Bioparc Valencia

Bioparc Valencia is the city's zoo, opened in 2008 at the western end of the Turia garden, next to the Parque de Cabecera. It covers around ten hectares and is owned by Valencia City Council and run by the Spanish company Rainforest. Most of its animals came from the old city zoo. Its approach, which it calls zoo immersion, places visitors inside recreated landscapes, with rivers, rocks and ditches used as barriers instead of bars and cages.

The park focuses on Africa and is divided into four main areas. The savannah has lions, white rhinos, zebras, ostriches and meerkats, often seen together across wide open spaces. The equatorial rainforest has western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, leopards and pygmy hippopotamuses, with dense planting that makes the animals feel close. There is a wetlands area, and the Madagascar section lets you walk among lemurs. In total there are around 4,000 animals of some 200 species.

Families are the main audience, and the layout works well for children, with plenty of viewing points at their height. Allow three to four hours to see everything at a relaxed pace. Mornings are usually the best time, when the animals are more active and the temperature is lower, especially in summer. Check the daily programme of activities on arrival and plan your route around it.

Tickets can be bought online, which is sensible during school holidays and at weekends. There are places to eat inside, and much of the route is shaded by planting, though summer heat still calls for water and sun protection. The paths are generally manageable with pushchairs. As with any zoo, the welfare of captive animals is a question for each visitor to weigh; the park emphasises conservation and breeding programmes, and it was the birthplace of Makena, the first elephant born in the Valencian Community.

Bioparc is some distance from the old town. Nou d'Octubre metro station is the nearest, and several bus routes stop close by. Cycling the length of the Turia garden from the City of Arts and Sciences to Bioparc is a popular half-day outing. Next door, the Parque de Cabecera has a lake with pedal boats and a hill with views back over the city.