As one of the biggest attractions in the Canary Islands, Loro Parque Tenerife should be top of everyone’s list of things to do when on a holiday in Tenerife. Translating into English as ‘parrot park’, it was initially established with the idea of the park being a paradise for parrots, but has grown and developed into a huge zoo housing all kinds of animal and bird life.
Located in the town of Puerto de la Cruz in the north of the island, Loro Parque Tenerife is a delight for children and adults alike. There are all kinds of exhibitions and shows to enjoy, including spectacular orca, dolphin and sea lion shows, as well as a whole host of other activities. The park has set some incredible world records, such as boasting the largest collection of parrots, the biggest penguin exhibition, the largest dolphin show pool, the longest shark tunnel, and one of the largest Thai villages outside of Thailand.
Here at TripsPoint we offer a number of packages for Loro Parque Tenerife; here is a guide detailing why you should consider booking that trip today.
How book and how to get to Loro Parque Tenerife
Because 90% of the island visitors are stayin on the South of Tenerife, here's important to remember that Loro Parque is located on the other side of the island. Not like holidaymakers staing in the cheaper and not so sunny locations like Puerto de La Cruz, where's located Loro Parque, visitors from the South of the island need to solve the question of transportation.
Obviously you can rent a car and drive to Loro Parque by yourself, but the most comfortabe and easiest option would be to book the Loro Parque Express Bus Day Tour from Tenereife South. With a few pick-ups across the main Tenerife South area in Costa Adeje, Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos it would be the fasted and most covenient option that already includes entry tickets to Loro Parque and return transfers by the fast express bus without tens of stops. Another option, if you are also interested in Siam Park, is to book the Twin Ticket with Express Bus to Loro Parque included - it includes entry tickets toboth parks, free bus to Siam Park and express bus transfer to Loro Parque and back.
If you stay in Los Gigantes zone that include Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago, Playa de Arena, Alacala, etc, then the best option will be Loro Parque Express Bus Tour from Los Gigantes area - the tour price is also already including entry tickets and return transfers.
If you stay in another resort of Tenerife South like Las Galletas, Playa Paraiso, Golf del Sur or El Medano, etc, then consider booking the Loro Parque Standard Bus day tour from Tenerife South - for this tour they collect people along whole the coast, so it take longer to get to Loro Parque, but you are getting pick-up very close to your hotel and entry tickets with transfers included.
Those who don't like to spend time in the buses have the option of booking Loro Parque Private VIP Tour exculively for their families or group o friends.
You may also use public buses to get to Loro Parque, but generally it's much more complicated, doesn't include Loro Parque entry tickets (even you can buy it at the desk of Loro Parque spending some time in the line) and generally will cost you much more than using tour options explained above.
Things to See and Do at Loro Parque Tenerife
Orca Ocean
Considered to be one of the highlights of any visit here, Loro Parque Tenerife is home to seven orcas who perform three times a day to the absolute delight of all who go to watch them. They have been trained to perform some wonderful tricks but what is most awe-inspiring is the majesty of these animals; as it is not possible to see orca in many places in the world, it really is a treat to see them up-close.
Dolphinarium
Because of their high intelligence and undeniable empathy they have with human beings, it should come as no surprise that the dolphinarium ranks highly on the list of things to do at Loro Parque Tenerife. The dolphin show features these brilliantly playful and cute creatures performing all kinds of great leaps and acrobatics, some of them making jumps of more than six metres. The pool which they are kept in is one of the most modern in the world, containing seven million litres of water which is dispersed between different pools.
A fun fact for those who have seen the 2005 film The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – the pre-title sequence involving the jumping dolphins was filmed at Loro Parque Tenerife.
Sea Lion Show
Known worldwide for their amazing acrobatics and great sense of humour, a visit to the sea lion show will have you giggling and gasping in wonder. The show itself is a mix of games, ballet, jumps and balance which really shows off the stunning talents of these fantastic animals. But what most people enjoy watching – and probably what the sea lions also enjoy the most – is the way the sea lions tease their trainers.
Planet Penguin
Everybody loves penguins and it is especially great to see them in their natural habitat. Of course, Tenerife is not the first place you think of when you imagine penguins in the wild, and you would be right in thinking they are not a native species to the island, but at Loro Parque Tenerife they have the next best thing. Planet Penguin is thought to be the largest replica of the Antarctic environment in the world and provides Loro Parque Tenerife’s penguins with a home away from home. The park have worked hard to make sure that the living conditions are as similar to the Antarctic as possible; around 12 tonnes of snow and ice are produced every day and the temperature is kept at a constant low temperature. Four different types of penguin live in Planet Penguin – Gentoos, Kings, Rockhoppers and Chinstraps, all of them as cute and adorable as each other.
Parrot Show
As the name of the park would suggest, parrots are the reason why Loro Parque Tenerife was established in the first place, so it makes complete sense that they have their own show. Taking place in a stunning Arabian palace capable of seating up to 600 people, the parrots perform a number of pranks and tricks before being released and circling above your head. This show has been running for around 30 years now and is still one of the most popular shows at Loro Parque Tenerife. As a specialist centre for parrots, the park have an extensive array of parrot species – the biggest collection in the entire world – which includes macaws, cockatoos, parakeets and amazons.
