Fun Beyond Theme Parks in Spain

Zoos, safaris, museums, nature trails... Spain has aEstepona, Spain dedicated to birds and land animals
wide array of leisure and entertainment options forand the other in Benalmádena, which specializes
children that goes beyond the big theme parks thatin marine animals. In an enclosure inhabited by over
have sprung up over the last few years.500 animal species from the seven continents, Valwo
In the last decade, more and more theme parkscombines leisure activities with environmental
have been built in Spain with Terra Mítica ineducation.
Benidorm, Port Aventura in Tarragona, Isla Magica inAlong the same lines, but giving a greater role to
Seville, Warner Bros Park in Madrid to name but justadventure, we find safaris, where animals are not
a few. At the same time however, a wide range ofcaged and for which a car is essential. At the Safari
leisure activities has also come about, that focusPark in Aldea del Fresno, located an hour from
more on contact with the environment and scienceMadrid, you can travel among elephants, rhinoceros,
than tall, twisting roller coasters.hippopotamus, giraffes and many other species.
Of the many centers connected to nature in Spain,However, if you would like for your children to see
the most classic are the zoos, which allow children toanimals in their natural habitats, other possibilities
see animals without leaving the city. The Zooinclude natural parks. Cuenca Alta del Manzanares, in
Aquarium in Madrid, one of the most important in theLa Pedriza (Madrid), organizes guided tours for
world, contains a dolphin tank, aquarium, a largechildren on weekends and holidays. Accompanied by
aviary and a zoo with more than 500 species ofguides, children learn how to identify different plant
animals, among which the koalas, the zoo's latestspecies, and discover the hiding places and habits of
acquisition, stand out. The Barcelona Zoo is still amongsquirrels, griffon vultures, roe deer and more.
the best in Europe, despite the loss of its mostFurther north in Villafáfila (Zamora), the Centro
cherished symbol: "Copito de Nieve", the only knownde Interpretación de la Naturaleza (Interpretive
white gorilla in the World.Center on Nature) provides organized visits to
In terms of aquariums, Spain boasts the largest oneobserve the rich variety of bird life present on the
in Europe, the spectacular L´Oceanograficregion's lakes. Still further north, in Asturias, a fun
located in the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias areaoption is the Senda del Oso, (Bear Trail), a pleasant
of Valencia. It recently celebrated the first birth of aroute along an old railway line that stretches between
gray shark in captivity. Every Saturday, thethe towns of San Andrés and Teverga. While
Finisterrae Aquarium in A Coruña, as part of itstraveling, on foot or on bicycle, one of the most
Escuela de Científicos (school of scientists)beautiful regions of Asturias, children can meet "Paca"
program, invites children between the ages of 4 andand "Tola", the two brown bears that live in the area.
14 to do little research projects, which areReturning to the city, and in a more scientific vein,
accompanied by a delicious snack.museums can also be the perfect way for children to
Another option available to children are the big naturehave fun while they learn. A classic example is the
parks such as Faunia, in Madrid, Selwo, on the CostaMuseum of Natural Science in Madrid, which
del Sol or Valwo, located 30 kilometers fromperiodically organizes activities to help the little ones
Valladolid. The first of these, with a surface area ofkeep abreast of the latest scientific discoveries. And
140,000 square meters, reproduces the world's majorin Valencia, the Science Museum Principe Felipe at the
ecosystems, and also has an interesting nocturnalCiudad de las Artes y las Ciencias de Valencia offers
room, where you can observe nocturnal speciesEl cielo de estrella, an audiovisual display in which
without being seen. As for Selwo, it focuses a littlechildren learn how to identify the major constellations.
bit more on adventure, and has two sites: one in