La Palmyre Zoo (Zoo de La Palmyre) is located on the stretch of coastline known as the ‘Côte de Beauté’, only a few kilometres away from the seaside resort of Royan. It was originally created in 1966 in the forest of the Les Mathes by Claude Caillé. The zoo extends over 44 acres and would be considered by most to be the foremost zoo in France.
The visitor is given the opportunity of observing more than 1600 animals of all kinds as well as countless species of birds. There are Siberian tigers, polar bears, orang-utans from Borneo, Asian elephants, rhinoceroses, wallabies and even flamingos from the Caribbean!
Species at La Palmyre Zoo
It will occur to you as you wander down the shady pathways that all the hundred 15 different species of animals have been thoughtfully housed in a habitat perfectly designed to suit the animals needs. So well are the animals cared for here that each year hundreds of new births are recorded. The La Palmyre Zoo also participates in the ’40 European Endangered Species Programmes’ and finances several species conservation programmes both in the field and around the world (orang-utans in Borneo, gorillas in Gabon, penguins in South Africa, golden lion tamarins in Brazil etc.)
Opening hours
Open every day, all year round :
• 1st April to 30th September, 9am to 7pm
• The rest of the year, 9am-6pm
•Time required for the visit: at least 4 hours
• Free parking
• Sea Lion Shows and Parrot shows: from Easter to 1st November
Dogs are not allowed in the Zoo, even if kept on a leash. Thank you for your understanding.
Contact details
Zoo de La Palmyre, 6 avenue de Royan, 17570 LES MATHES ~ Tél : 08 92 68 18 48
Official Website: www.zoo-palmyre.fr/en