Naturavision
Loro Parque Tenerife is not just about showing off the animals to visitors for their entertainment; the park is also massively committed to the conservation of the environment and the species they house, as well as educating visitors on various environmental and conservation issues. Naturavision is part of this education. Loro Parque Tenerife’s impressive glass dome cinema, it shows a 20-minute HD film called Planet Life, a film which was specifically made for Loro Parque Tenerife and is not shown anywhere else. The film shows some of the Earth’s most dramatic scenery and most magnificent species and helps to raise awareness of the devastation of natural resources around the globe that humans are responsible for.
The film is shown in three languages – English, Spanish and German – a number of times a day, meaning that whatever your itinerary when you visit Loro Parque Tenerife, you will be able to fit it in as a great addition to your trip.
Aquarium
After the impressive orca, seal lion and dolphin shows, the aquarium at Loro Parque Tenerife is the exhibition which people are most interested in. The aquarium here has a staggering 12 different themed areas totalling a massive 1.2 million litres of water, and some areas even recreate marine and freshwater environments and ecosystems from around the world. One of the most impressive of these is the living coral reef, built entirely from volcanic rock from the south of the island which was then covered with both living hard and soft coral brought all the way from Indonesia. There is also the amazing shark tunnel, a long 18-metre acrylic structure where you can walk among some of the world’s greatest predators, such as nurse, blacktip and grey sharks.
The water for the aquarium is taken directly from the Atlantic Ocean, just a mere 150 metres away from Loro Parque Tenerife. For the freshwater exhibitions, the park use state-of-the-art purification techniques so the water is exactly as it would be in its natural environment.
Other sea creatures it is possible to see in the aquarium include red-bellied piranhas, seahorses and giant Galapagos sea turtles.
Katandra Treetops
In the native language of the Australian Aborigines, Kantandra translates as ‘song of the birds’, which you will certainly be treated to if you take a stroll in the Katandra Treetops. A free flight aviary, you will wander across jungle walkways and hanging bridges while listening to the symphony of sounds from the birds that live there. There are a number of species from Australia and Asia, including cockatoos, emus, loris, laughing kookaburras and many more.
AquaViva
A fairly new addition to Loro Parque Tenerife, this fascinating exhibition shows the world of jellyfish in all their glory. A vast aquarium holding 65,000 litres of water, 25,000 of these litres are set aside as the breeding area for the jellyfish. It really is a sight to behold, with hundreds of colourful species to admire. The rest of the aquarium houses oceanic whitetip sharks, blacktip reef sharks and thousands of brightly coloured tropical fish, allowing visitors to observe sea animals from opposite ends of the food chain.
Zen Garden
One of the most unique exhibitions in Loro Parque Tenerife, the Zen Garden is an entirely underwater area reminiscent of the legendary city of Atlantis. The Zen Garden will take you on a journey through the impressive mountain ranges of Asia and is absolutely one-of-a-kind in regards to its beauty, innovation and complexity. It is the first of its kind to be built anywhere in the world using the craft of aquascaping and will enchant all those who have an interest in aquatic plants.
Porcelain Parrot Museum
Possibly one of the more unusual exhibits at Loro Parque Tenerife, the Porcelain Parrot Museum displays the park’s impressive collection of parrot porcelain ware. Porcelain, also called ‘white gold’, had been a part of Chinese culture for centuries before it finally made its mark on the European market. The first porcelain factory was established in the German city of Meissen in 1710 and you can see examples of porcelain from the past three centuries by the great masters at Loro Parque Tenerife. One of these masters was Johann Joachim Kaendler, an expert sculptor who perfected the art of modelling. 80% of the works in the museum come from German factories such as Meissen, Hutschenreuther and Rosenthal, but there are also a number of pieces from Africa, South America and Asia.
Orquidario
Orchids are considered to be one of the most beautiful flowers on the planet, as well as being one of the rarest due to their fragile nature. Europe has over 200 species of orchid and you will find many of these at Loro Parque Tenerife. The park have created an exquisite garden filled with these spectacular flowers, giving you the chance to appreciate the variety of shapes and sizes they come in as well as taking in the wonderful fragrance they give off.
Kinderlandia
If you happen to be travelling with children, they will absolutely adore Kinderlandia. Set out like an African village complete with huts in trees, Kinderlandia is an adventure park where your young ones can run across suspension bridges, climb through the jungle and slide down the slithery snake slide. The Kinderlandia fairy is always around to provide face painting, games and music. But the biggest highlight of Kinderlandia is the first roller coaster in the Canary Islands – the Orca Tren – which can be enjoyed by both the young and old. If you need to take a break while your kids are running around, you can have a coffee in the nearby Bambu Bar, perfectly located so you can still keep an eye on your children.
