About This Experience
Loro Parque (Parrot Park) is one of the world's most prestigious zoological parks, located in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Opened in 1972 as a parrot sanctuary, it has evolved into a comprehensive world-class zoo consistently voted among Europe's best. The park houses the world's largest parrot collection with over 350 parrot species and subspecies representing every parrot family - a living genetic reserve preserving endangered species. The Katandra Treetops is an exceptional walk-through aviary recreating Australian habitat where visitors walk among free-flying birds including lorikeets, budgerigars, and cockatoos. Planet Penguin is an Antarctic environment housing over 200 penguins of different species including Gentoo, Rockhopper, King, and Chinstrap penguins with real snow, icy water, and temperatures at -2°C. The Orca Ocean features killer whales in a massive pool with spectacular underwater viewing through acrylic windows and educational shows (though orca keeping remains controversial). Dolphinarium presents bottlenose dolphins in shows combining entertainment with conservation messages. Sea Lion shows feature California sea lions demonstrating natural behaviors and training techniques. The Thai village recreates Southeast Asian architecture housing Asian species. The Gorilla jungle is a lush habitat for Western lowland gorillas. Tiger Island features Sumatran tigers in naturalistic environment. The aquarium showcases jellyfish, sharks, tropical reef fish, and marine species. Beautiful botanical gardens feature thousands of tropical plants including the world's largest orchid collection and extensive palms. The park emphasizes conservation with breeding programs, research facilities, and the Loro Parque Foundation supporting parrot conservation worldwide - the foundation has saved several parrot species from extinction. Multiple restaurants serve meals including the Brunelli's Steakhouse. The park operates year-round in Tenerife's pleasant climate. While the presence of orcas and dolphins in captivity generates debate, the park's conservation work, extensive parrot breeding programs, and exceptional animal care standards are widely acknowledged.
