After watching “Out of Africa” with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford on a movie platform, I remembered the closest I got to the wild lately: a Barcelona Zoo visit. I have mixed feelings about zoos in general. I prefer to see animals in their natural habitat rather than exhibited in cages and held in captivity. But I was missing wildlife, so one Sunday morning, we went to the zoo.

More about Barcelona Zoo

Barcelona Zoo opened its door in 1892 in Ciutadella Park. The entrance costs 21,40 euros for an adult. It is a bit expensive, but the zoo has a lot of animals and installations to maintain. These reasons can justify the price. The space is also quite huge. We walked for a couple of hours and did not see everything according to our map.

A wide variety of animals

Barcelona Zoo harbours a wide variety of animals. Quite an unusual mix when I compare it to the few zoos I have been to with flamboyant and exotic birds, the first meerkats I have seen in my life, snakes, monkeys, gorillas, turtles, one red panda and even Komodo dragons, to name a few. The most fantastic part was seeing all the big cats: the lions, a tiger, a leopard, etc. and some savannah inhabitants, such as giraffes, rhinos, hippos, and hyenas.

On the dolphinarium and some negative sides

The dolphinarium is permanently closed. I felt relief. I wanted to see dolphins but was not keen on the idea of them swimming in a tank instead of the open sea. On the negative side, the enclosures for the large animals appeared small. I expected it. We are in a zoo, and this zoo is in the centre of Barcelona. But having seen them roaming vast spaces in Africa, I am sorry for them.

The food and beverages situation

When we visited the zoo, food and beverages sold within the facilities were unavailable for COVID reasons. Now looking at the website, the terrarium and the café offer takeaways – check the opening hours before going. There are designated areas where it is possible to eat food and sandwiches brought for a picnic inside the zoo. This is handy as you can easily spend a day here. There were a lot of families visiting that Sunday. I can understand why. Kids also have two playgrounds inside the zoo.

More than just a display of wild animals

But the main attractions are the wild animals which they could only see on TV otherwise. Going to this zoo is an opportunity to educate children and open their eyes to the world’s beauty. It helps them understand how fragile nature is and how important it is to take care of planet Earth and its inhabitants. I hope this zoo inspired wildlife-related vocations in the next generations. Barcelona Zoo’s educational goal along with its stated conservation and research mission help mitigate the feeling that wild animals should remain in the wild. Moral considerations aside, visiting Barcelona Zoo was a pleasant experience. Like the kids, I discovered the zoo, learned about new animals and observed their behaviour and beauty in awe.

Practical information

Website: www.zoobarcelona.cat Opening hours: every day from 10h00 – 17h30 Annual passes are also available. Check the website. If you are looking for more cool things to do with kids (or without) in Barcelona, find out about laser tag in the heart of Barcelona

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