What do we propose today in Madrid?
A family plan where animals are the protagonists. Spend the day at the Casa de Campo Zoo is more than just a walk through an animal theme park. Because its facilities combine both a Dolphinarium, Aquarium, Aviary and a small Farm of domestic animals.
More than 5,000 animals of 500 different species await us at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium. Children will be left open-mouthed by the live shows, the exotic animal exhibitions and where we can all learn a lesson: respect for nature and wildlife.
How to get to Madrid Zoo
It is located in the middle of Casa de Campo, very close to the Parque de Atracciones. It can be reached by car or public transport.
By car. There is a direct entrance from the Extremadura road, the A-5, at Aluche. You will see a sign with a drawing of animals. Next to the ticket offices there is a large car park where you can leave your car. It is free. But you'll have to get up early because spaces run out quickly.
If you decide to come by public transport, You don't have to look for a parking space. The metro stop is very close, it is Batán, line 10.
By busBuses 33, 55 65 also stop just a few metres from the Zoo's door.
Tips before entering
First of all: get up early! It's best to arrive as soon as the Zoo opens, around 10am. Then there are some impressive queues at the ticket booths. When you buy your tickets, you will be given a map with all the information about the animals around the planet. In other words, the visit can be made by continents (animals from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South and Central America and the Caribbean). It is also important to take a look at the schedules of the shows throughout the day. This way you will be able to organise your visit so that you have time to see everything.
Meet the animals by continent
Or we detail, one by one, the mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles that you can find at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium, according to the continent where they live.
Oceania
Koala. They are located just outside the Aquarium. These marsupials from eastern Australia delight young and old alike. You'll find them up in the trees and probably asleep, because they spend up to 18 hours like this.
Walaby de Roca. You will recognise them by the yellow colour of their legs and their ring-shaped tail. They are very agile and jumpy animals.
Ashen Goose. It lives on the islands off southern Australia. It is not a very aquatic bird, and is not very good at swimming.
Emu. Grey in colour and long legs, similar to the ostrich, but smaller in size.
Loris Rainbow. A spectacular bird for its colourful head, nape and breast.
Cassuario. It is characterised by a kind of helmet on its head, which it uses to break down barriers in its path. It is a bird that can be dangerous. It lives in tropical rainforests and comes from Oceania.
Bull Shark. Virtually all the world's seas are covered.
Africa
In this area we find the classic animals of the savannah such as tigers, rhinoceroses, lions, leopards, giraffes, chimpanzees, baboons, gazelles, hippos, zebras, wildebeests and gorillas. But we will also be able to observe other lesser known species such as:
Lemur. They are easily recognisable thanks to the children's film of Madagascar.
Meerkat. It is characterised by its long tail and small size. It is a very sociable animal. It lives mainly in the south of the African continent, in the savannahs or dry plains.
Arrui. Native to the Sahara and the Maghreb, it belongs to the ovine family.
Dromedary. It is characterised by its single hump. It lives almost everywhere in Africa, but does not exist in the wild.
Red Buffalo. It is the smallest of the buffaloes.
Bongo. It is the rarest antelope in Africa, but it looks spectacular.
Potamoquero. They live in forests, wetlands and savannahs, mainly in Madagascar and the southern Sahara. They love water and are similar to European wild boars.
Sitatunga. It is an antelope that likes water very much. That is why it is easy to see it in swampy forests in Africa.
Ostrich. It is the largest bird on the planet. It is very fast and has magnificent eyesight. It lives in the Sahara, in the Libyan desert and in central Africa.
White stork. Who doesn't know this migratory bird? We see it mainly in the nests they build on churches in rural areas of Spain.
Ibis Sagreo. The Egyptians turned it into the god Thoth and worshipped it. With black and white feathers, it lives in Africa and Asia.
Crowned Crane. A beautiful bird with a very peculiar crown of feathers on its head. It lives in the humid areas of the African savannah.
Yaco Parrot. It is also known as the red-tailed parrot. It can be found in Sierra Leone and Gabon. It is one of the few parrots that live in Africa.
Egyptian Vulture. It is the smallest vulture on the continent.
Grey Pelican. Its feathers are light grey. It lives in Madagascar and the Seychelles, although it is native to Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula.
Vocinglero Pigargo. Its main characteristic is the sound it emits, like a cry. It lives on the banks of rivers and lakes on the continent. Although it can also be found in the Sahara desert.
Jackass Penguin. It is a great swimmer and can be seen at the Madrid Zoo. It lives in southern Africa.
