TENERIFE: Visiting Loro Parque, TripAdvisor’s best zoo in Europe!

Disclaimer: I do not condone the caging, abuse and maltreatment of animals in general. Animals in Loro Parque are well-treated and well-fed, and for that, I am thankful. Only through parks and zoos like Loro Parque can I get a better of view of the animal and plant world, i.e., without putting myself in danger! So, here’s my entry on the beautiful day Carl and I paid the animals and plants in Loro Parque on the island of Tenerife a visit. 🙂

Loro Parque is dubbed the best zoo in Europe by Tripadvisor, and second best in the world. Originally a 1.3 hectare park housing 150 parrots (loro is Spanish for parrot), it has extended its doors to house 4000 parrots from 350 species at present, making it the biggest parrot collection in the world. It also started accommodating other animals, like orcas, sea lions, dolphins, chimpanzees and gorillas, tigers, alligators, jaguars, tortoises, flamingos, fish, sharks, and many others. Today, it occupies about 13.6 hectares of land and frequented by thousands of visitors every year.

We booked the trip to the park via VRT Tours Loro Express bus, with the help of a local British agent with an office near our hotel. Because the park is literally huge and there is a number of animal shows to watch, visiting the zoo usually takes a whole day! We were coming from the other side of the island, so we pay 37 euros, if I remember correctly. On the way to the park, we saw dozens of banana plantations, so I guess it’s safe to say that Tenerife was a banana island 😀 Interestingly, they seem to be growing just one variety of banana, the one that is exported to mainland Spain and the rest of Europe.

AT the entrance, we were welcomed by a big fond of koi fish! We checked the timelines for the shows and planned accordingly. At the end of the day, we both managed to see all animal shows – orcas, dolphins, parrots and sea lions. Here are some photos I took from the park:

Upon entering: