Barcelona Zoo: please meet the animals here

Barcelona Zoo (Barcelona Zoo Park) decomposes in Ciutadella City Park nearby port a the historic center of Barcelona. The start of operation as early as 1892 ranks it among the oldest in Spain. 

Elephants in the Barcelona Zoo

The zoo covers an area of ​​13 hectares and offers a wide range of exhibits and facilities for visitors. You can complete it in about 2-3 hours at a brisk walk., but if you want to go through everything in peace, expect it to take twice as long.

You will find outdoor and indoor pavilions with a variety of well-known and less common animals, complete with information boards about their lives and natural environment. There is also a practical facility - a restaurant, snack stands, a souvenir shop, and a large children's playground.

And it probably goes without saying that the zoo is together with aquarium one of the most popular sights in families with children traveling to Barcelona. 

One of the entrances to Barcelona Zoo

Barcelona Zoo Map

If you are going to the Barcelona Zoo, I recommend looking at the map, where you will find all the animals and entrances marked. The detail about everything is then described below. 

Click to download the PDF version with all the animals (approx. 4,5 MB)

What animals can you find in Barcelona Zoo?

In many pavilions, the Barcelona Zoo houses over a hundred animal species from all continents. Commented feedings, lectures and other scientific and educational programs also take place during the day.

• Pharma (Granja) – the petting zoo features domestic animals including ponies and Catalan donkeys.
• Marmoset Pavilion (Galeria de Titís) – South American marmosets, lion monkeys and tamarins roam here.
• Primates Pavilion (Primates Gallery) – in natural conditions, 7 species of small primates live here, such as the hussar's cat, red-headed mangabey and tailless macaque.
• Palmerar – in the thirteen aviaries you can admire a number of parrots from all over the world.
• Gorilla space (Espacio Gorillas) – the permanent exhibition about great apes also includes the story of Snowflake the gorilla.
• Bird aviary (Pajarera de Vuelo) – a place where you can get to know birds from wetlands, fens and marshes.
• Terrarium (Terrarium) – has focused on reptiles and amphibians in its collection, one of the largest on the old continent, since 1972. You can see, for example, crocodiles, alligators, anacondas, pythons, turtles or poisonous reeds.
• African Sahel – the new area from 2018 ranks among the most popular in the zoo. The reason is clear, right here you can see typical African mammals such as lions, elephants and giraffes.
• Aviary (Aviary) – over 70 bird species fly in it, led by the red-breasted and magnificent pigeon, the black-faced moth and the red-crowned turak.
• Biodiversity Garden (Jardín de la Biodiversidad) – reminiscent of the original fauna of Barcelona.
• Land of dragons (Tierra de dragones) – it is named after the giant Komodo dragon reptiles, in addition to them, other animals from Southeast Asia can be seen here, such as the muntjac deer, the gray rice paddy or the brightly colored Nicobar pigeon.

There used to be a dolphinarium at the Barcelona Zoo, but today you won't find dolphins or any shows at the zoo. The closest ones are in Marineland Catalunya, approximately an hour's drive from Barcelona. 

The following video will tell you more about the zoo

Snowflake, symbol of Barcelona Zoo

Gorilla Male Snowflake (Spanish Copito de Nieve) he was the only known white gorilla in the world. He was born in 1964 in Equatorial Guinea, which was a Spanish province at the time. 2 years later, zoologists moved him to Barcelona and named him Snow White (Snow White).

Snowflake on the cover of National Geographic

The gorilla got its world-famous name thanks to National Geographic magazine, which added a caption to its photo on the front page Snowflake - Snowflake. The white coloring of his skin was caused by a disorder called albinism. The biggest attraction and symbol of Barcelona Zoo died in 2003.

How much does it cost and how to get Barcelona Zoo tickets?

You can go to Barcelona Zoo all year round (check the website for exact opening hours).

You can buy a ticket on the spot at any time during opening hours or online. Ticket categories are basic one-day tickets (divided by age) and for Zoo Club members, which also include year-round family tickets.

The current entrance prices to the Barcelona Zoo are as follows: 

• Adults: €23
• Children 3-12 years: €13,90
• Children under 3 years free
• Discounts for seniors and ZTP, a complete list of admission prices can be found on the website. 

My tip: When you buy tickets online, you can save 10% on the ticket price compared to the box office. Buy online >>>

How to get to Barcelona Zoo?

There are two entrances to the zoo: 

The first is located at the intersection Carrer de Wellington and Carrer de Villena (map) and from public transport, take the metro L4 or the tram T4. The final station in both cases is Ciutadella – Vila Olímpica. 

A short distance from the entrance you will find a nice children's playground.

The second entrance is through the main gate city ​​park (Ciutadella) between the Capella Castrense church and the intersection of Passeig de Picasso, Passeig de Circumval and Av. del Marquès de l'Argentera (map). You can also get here by metro (Barceloneta station on line L4), but also by bus (Estació de França stop) or train (Estació de França station). When traveling from this direction, I recommend combining everything with other monuments in the vicinity such as the city park itself or maybe Arc de Triomphe.

If you go to the zoo on foot from the boulevard La Rambla, take a left from the Christopher Columbus monument along Passeig de Colom and then Avinguda del Marques de l´Argentera. You can reach the corner of the zoo near the second mentioned entrance in about 25 minutes - it is a pleasant walk of about 1,5 kilometers. 

Address:	Parc de la Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona; map with entrances see above
Transportation:	metro L4 lines or tram T2 to Ciutadella - Vila Olímpica station
Opening hours:	All year round, off-season 10:00-17:30, in season until 20:00, more
Entrance fee:	Adults: €23, children 3-12 years: €13,90, children under 3 free. Discounts for seniors and ZTP, a complete list of admission prices can be found on the website. Buy tickets online, save and avoid queues >>>
More information:	https://www.zoobarcelona.cat/en