Grey Shark. In 2002, the first pups of this squalid were born at the Madrid Aquarium.
Asia
Pandas Bears. They are the most emblematic animals at Madrid Zoo. When you come to meet them, you will surely see them peacefully resting and eating bamboo.
Bactrian camel. It has two humps and thanks to its coat it can withstand the low temperatures in the mountainous areas of Central Asia where it lives.
Father David's deer. In ancient China it was considered a divine animal, a cross between a deer, camel, horse, cow and donkey, and in Madrid we have the chance to meet it!
Binturong. Its long tail allows it to cling to the trees where it lives.
White-handed Gaibbon. They are so called because their feet and hands are white. They live in southeast China, eastern Burma, Thailand and the entire Malay Peninsula. They are currently endangered.
Gibbon of Müller. He looks just like his white-handed relative. He is an amazing acrobat and you can see for yourself during your visit to the Zoo.
Malayan Bear. It is one of the smallest bears in existence. It is now an endangered species due to hunting.
Yak. It is a large bovid with a lot of hair, which serves to protect it from the temperatures in the mountains of Central Asia, such as Tibet, where it normally lives.
Indian rhinoceros. There are only 2,000 specimens of this species left, which is why they are protected. Historically it has been the target of illegal hunting for its horn. It can be found bathing in the mud, its favourite activity.
Asian elephant. Larger than the African, it has smaller, rounder ears. It lives in Sri Lanka, southern and north-eastern India, Bangladesh, Indochina, Sumatra and part of Borneo.
Asiatic Lion. It can be distinguished from the African by being smaller and having a shorter mane. It is currently considered endangered.
Bengal Tiger. He is one of a kind and that is why he is one of the most visited animals at the Madrid Zoo. He is very big and has a beautiful striped coat.
Malayan Tapir. It looks like a pig, but has legs like a rhinoceros. Today they live in the jungles of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.
Tibetan bear. He is a great tree climber. And that's how you can find him if you look for him at the Zoo.
Orangutan. Another endangered Asian mammal, endangered by illegal capture, logging and forest fires. It can be found in northwest Sumatra and only a few in Borneo.
Hawksbill turtle. Also endangered, this sea turtle moves through tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Giant grouper. It is one of the largest fish living in coral reefs. It can weigh up to 600 kg.
North America
Raccoon. This peculiar animal with a mask-like face is native to the Americas and can be seen from Canada to Panama. Although it likes places where there are trees with water nearby and coastal mangroves, it has adapted phenomenally well to urban areas.
American Bison. Do you remember seeing them in western films? Well, you can also enjoy them at the Zoo.
Eagle Owl. This bird is native to northern Europe and America - you will be surprised by its large size! In Finland it is endangered.
Grey Wolf. It is very similar to the Siberian Husky. It has long white and grey fur, although the Zoo's dog is black. It lives in Greenland and the Arctic islands of Canada.
Baribal Bear. It can be seen from Alaska, Canada to Mexico. It is similar to the brown bear, the only difference being its curved snout.
California Sea Lion. It is a mammal so adapted to the aquatic environment that it is able to sleep in the water. They have such a sense of balance that they can juggle! Don't miss the daily show, with Ada, Carlota and Erika as protagonists!
Grey Seal. At the zoo, their keepers will show us that the main difference with the sea lion is that they do not have ears. Their limbs are short and flat and serve as fins. They live in the North Atlantic, on islands and rocky coasts.
Central America and the Caribbean
Anteater. It is one of the mammals that has been on our planet for the longest time. It is an animal that attracts a lot of attention from visitors. Its elongated head like a snout and its small mouth without teeth give it a strange appearance. They are native to Central and South America.
Caribbean Flamenco. Its colour can vary from pale pink to vermilion, depending on the areas where it lives and the amount of crustaceans it eats, hence the shade of its plumage. They can be seen in large groups at the entrance to the Zoo.
Green Turtle. It is one of the largest turtles of its species. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans. This turtle returns to the beaches where they were born to lay between 100 and 200 eggs every 2 to 4 years.
Tortuga Careta. It can be seen in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans and also in the Mediterranean Sea.
South America
Patagonian hare. This friendly rodent belongs to the guinea pig family. It is very shy and is able to run and jump thanks to its limbs. Its habitat is the southern steppes of the American continent.
Guanaco. It is a wild llama, similar to camels and dromedaries. It is present from Peru to Tierra del Fuego, and at altitudes of up to 3,000 metres.
