Estepona Dinosaur Park (Parque Temático Selwo Aventura)
Over 2,000 animals from every continent live across a hundred hectares of Andalusian hillside here, in conditions designed to resemble their natural habitats rather than conventional enclosures. Rhinos and zebras roam the Lakes Reserve. Lions hold the high ground at Central Village. One of Europe's largest natural aviaries fills a canyon with ibis, storks and peacocks. The name on some listings says 'Dinosaur Park,' but what you'll actually find is Selwo Aventura — a full-day wildlife and safari park that sits just off the A-7 highway outside Estepona, closer in spirit to an African reserve than a theme park.
The terrain is genuinely hilly, the main paths mostly unshaded, and the scale larger than it looks on a map. A Serengeti Safari by 4x4 truck covers ground you wouldn't reach on foot, and a zip-line crosses the park for those who want altitude.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who've been more than once tend to arrive before 11am — the crowds thin out on weekday mornings and the animals are more active in the cooler hours. They also pack lunch. Three restaurants sit on-site, but a family can spend €60–80 on food alone. The Central Village viewpoints above the lion area reward the climb.
Deals in Estepona Dinosaur Park (Parque Temático Selwo Aventura)
Book directly at the providerHow Estepona Dinosaur Park (Parque Temático Selwo Aventura) came to be
Selwo Aventura opened on 24 November 1999, with an official inauguration by the President of the Board of Andalucía on 10 December that year. The park was conceived as a large-scale wildlife conservation and education facility, positioning itself apart from traditional zoos by giving animals space to move across naturalistic terrain.
In 2008, a milestone that drew wider attention: Kanvar, the first Asian elephant born in Spain, arrived at the park. The following year, for Selwo's tenth anniversary, Kanvar became the face of the park's logo. In 2010, the Obama family visited, and the park subsequently named its VIP programme in recognition of that visit.
Who and what shaped it
Landmark buildings
Plan your visit
On the map
When to go
April through June is the most practical window — temperatures sit between 17°C and 25°C, rainfall is low, and the long unshaded stretches of the park don't punish you. August peaks near 30°C with little shade relief; bring water and use the spray stations. September and October are a solid second choice, mild and mostly dry.
Right now
Background & history adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · specs from Wikidata (CC0) · weather from Open-Meteo · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · photos from Wikimedia Commons / Unsplash with per-image credit. No third-party reviews or social posts reproduced.