Loro Parque - Loro Parque

Loro Parque is an amusement park on Tenerife.

location

Loro Parque

background

The 28.40843-16.564571 Loro Parque Loro Parque is an amusement park near by Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast of the island Tenerife. It is one of the most important tourist magnets on the island and is also internationally known. It's more of a zoo that specializes in parrots and marine animals.

history

Loro Parque opened in 1972 as a parrot-only park. Over time, more and more attractions were added and the park was constantly expanded. As a second mainstay alongside the parrots, it became a park for marine animals. The attractions were designed more and more elaborately.

General

The park is located on hilly terrain and is designed almost everywhere. Different types of palms and flowers grow here. Since the park has grown quite large in the meantime, you should bring some time to explore it. You should allow for at least 5 hours. If you really want to see everything, then you need longer. You should also think of sunscreen and sturdy shoes.

getting there

One arrives via the TF-5 to Puerto del la Cruz. The park is already signposted on the motorway. However, arriving by rental car does not make sense, as you actually need a whole day if you are coming from the south of the island, for example. In all tourist locations, bus trips to Loro Parque are offered, which are only slightly more expensive than the park entrance fee. It's more convenient and saves money. There are also combination tickets that also include Siam Park in the south of the island, a pure amusement park with numerous water attractions. It is operated by the same organizer, so the combined ticket is cheaper.

There is also a free mini-train from Puerto de la Cruz to Loro Parque. It doesn't run on rails, but on the road.

Catering

You can bring all your provisions with you, nobody has anything against it. But you can also eat and drink in Loro Parque. The prices are moderate and the restaurants are run by the park itself, so there are no fast food chains. There are a total of 8 restaurants / bars where you can strengthen yourself. In addition to pizzeria and grill you can also tapas enjoy. The restaurants are quite busy at lunchtime, especially after a show has ended.

Get by

When you come to the park, you get a little booklet in which all the attractions are described. Here you also have a map of the park that you can find everywhere. Much is also signposted. You don't have such a real tour, so you have to put together your own program. However, there is a signposted path through (almost) the entire park. The park is not so easy to see through, if you don't take care of it you can make many paths for free. The best thing to do is to get the map and the times of the shows before you start your journey, then you can put together your own program.

You should definitely show up early for the shows because they are always very full. So if you want a good seat, you have to get here early. But it's definitely worth it. by the way, if you don't like jostling, you are completely wrong here, it is very crowded the whole time.

Opening times and prices

The park is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., but some attractions also have different opening times, so be careful. The admission price is an impressive 35 € for adults (as of February 2018). If you want to explore the park in two days, the second card costs only € 10. But you have to buy it at the entrance to Loro Parque. If you live in Puerto de la Cruz, this is definitely a good solution.

Shows

Loro Parque has 5 shows to offer. The main attraction are certainly the orcas, plus there are the dolphins, the sea lions and the parrots. The fifth show is a film that was shown in the Spanish pavilion at the Seville EXPO in 1992. You should really see all the shows. They are made very professionally, even for people who are rather skeptical about these shows. A species-appropriate attitude for orcas is certainly impossible, but the animals have variety thanks to the shows. They do everything voluntarily.

The shows themselves are all very funny. You always add little jokes to the spectacular program. There is also always music, the trainers encourage the audience to join in

The Orca Show

A stadium has been built especially for the orcas. The orcas all come from an amusement park in America, so they were all born in one tank. The stadium is modern and equipped with cameras and a large screen. At the beginning of the show, people from the audience are faded in on the screen. A couple of jokes are made about this. If you don't want to get wet, you should go to the higher places, but the places where there is a risk of wetness are also marked.

The attraction of the show is more about seeing the animals and what they can do. You go to the edge of the pool of your own accord and do the tricks there. In addition, there is the obligatory wet spraying of the people in the first rows. There are four orcas that live here and they all take part in the show.

