Palmitos Park Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Palmitos Park

Date opened	1978 (1978) Re-opened: 2008 (2008)
Location	Gran Canaria, Spain
Land area	49 acres
Coordinates	27°50′01″N 15°37′02″W / 27.833621°N 15.617162°W / 27.833621; -15.617162
No. of species	Cacti: 160 Palm trees: 42 Birds: 230
Major exhibits	Dolphins, birds of prey, eagles, owls, reptiles, gibbons, meerkats, exotic birds, aquarium

Palmitos Park is a fantastic place to visit on the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. It's a huge park, about 20 hectares (that's like 50 football fields!). It's a special mix of a beautiful botanical garden, a home for many birds (called an aviary), and a zoo.

Where is Palmitos Park?
What Can You See at Palmitos Park?
- Amazing Plants
- Wonderful Animals
Fun Things to Do and See
The 2007 Forest Fires
Images for kids
See also

Where is Palmitos Park?

Palmitos Park is located in the countryside of Gran Canaria. It's close to a natural park called Pilancones. The park is about 10 kilometers north of the popular beaches of Maspalomas. It has a warm, humid climate, which is great for all the plants and animals.

What Can You See at Palmitos Park?

Palmitos Park has many exciting areas to explore. You'll find a terrace near a fountain, and paths that lead to an amphitheater. Here, you can watch amazing shows with birds of prey flying high. There are also places to grab a snack or a drink.

Amazing Plants

The park is famous for its incredible collection of plants.

You can see over 160 different types of cactus and other juicy plants.
There are also 1,000 palm trees, with 42 different kinds!
Palmitos Park has the biggest collection of orchids on the island.
It also has Europe's largest butterfly house.

Wonderful Animals

Palmitos Park is home to many different animals, especially birds.

There are over 1,500 exotic birds from 230 different species.
Many of these birds, like parrots, fly freely around the park.
You can also spot swans and ducks in the ponds.
Near the exit, you can watch tiny hummingbirds zipping around.
The park also has other animals like gibbons and meerkats.

Fun Things to Do and See

Palmitos Park offers many exciting attractions for visitors.

Butterfly House: Walk among beautiful, living butterflies.
Pond with Water Birds: See swans, ducks, and other water birds swimming.
Dolphinarium: Watch amazing shows with six smart dolphins. They even interact with the audience!
Dolphin Photo Opportunity: You can get your picture taken while gently touching a dolphin (for an extra fee).
Swim with Dolphins: For an extra cost, you might even get to swim with these friendly creatures!
Hummingbird Glass Cages: Get a close look at these tiny, fast-flying birds.
House of Orchids: Explore a beautiful collection of colorful orchids.
Amphitheater Shows: Enjoy exciting shows with flying birds of prey, like eagles.
Parrot Shows: Watch trained parrots perform tricks and talk.
Aquaria: Discover many kinds of fish and other underwater animals in the aquariums.
Souvenir Shop: Pick up a memento of your visit.

The 2007 Forest Fires

In July 2007, a big forest fire happened on Gran Canaria. About 65% of Palmitos Park was sadly burned. Some exotic birds, like the toucan, may have been lost. The fires caused many people to leave their homes in Gran Canaria and Tenerife for safety. No people died, but many houses were destroyed. The smoke from the fires was so big it could be seen from space!

Because of the fire, Palmitos Park had to close for a whole year. It reopened on August 4, 2008, and now has a new section that shares information about the forest fire and how the park recovered.