Visiting Monowa Butterfly Park in Benalmádena

From Mariposario to Monowa

For more than ten years this was the Mariposario de Benalmádena, the Benalmádena Butterfly Park. It was renamed Monowa and relaunched in November 2025, with a stronger focus on nature and conservation.

The name comes from the Japanese idea of mono no aware: an appreciation of beautiful things precisely because they do not last. For a garden full of butterflies, it fits.

Opening times and events change. Check the Monowa official website before you go.

What you will see

The park is housed in a building inspired by Thai temples. Inside is a glazed tropical garden with waterfalls, flowers and dense planting, where the butterflies fly freely around you.

The park says it has more than 1,800 butterflies, of species from Asia, the Americas and Africa. The garden is also home to other animals, including exotic birds, fish, moths and stick insects.

One of the best parts is the life cycle. In the breeding areas you can watch butterflies emerge from the chrysalis and open their wings for the first time.

Activities

Activities change from time to time, so check the official website for what is on during your stay.

• Guided tours through the breeding areas
• An exhibition on pollinating insects
• My Butterfly, an interactive space
• A virtual reality experience with butterflies
• Games for children, and a mascot called Mowi
• Bambú Café and a gift shop

Conservation

Monowa funds butterfly conservation projects in other countries, including Thailand, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Africa. Closer to home, it supports work to protect Agrodiaetus violetae, a rare butterfly found in Andalusia.

Tickets and opening times

The park says it is open every day of the year from 10:00. Closing time varies with the season, and last entry is half an hour before closing.

Tickets are sold online on the official website, with general, senior and child rates, free entry for children under three, and an annual pass. Prices change, so check the current rates there.

Tips for your visit

Monowa is designed with families in mind, and it is a good plan for a very hot afternoon or a rare rainy day on the coast.

Visitors' opinions on its size vary, and some find the circuit short. Since it is next to the Stupa, it is easy to combine the two. Walk slowly and watch where you step, as butterflies sometimes rest on the paths.

Getting there from Atma

Monowa is a five-minute walk from the flat, right next to the Stupa, so there is no need to drive.

If you are coming from elsewhere by public transport, take the local train to Benalmádena-Arroyo de la Miel, then local bus 103 to the stop called Stupa Tibetana.