / €27 / €12 in high season (Easter, July, August); non-climbing companions €1 Half to three quarters of a day (up to 3 hours on the circuits)

Las Lagunas de Mijas 4.7

Jump Joy Mijas

Jump Joy Mijas is a brand-new jump and play centre in the Polígono San Rafael in Las Lagunas de Mijas, where no expense was spared — an imaginative collection of jumps, climbs and wild new concepts, a canopy climbing area across the roof, a very large area for smaller kids and a balcony café where parents can watch the whole play zone. Easily the best jump place around.

Weekend: €17 per child for 90 minutes, €14 for 60 minutes, grip socks €2 a pair — €54 for 2 kids (1.5 hours) and 1 adult (1 hour) with socks 1-2 hours

Málaga 3.8

Ilusiona Málaga

Ilusiona is a brand-new indoor entertainment complex filling half a floor of the Málaga Plaza shopping centre behind El Corte Inglés, with a genuinely impressive arcade, nine modern bowling lanes and a space-themed kids' park at €7 a child with no time limit — all spotless, but noticeably short of staff when we visited.

€7 per child for the kids' park with no time limit; bowling €30 per game (about 45 minutes) including shoes and a soft drink; arcade games from around €1 2-3 hours

Guides

Planning guides for right now

First-hand, seasonal advice for visiting the Costa del Sol with kids — updated as the year turns.

All guides

Inflatable Aqua Jump water zone at Bobby Jump Marbella in summer

Guide

Beating the Summer Heat

A local family's hour-by-hour plan for the Costa del Sol in July and August with babies, toddlers and young kids — aircon refuges, water options and real prices.

Guide

Trampoline Parks Compared

Bobby Jump Marbella vs PomPom Jump Málaga and the rest — a first-hand comparison of Costa del Sol trampoline parks: prices, toddler areas, cafés and verdicts by age.

From the coast

Latest days out

Trips and finds written up as they happen — our own photos, real prices and the bits nobody mentions until you're already there.

All blog posts

The Maro waterfall dropping down a tall limestone cliff into the sea near Nerja, with a line of kayaks resting at its base

Blog

30 Jul 2026 · Maro, Nerja

Waterfall Kayaking in Nerja

A weekend in Nerja that nearly got cancelled by wind — big waves, sea kayaking out to the waterfall, and the most authentic beach restaurant we've eaten at in 22 years here.

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