You are in the centre of Barcelona and you want a place that is easy to chill out and away from the hustle and bustle of the city and a bit more relaxed. Parc de la Ciutadella is a huge area of parkland that is situated on the Passieg de Circumval-lacio and is the home to a Government Office, Cascada Monumental and Parc Zoològic de Barcelona, the zoo of Barcelona.

The zoo prides itself in being a place where conservation and preservation take place and do a lot to both scientific research and help  as many animals and species as they can . The Zoo’s decision allocates a specific budget for research activities which allow it to achieve the objectives proposed by the International associations, both at European and global level to preserve the biodiversity of the planet.

The zoo was founded in 1892 by banker and business man  Lluís Martí-Codolarm it was opened to the public on 24th September at the Mercè festival. The zoo has a long and interesting history and can be found on their website however lets focus on what the zoo is today.

The zoo is home to many plants and animals from all over the world. The African Savanna Elephant, Humboldt Penguins, Brown Bears, Sumatra Tigers, Black Water Turtles and Meerkats just to name a few. It is also the home to an array of plants too such as Gingko, Shade Banana, Olive Trees, Wahintonia and Troana. The zoo is home to lots of activities as well that you can get involved in as well – some free, others you have to book and pay for in advance.

I went to the Parc Zoològic de Barcelona back in 2012 on New Years Eve, we were on a cruise around the Mediterranean and Barcelona was one of our last stops. It was so busy in the city because it was New Years Eve, so we found the zoo and went in there to escape the crowds. I remember liking the zoo and I have a couple memories that I look back on with fond memories. The first is that the sign posts around the zoo are very funny – i don’t think they are meant to be but they made me laugh the illustrations as they were to the point and interesting (example to the left of the Rhino enclosure.)

Another thing I remember is the flamingos, everytime a plane flew over they started looking up at the sky and communicating with each other. I also remember all their beautiful fluffy baby flamingos. I also remember that there were golf carts you could use to get around the zoo which I remember finding very random.

I enjoyed my time at the zoo and remember it being a good one.