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The dolphin show

7 dolphins live in the dolphinarium. Everyone is also involved in the show. A stadium has also been built for the dolphins. If you like dolphin shows, you've come to the right place. They can do a lot. They also help the trainers set up the show equipment. You have to be careful because everything happens very quickly. The animals can retreat under the grandstand, the pool continues here. After the show, the pool is closed to visitors.

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The sea lion show

The sea lions also have their own stadium, which cannot be entered after the show. This show, too, is of a high standard and, in addition to the usual magic bits of the animals, also offers a lot of humor and animation. Here, too, the animals help set up the utensils. Not all sea lions are involved in the show, one always swims around in between. He's probably still very young. He keeps popping up everywhere. Everyone else is participating.

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The Loro Show

A separate facility has also been set up for the parrots. In the hall you can sit on a grandstand and watch the animals. The program is not limited to the usual little tricks that the birds perform on the table on the stage. The main attraction is that the parrots also fly over the spectators. Not only the known species are used, but also smaller birds, then in flocks. This show also has its wit. Who has ever seen a macaw fly overhead?

Other attractions

The pinguinarium

The Pinguinarium is very new. It's called Planet Penguin, but it has more to offer than just penguins. Several different species of penguins live here together in a spacious area. The area is separated from visitors by panes of glass, as the temperatures here are Antarctic. The facility is also artificially snowed. One speaks of the largest refrigerator in the world. The offspring of the animals are also bred here.

In the pinguinarium you can also marvel at puffins and their underwater world. Another highlight is the plexiglass column with the swarm of Canarian sardines. It should be around 7000 copies. An imposing sight. The pictures seem a bit dark. Please click, then you can also see something.

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The aquarium

The aquarium is also quite new. The centerpiece is the so-called shark tunnel, where you can go through the aquarium below. You can take in the underwater world very well. there are several species of sharks here, as well as other marine life that live here together. There are also a number of generously designed aquariums with other sea fish.

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The free flight facility

A completely new aviary is inaugurated, which you can also enter. A large number of birds fly around here, some of which are even quite tame. Although you are asked not to touch the birds, the birds sometimes come by themselves for a treat. The facility is designed like a jungle and offers a lot of orchids, waterfalls and other beautiful things in addition to the birds. This complex should not be missed.

Other plants

There are of course a lot of facilities in Loro Park, but you will probably also be familiar with them from the local zoos. Gorillas up close behind a pane of glass, chimpanzees, small monkeys, giant tortoises, alligators, leopards, meerkats, flamingos, everything that can be seen in local zoos.

Parrot park

The parrot park, the original facility of Loro Parque, is a bit old. It is also no longer the main attraction. The aviaries are all quite small and not all of them are filled with parrots. That is actually quite a shame, because the parrot population in the park is very high and you could see a lot and learn a lot. But the parrot park has faded into the background.

Koi carp

In the entrance area there is a very large pond with Koi carp. For every lover of these fish, it is certainly a wonderful moment to see the large population. Unfortunately, in this area it is of course always very hectic, you can't really enjoy the Koi. In addition, the water quality is not always optimal due to the climatic conditions on Tenerife. Occasionally the water is rather cloudy, with green thread algae on the edges see: Thread algae visible. Only the koi swimming on the surface can be seen directly. It is noticeable that there are only small and medium-sized specimens to be seen. Large, especially old koi (which would speak for excellent keeping) are missing.

Animal welfare

The operators of Loro Parque have set up a foundation to protect endangered species around the world. There is also a lot of advertising for this foundation.

criticism

Appropriate husbandry is a tiresome topic. You cannot create a species-appropriate life in captivity for dolphins or even orcas. This is a common problem in zoo facilities around the world. You can only improve the situation of the animals as much as possible. Nor can gorillas or chimpanzees be kept in a species-appropriate manner. Of course, the necessary money always plays a major role. This should be kept in mind when visiting zoos and zoos. This also applies to Loro Parque.

Web links

• Loro Parque homepage (German)