Capuchin Monkey. This species can only be found in South America, such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Giant otters of the Amazon. They can be seen in rivers, lakes and streams in the tropical forests of South America. This species at the zoo is one of the largest of the otter family and can reach up to two metres in length.
Amazonian Tapir. It lives in the tropical and subtropical forests of Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay and northern Argentina.
Red Macaw. Spectacular are its coloured feathers where red predominates. They are quite large. They live in tropical rainforests, from Brazil to Mexico. They are protected birds due to the destruction of their habitat.
Yellow-breasted Blue Macaw. We usually call them parrots. They have a spectacular tail that can reach up to half a metre. They live in South American forests and jungles, from Panama to Paraguay. We can see them and learn about their characteristics during the exhibition in the Aviary.
Ñandú. It is a flightless bird that lives exclusively in South America. Similar to the ostrich, it runs at great speed.
Europe
European Lynx. It likes to live in European and Siberian forests. It is endangered in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.
European bison. Considered the largest mammal in Europe. It is similar to the American. You can see for yourself the differences between them. Look them up and compare!
Wild boar. It is the ancestor of our pig. It has large tusks and lives where there is plenty of vegetation, especially in Europe. In Spain there are many in the wild.
Brown Bear. They are the Zoo's huge brown bears. They prefer to live in forests, tundra and river valleys. There is a variety of species of this type of bear.
Reindeer. Today the few reindeer that exist in the wild are mostly domesticated by the Lapps and other Nordic peoples.
Griffon Vulture. It is the largest bird of prey in Europe. Its greatest characteristic is its incredible vision. It can spot its prey from a great distance.
Iberian Imperial Eagle. It is the only endemic bird in Spain. This bird of prey is highly endangered.
European sea bream. It is also known as the sea eagle or white-tailed eagle. It is native to Europe, although there are also specimens in northern Asia, Iceland and Greenland. Females are larger than males.
Exhibitions
There are four exhibition areas each day in the park: Sea Lions, Dolphins, Birds of Prey and Exotic Birds of Prey. The latter take place in the Aviary and you will be able to see Macaws, Cockatoos, Toucans, Eagles, Vultures, Hawks and many other birds flying over your heads. A spectacle not to be missed!
Plan well the schedules so that you have time to see them all. They may vary from day to day due to circumstances at the zoo, so you will have to check them on the day of your visit.
The Little Farm
This is perhaps the children's favourite corner. After its remodelling a few years ago, it has been divided into areas as if it were a real farm, with a vegetable garden, henhouse, farmyard or stable. The stars are dwarf goats, children will be able to interact with them, feeding them, touching them and playing with them. Another space that the little ones love are the chick incubators, where they can see the whole process of hatching the eggs and see a real chick being born.
The Aquarium
There are two floors where you can immerse yourself in the deepest oceans and get to know the species that live there. Up to 330 species in more than 30 aquariums: Seahorses, sea turtles, clownfish, razorfish, the painted ray, or the more bizarre ones like the mule pipefish or the royal grandmother fish. But, without a doubt, the area that attracts the most visitors is the shark tanks. Here we will find sharks such as the bull shark and the grey shark.
Zoo prices
Ticket prices vary between online and at the ticket office.
There are park pass rates, group rates, school rates and other offers throughout the year. These are the prices you can find on their website:
Adults: 17,90 €
Children, 3 to 7 years old: 19,05 €
Children under 3 years old: free of charge
Over 65 years of age: 15,90 €
Disabled with accompanying person free of charge: 15,90 €
Large family, adult: 13,85 €
Zoo opening hours
The Madrid Zoo Aquarium is not open every day of the year and its opening hours vary depending on the time of year. I recommend that you take a look at their website first so that there are no surprises.
Other information of interest
Protection and conservation programmes
The Zoo Aquarium of Madrid works in collaboration with various associations for the conservation and protection of wild animals. For example, brown bears, carrion birds or urugallo.
In addition, as part of a joint programme with the Fundación Parques Reunidos, they use Assisted Reproduction Techniques to assist in the preservation of endangered species such as rhinos, dolphins, gorillas, beluga whales, bears, giant pandas or killer whales.
The same foundation collaborates in projects for the conservation of the Koala and its habitat and the Giant Panda Bear. In 2010, two baby pandas were born through artificial insemination.
Family train
You will be able to visit the Zoo on the train that will take you around the 5 continents.
Eating at the Zoo
You have several options. You can either go to the eating places around the park or bring your own food from home, you will find several picnic areas.
Did you enjoy your visit? I'm sure you will have learned a lot about the animals of the world.
You can see more activities in our section with children in Madrid
