Traveling in Porto with children: Santo Inácio Zoo
Thinking about traveling with your family to the city of Porto and don't know how to entertain your youngest children? We have a suggestion for you: Zoo of Santo Inácio in Vila Nova de Gaia which is 10 minutes from the center of Porto.
One of the most memorable moments is undoubtedly the lions' tunnel, where you can enter the habitat of one of the rarest cats in the world and come face-to-face with Asian Lions! A huge tunnel, with 40 meters of glass, crosses the habitat of the Lions and allows you to be very close to these imposing cats. This is an innovative and exclusive infrastructure in Portugal that will provide magnificent memories to anyone visiting the Zoo.
Giraffes, zebras, ostriches, among other animals stroll through the savanna, a giant space, where several species live almost as in their natural habitat.
Penguins, monkeys, otters, hippos are some of the 800 animals that can be found in the zoo. It is recommended that you plan a few hours to visit the zoo and watch all the demonstrations, which allow the youngest to see a little of the interaction between keepers and animals.
There are several options for lunch: a traditional food restaurant, Bar do Lago, where they serve quick meals and even the possibility of having a picnic, which is very pleasant due to the green space that the zoo has.
The modern Reptilário of Zoo Santo Inácio welcomes more than 50 species of Reptiles and Amphibians in environments designed in order to recreate the conditions of the original habitats, you can get up close to the largest snake in the World - the reticulated Piton - which can reach 11 meters long and exceed 150kg, as well as dwarf crocodiles, the endangered Tomato Frogs, among many other species.
Creepy for some, fascinating for others! That's how we can define the House of Night Animals. This magnificent space, is one of the only Insectaries in the country whose main mission is to make known the species and their importance in the ecosystem. Hairy Tarantulas, intriguing Scorpions, Insects camouflaged in the habitat, Giant snails, Scarabs, Cockroaches, among many other representatives of the world of invertebrates.
Not to be missed, daily, the Zoo has fantastic demonstrations of the animals' natural behavior. Included in your ticket are these:
- Bird of Prey Demonstration;
- Reptile Show (exclusive winter);
- Wildlife demonstration;
- Feeding Asian Lions;
- Penguin feeding;
- Lemur feeding (exclusive summer);
- Otters feeding;
- Feeding of bats (exclusive winter);
- Red Pandas feeding.
This is an interactive and fun way to understand and respect wildlife. And for those who want to go further, and sponsor one of the animals in the zoo, you can also do it.
