I know what you probably think – Butterfly Park – how exciting could that be for an adult, right?
Well, you couldn’t be more wrong!
Mariposario de Benalmadena is the largest space in Europe dedicated solely to butterflies and it is truly impressive. The sheer number of butterflies you will see as soon as you enter is breathtaking.
They buzz around looking like they just hit the rush hour on the highway and you are not sure where to look first – admire the plants, try to see one of them land on flower or follow the sound of the waterfalls coming from the back of the greenhouse.
Let me take you for a stroll because pictures tell the story better than any words and this is one of the activities you shouldn’t miss in Benalmadena.
Park Entrance & Location
The park is located right off the main road leading to Benalmadena Pueblo, right next to the Buddhist Temple. I’m not sure if the location was a coincidence, but the building matches the style of temple and has a lot of elements of architecture from Thailand.
There are bus connection that will allow you to get here easily, but its also accessible via short taxi ride from Fuengirola or Benalmadena Costa. Instructions on the location & driving directions here. Parking is available on the side road next to the park or close to the temple.
I highly recommend to buy tickets online as its saves you quite a bit of money, especially if you’re visiting as a family. Tickets are 10 eur for adults and 8.50 eur for kids (only under 2 go free) and you can buy them cheaper online here.

Kids Activities & Facilities
We were greeted by a lovely lady who quickly checked my ticket number from my email and handed a small leaflet for kids to track & trace the butterfly on a checklist.
Right behind the reception is a small gift shop and on your right side by the entrance you will see a small cafeteria – unfortunately closed when I visited. They have a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the Buddhist temple.

The Greenhouse
First thing that hits you is the humidity – prepare and take off any heavy clothing before you enter. The greenhouse seems massive and its filled with plants, from ground to the roof.
The plants in here are carefully chosen to complement the lifecycle of the butterflies and create natural habitat that will help them thrive.
The plants fall into three categories – ‘host plants’ are the ones used for reproduction and feeding of the caterpillars, flowering plants which provide the much needed nectar for butterflies and rest of them are decorative plants that perfectly complement the surroundings.


The Stars of the Show
All the butterflies in the park have been bred in captivity and transported at the early stages of development from places all over the world – including Costa Rica, Belize and Kenya.
75% of the butterflies in here come from their own butterfly farm in Tenerife (the dream job of ‘Butterfly Farmer’ looks like really exists), while the rest is supplied from farms around the world. The farm also provides butterflies to other parks in Spain and Europe.
There are over 1500 butterflies (of 150 different species) in the park and you really get a sense of the sheer number of them as soon as you walk in. As with any beauty – it fades with time – these butterflies have a lifespan of 2-3 weeks but are constantly being replaced by newborns.
Scroll down further to check out the ‘butterfly nursery’ station.


















The Butterfly Nursery
Due to the short life cycle of the butterflies they are constantly being replaced with new ones born here in this nursery.
You can peak through the windows to see butterflies in different stages of development, waiting to hatch, or even see some that just got out of their little shells.
This was certainly one of the highlights of the visit as you rarely get a chance to experience this in nature, yet alone in these huge numbers.










Viewpoint Near the Butterfly Park
Right across the road from the park and just under the Buddhist temple is a viewing platform with gorgeous views of the coast – I imagine the sunset views from here must be spectacular!

Have I convinced you yet to visit?
Most Popular Activities & Day Trips in Benalmadena
Here is a selection of some fun activities and day trips from Benalmadena – these are independently organized tours with pick-up from the town. To see available dates and check the prices please click on the link for each activity.
- Caminito Del Rey Guided Tour – with pick up from Benalmadena, a guided tour of the famous walkway along the El Chorro Gorge, with transportation, entrance fees and tour guide included.
- Dolphin Watching Boat Trip in Benalmadena – explore the coast of Benalmadena from a boat, enjoy a trip that includes spotting dolphins in their natural habitat, swimming and sunbathing on the boat.
- Day Trip to Ronda and Setenil de las Bodegas – see one of the wonders of Andalusia, the Puente Nuevo in Ronda with one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, and admire the houses built into massive rock formations in Setenil. Includes pick up from Benalmadena, a tour guide, a glass of Ronda wine, and entry to Palacio Mondragon.
- Day Trip to Granada with Tour of Alhambra – see one of the most famous monuments in Andalusia, the palace complex of Alhambra with a tour guide with a pick up from Benalmadena.
- Day Trip to Gibraltar – enjoy a trip to the UK territory with free time for shopping and an optional visit to the Nature Reserve with a guide.
Southern Spain Travel Tips
BEST CAR RENTAL
To rent a car, I highly recommend Discover Cars, an award winning price comparison site for car rentals.
BUS & TRAIN TICKETS
To get the cheapest bus or train tickets, take a look at Omio to find the timetables and prices.
LOCAL TOURS
Local travel companies offer many day trip options from almost all the destinations in Southern Spain. You can check them out here.
HOTELS
I have been using booking.com for all my trips in Spain and abroad, and it’s the best place to book your hotel.
LUGGAGE STORE
If you would like to leave your luggage behind to explore the city on your last day, you can use Radical Storage service, which lets you book luggage storage in all the destinations in Spain.
LOCAL SIM CARD
If you want to avoid surprising extra charges from your operator, you can use a service like Airalo, where you can buy digital packs for e-sim cards.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links – if you decide to book using one of the links, I will earn a small commission that helps me run this site. This is at no extra cost to you.
Yes the Butterfly farm and Stoppa are amazing. I got a year ticket for butterfly farm as I as staying a month and visited each week. So calming and beautiful. You can get the bus from Benalmadena towards Mijas and it stops on the road by the stoppa. You have to be ready to press the button! It goes from the other side of the road back to Benalmadena or you can carry onto Mijas. It goes to Fuengirola too. Cheap travel. Denise
Thanks for the tip Denise, didn’t know there was also a bus from Fuengirola all the way there!
Question – where did you look for one month long accommodation? They are really hard to find if you don’t want to pay 4 week rental at holiday apartment? I’m looking for something in the north of Spain for next summer =) Lucia