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Tourist Information

 

Water Parks

If you find yourself looking for a little relief from the hot Spanish weather, there are a number of water parks along the Costa del Sol that might just be the answer. Parque Acuático Mijas is open from end of April to October and is located at Carretera Nacional 340, Km 209 in Mijas Costa. It has a wave pool, kamikaze slide, water chutes, adventure river with winding raft slides and a mini aqua park for the kids. The park opens every day at 10:00 AM. For more information, call 952 460 404.

Aqualand Torremolinos
is the largest water park on the Costa del Sol. It has attractions for the whole family including an immense water-slide with a 100 metre drop, a children’s play area, and even a mini-golf course. It is open from May until September and its hours are 10 AM until 6 PM (7 PM in July and August). It is located at C/ Cuba, 10 in Torremolinos. Call 952 388 888 for more information.

If you find yourself journeying inland, don’t worry, there are a number of water parks there that will help you beat the heat. Seville, for example, has Guadalpark. It only offers 10 or so rides but if you have ever experienced a scorching-hot Sevillano summer, you will know that any relieve from the heat is welcome. Guadalpark opens at 11:00 AM from the end of May through until September. Call 954 406 513.

Another small but welcome inland oasis is Aquaola in Grenada. It has only nine rides but it still might be the thing to entertain the kids during a trip to this mountain town. Aquaola is located at Cenes de la Vega in Granada and can be reached at 958 486 189 and open daily at 11:00 AM. Its season starts in mid-June.

La Doñana can be accessed from a number of different points. Tours in large, all-terrain vehicles can also be arranged. For more information, call 959 430 432.

Another jewel of Andalucia’s natural parks is Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema located in the province of Cadiz. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 1977, the Sierra de Grazalema was declared the first natural park in Andalucia in 1984 and is one of Spain's most ecologically outstanding areas. The 51,695ha park is famous for its spectacularly rugged limestone landscape of cliffs, gullies, caves and gorges. By far the most impressive gorge is Garganta Verde, with its exceptional griffon vulture colony and rocky walls that tower vertically for 400m. Andalucia's largest cave system is also here, the Hundidero-Gato with its biggest cavern measuring 4km long and an entrance of 60m tall.

The region is well known for being the rainiest place in Spain, with an annual rainfall of 2,200mm and 1300 Mediterranean plant species have been registered there, many of them unique to the sierra. There is a magnificent forest of the rare Spanish fir (a relic from the Tertiary period) in the Sierra del Pinar on the slopes of Cadiz province's highest peak at 1,654m, El Torreón.

Dotted around the sierra are attractive whitewashed villages, the one in the most dramatic setting being Grazalema, nestling between two rugged peaks, the Pico del Reloj and the Pico de San Cristóbal. There is a Centro de Visitantes (visitors' centre) in Cortes de la Frontera (952 154 599), with information on geology, flora and fauna of the park. In El Bosque is the main park office (956 727 029), which has maps, walking routes and issues permisos (permits) for walks. The tourist offices in Cadiz (956 258 646) and Malaga (952 213 445) can also provide information.