Jungle Ara
As you leave the Katandra Treetops you will enter the oldest part of Loro Parque Tenerife – the Jungle Ara, or Macaw Jungle in English. Here you will find a huge amount of tree species, such as ivy, palms and ficus. A stroll around Jungle Ara gives you the chance to connect with nature and relax as you listen to the burbling waters of the waterfalls and the singing of the many macaws that make their home here.
Pueblo Thai
It may surprise you to know that Loro Parque Tenerife is home to what was once the biggest Thai village outside of Thailand. If you are asking yourself why the Loro Parque Tenerife would build such a structure on a Spanish island, the reason is simple: when designer Wolfgang Kiessling was planning the new entrance to the park, he wished it to be as spectacular and exotic as possible. To help him make his decision, he travelled to various countries around the globe and eventually chose Thailand as his inspiration. At the time it was built, it was the largest Thai Village outside of the native country until Kiessler went on to construct an even bigger one in Siam Park.
Visit the Other Animals of Loro Parque in Tenerife
Wildlife at Loro Parque Tenerife is not just about marine animals and parrots. The park is also home to a variety of animals which are just as intriguing. The park houses the largest group of male Western lowland gorillas in the world and are part of the park’s preservation programme. It is also possible to see chimpanzees at the park, rescued by the local authorities from street performers who used to make them pose with tourists in exchange for money.
Perhaps the most stunning of all the animals kept at Loro Parque Tenerife are the two Bengal tigers. Originally coming from Guangzhou Xiangjiang Zoo in China, these brilliant black and white tigers now enjoy their home in Tenerife which offers them vast swathes of vegetation, a lake and a waterfall.
If it is reptiles that interest you, you will be impressed by the park’s collection of iguanas and alligators. Both rhino and green iguanas can be seen here. Rhino iguanas are native to Hispaniola, an island in the Caribbean archipelago of the Greater Antilles and are one of the largest iguanas in the world, reaching up to 120 centimetres in length and 12 kilogrammes in weight. Green iguanas come from Central and South America and, although they make increasingly popular pets, they have the capacity to grow to be one of the largest lizards on the globe; some of them reach two metres in length and can weigh a staggering 15 kilogrammes. There is also a specific exhibition for the American alligators, a magnificent beast that can live up to 50 years and is the biggest reptile in the Americas.
Other animals that it is possible to see at Loro Parque Tenerife include lions, anteaters, hippos, jaguars, sloths, otters, meerkats, red pandas and capybara.
Discovery Tour
Although visiting Loro Parque Tenerife is a great way to spend the day – or even two days – your trip can be hugely advanced by taking the Discovery Tour. This tour takes you behind the scenes of Loro Parque Tenerife so you can get the chance to learn more about the animals that live there, how the keepers take care of them and everything that goes into maintaining their well-being and environment. You will also get to see the machine room, which controls the temperature and cleanliness of areas such as Penguin Planet. The guides are happy to regale you with tales and anecdotes about the animals as well as give you information on the history of the park. Tours are available in a wide variety of languages, including English, Spanish, German, French and Dutch. The Discovery Tour is a great insight into how Loro Parque Tenerife works and is certainly worth the extra money.
Premium Tour
As well as the Discovery Tour, Loro Parque Tenerife also give you the option of upgrading to the Premium Tour. This tour has everything that the Discovery Tour has but you will also get a three-course meal at one of the many restaurants at Loro Parque Tenerife as well as reserved premium seating at all of the shows at the park. If you are planning to spend a whole day at the park, this package is definitely worth it as you then do not have to queue for seating at any of the shows and you will also know that your food is covered in the price. Plus, it is not that much more expensive to upgrade to this tour, so it is certainly worth the extra money.
Enjoy Some Delicious Food at One of the Many Fantastic Restaurants
In order to make your day at Loro Parque Tenerife a pleasant and satisfying one, you will want to make sure that you grab something tasty to eat during your time there. The park has eight excellent eateries, each offering a different world cuisine so there is something to suit all tastes.
Spain is well-known for its tapas and Loro Parque Tenerife has its own tapas bar, Casa Pepe, serving a wide variety of tapas dishes which you can enjoy on a comfortable outdoor terrace. If it is meat that you are looking for, you cannot go wrong with Bar Grill Patio del Loro, a great place for pork, beef and chicken. Loritali Pizza is an artisan Italian restaurant with plenty of pizza and pasta to choose from. Or if you are thinking you would like to sample one of the best steaks this side of the Atlantic, head to Brunelli’s, the premier steakhouse.
Other eateries include: Choza de Los Duques, a self-service establishment with lots of meals on offer; Bambu Bar, a cafe close to Kinderlandia with various options for the kids; Cafe Bar Thai, located at the exit of the park with delicious coffee and pastries; and Cafeteria Vista Teide, a great place to take a rest and soak in the wonderful view.
With all of this on offer at Loro Parque Tenerife, it is highly recommended that you spend at least one day exploring the park and enjoying its wonderful shows and exhibitions. As one of Tenerife’s premier attractions, there really is no reason why you should not consider a visit while on your holiday on this fantastic island.
