Valencia’s amazing zoo!

Anyone familiar with Valencia will know that the city has some amazing attractions. You could spend several days exploring the futuristic buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences, the beach is stunning with miles of golden sand and who wouldn’t enjoy the simple pleasure of enjoying a coffee as you watch the world go by in the sunny Plaza de la Virgen.

What you may not be so familiar with is Valencia’s amazing zoo.  This zoological wonder was opened in 2008, and is built in the gardens created from the bed of the old River Turia.

To simply call this attraction a zoo is really an unfair description, and in my opinion, doesn’t do justice to the either the animal or visitor experience. The ‘zoo’ is in fact a state of the art ‘bioparc’, advertised as being the most advanced in Europe.

Landscapes from the Savannah, Madagascar and Equitorial Africa have been recreated, with the only barrier between you and an elephant or chimpanzee being a stream, or boulder. This clever design gives the appearance of allowing the animals to roam freely, while visitors enjoy the animals without cages.

I promise that this is the best view you could ever have of some of Africa’s wildest animals! I particularly loved the café where you can sit with giraffes, antelopes and rhinos just a few meters away, separated from you only by a short stretch of water.

The Bioparc is one of my favourite places to visit in Valencia, but don’t just take my word for it, go and visit yourself! You can reach the zoo easily from the city centre by bus or metro, but I prefer the walk through the Turia Gardens, two of Valencia’s highlights in one day!

Apple Languages offers Spanish courses in Valencia

Phillippa