Loro Parque is Tenerife's most famous animal attraction — a lush, beautifully planted zoo and aquarium spread across the northern edge of Puerto de la Cruz. It began life in 1972 as a parrot park (loro means parrot in Spanish) and grew into one of Europe's best-known animal parks, with one of the largest parrot collections in the world, a walk-through penguin house, sharks, dolphins, orcas, sea lions and gardens that are worth the entry on their own. If you're staying in the greener north of Tenerife, it's the big set-piece day out.
It's a polished, well-run place, and the setting helps: mature palms, waterfalls and orchids give it the feel of a botanical garden with animals threaded through it. Plan on a full day, wear comfortable shoes for the gentle slopes and paths, and let the show timings shape your route so you're not doubling back.
What you'll see
The park is a mix of big animal enclosures, indoor exhibits and scheduled shows. Highlights most visitors make a point of catching include:
- The parrots — the heart of the park, with hundreds of colourful birds and a long-running conservation breeding programme behind the scenes.
- Penguins — a chilled, snow-dusted indoor habitat you walk through on a moving walkway, home to several Antarctic species.
- The aquarium and shark tunnel — a glass tunnel with sharks and rays gliding overhead, plus jellyfish and reef tanks.
- Sea lions, dolphins and orcas — the marine shows, presented with a strong "meet the animals" and conservation framing.
- The gardens — orchids, giant fig trees, a bromeliad collection and shaded corners that make good rest stops between exhibits.
There's easily three to five hours here, more if you take the shows at a relaxed pace and eat inside the park.
The cetacean debate — be aware before you go
Loro Parque keeps orcas and dolphins, and the ethics of holding large cetaceans in captivity is a genuine and ongoing debate. The park points to its conservation, rescue and research work; critics — including many marine biologists and welfare groups — argue that no tank can meet the needs of animals that roam huge ranges in the wild, and that performance shows are hard to justify on welfare grounds. Both positions are widely held. It's worth knowing this going in so you can make your own choice, and knowing that the parrots, penguins, aquarium and gardens all stand perfectly well on their own if you'd rather skip the marine shows.
We think the honest line is this: Loro Parque does real, documented conservation work, and it is also a captive-cetacean park at a time when public opinion on that is shifting. You can enjoy the birds and gardens and still feel uneasy about the orca pool — plenty of visitors do.
Tickets, twin tickets and hours
Loro Parque is open daily, year-round, typically from mid-morning to late afternoon (broadly 09:30–18:00 as of 2026, with last entry before closing). Because the day revolves around scheduled shows, arriving near opening gives you the best chance of seeing everything without rushing — check the current show times on the board at the entrance or on the official Loro Parque site when you plan your day.
The Twin Ticket is the smart buy. Loro Parque shares owners with Siam Park in the south, and a combined Loro Parque + Siam Park twin ticket lets you visit both — on different days — for noticeably less than two separate entries. As of 2026, single adult entry sits in the region of €40, with the twin ticket offering the best value if you'll do both parks. Children's prices are reduced and under-3s usually free. Book dated tickets online in advance to save money and skip the queue, and always confirm the current price on the official site.
Getting there — and the free train
The park sits on the western side of Puerto de la Cruz, an easy trip from anywhere in the resort. If you're driving, it's well signposted with parking nearby; from the south of the island it's roughly an hour by hire car or coach excursion.
The nicest touch is the free Loro Parque express train — a little open-sided road train that shuttles between the town centre and the park entrance every 20 minutes or so through the day. It leaves from Plaza de los Reyes Católicos in central Puerto de la Cruz (near the McDonald's) and is genuinely free, so there's no need to drive or pay for parking if you're staying in town. Public buses (guaguas) also serve Puerto de la Cruz from around the island.
Making a day of it
Loro Parque pairs naturally with Puerto de la Cruz itself — one of Tenerife's most characterful resorts, with the Lago Martiánez sea-water lido, an old harbour and good seafood. Do the park in the morning while it's cooler, then wander back into town for a late lunch. If you're building a longer north-Tenerife trip, the misty laurel forests of the Anaga rural park and the historic centre of La Laguna are both within easy reach.
Best plan: arrive at opening, catch the parrot and penguin exhibits first while queues are short, use the free train rather than driving, and save the twin ticket's Siam Park half for a separate hot day in the south.
Scenic, well-organised and strong on birds, penguins and planting, Loro Parque earns its place on most Tenerife itineraries — just go in clear-eyed about the marine animals, book ahead, and let the free train and the show times do the planning for you. For more ideas across the island, browse our full list of things to do.