Zoo Aquarium de Madrid

Zoo Aquarium de Madrid is one of Spain's largest zoological parks, set inside the vast Casa de Campo park just a short walk from the city's amusement park.

Where exactly is the Madrid zoo located?

The zoo sits within Casa de Campo, the largest municipal park in the Spanish capital, on the western side of the city. The grounds cover more than 20 hectares and combine four distinct sections under one ticket: the zoo itself, an aquarium, a dolphinarium, and an aviary. A metro line runs straight to the entrance, making it one of the easiest major zoos in Europe to reach without a car.

Which animals live at the zoo?

The collection includes roughly 6,000 animals from about 500 species. The star attraction is a pair of giant pandas, You You and Jiu Jiu, on loan through a cooperation agreement with China — Madrid is one of only a handful of places in Europe where visitors can see pandas year-round. Other highlights include white tigers, lowland gorillas, Bornean orangutans, Asian elephants, and less common species such as koalas, takins, and tapirs. A separate area lets younger visitors get close to farm animals in a petting-zoo setting.

What does the aquarium section include?

The aquarium spans two floors and holds around 2 million litres of seawater across dozens of tanks. Sharks and sea turtles are among the main draws, alongside a coral-breeding programme that has been running since the mid-1990s, one of the first of its kind in Spain. An underwater tunnel lets visitors watch tropical fish swim overhead and on all sides.

Are there dolphin shows at the zoo?

Yes. The dolphinarium hosts shows with bottlenose dolphins, typically twice a day, and it is one of the few dolphinariums in Spain located away from the coast, with seating for several thousand spectators. The programme mixes educational commentary with acrobatic displays, and sea lions also perform as part of the show.

What else is there besides the animals?

The aviary covers roughly 3,000 square metres and houses dozens of bird species, from rainbow lorikeets to bald eagles, some featured in free-flight birds-of-prey demonstrations. A small train circulates through the park to help visitors cover the large grounds, and bus transport is also available on site. The zoo's history dates back to 1770, when Madrid's first animal collection, the Casa de Fieras, opened in Retiro Park; it moved to its current, much larger Casa de Campo site in 1972.

Frequently asked questions

How many animals are at Zoo Aquarium de Madrid? The park is home to around 6,000 animals across nearly 500 species, ranging from giant pandas to sharks in the aquarium section.

Should visitors plan a full day for the visit? With four separate sections — zoo, aquarium, dolphinarium, and aviary — spread across a large site, seeing everything along with the shows typically takes several hours.

Can children watch the animal shows? Yes, the standard ticket includes dolphin and sea lion shows in the dolphinarium as well as birds-of-prey flight demonstrations in the aviary.

What is the easiest way to reach the zoo without a car? The metro is the most convenient option, with a station located right next to the Casa de Campo entrance where the zoo is situated.