Cocodrilo Park is a private zoo and animal rescue centre in the south-east of Gran Canaria, close to the historic town of Agüimes. Its headline collection is some 300 Nile crocodiles, one of them around five metres long, a reptile collection unique in the Canary Islands, and the park also keeps tigers, deer, snakes, macaws, parrots and monkeys. Visitors can watch a crocodile show that explains how the animals live and shows the power of their jaws, see a macaw and parrot show, and touch a juvenile crocodile held by a keeper. Entry fees go toward the care of the animals, which gives the visit a purpose beyond the spectacle. It is a good rainy-day, cooler-day or interior-island option for families who have had enough sand and sun.
How it works
You buy an admission ticket for a date and show it at the gate. The park is set up as a walk-round zoo, with enclosures for the crocodiles and the other animals and scheduled show moments at the crocodile pool and the bird area. Show times are not fixed in the information we have, so ask at the entrance when the next crocodile and macaw shows begin and plan your route around them.
Facilities include parking, a restaurant and wheelchair access, and in the past the park has run a free shuttle bus from the Maspalomas resorts on certain days, so ask your hotel or the park whether it is running during your stay.
\n\nWhat to expect: the crocodile show is largely educational, explaining their habits, though the feeding element is dramatic and not for everyone. The touch session with a juvenile crocodile, handled by a staff member, is popular with children and teenagers who like to say they have done it. Elsewhere you walk among tigers, monkeys and colourful macaws, and bananas or fruit bought at the restaurant can be used to feed the monkeys.
Follow the staff guidelines, keep to the paths and use the bins provided.\n\nPlanning around it: the park is in the south-east, on the way between Agüimes and the coast, so it combines naturally with a visit to Agüimes old town or the Guayadeque ravine for an interior day.
From Playa del Inglés or Meloneras it is a drive of a little under an hour by car or taxi. Because it is partly outdoors, take a hat and water in summer and a light layer in winter.\n\nGood to know: allow two to three hours, check the opening days and times with the park before you leave, and consider the feeding demonstration carefully if you have very sensitive children. The visit suits families, reptile enthusiasts and anyone looking for a different side of the island away from the beaches.
\n\nWhy it works: Cocodrilo Park gives visitors a different kind of day from the beaches and mountains, and it is a sound choice when the weather is cloudy or the family needs a change of pace. The rescue-centre purpose makes the visit feel worthwhile, and the shows and touch session add variety for children who might tire of a plain zoo. Compare it with Palmitos Park, which focuses on birds and gardens, if you want a more botanical visit, and consider it for an interior-island day that also takes in Agüimes and Guayadeque.
What to expect
The experience
A walk-round zoo and rescue centre with crocodile and macaw shows and a touch session.
Best time
Morning, so you can catch the shows before the afternoon heat.
How long
Allow two to three hours.
Tips
Ask at the gate for show times, bring a hat and water and buy fruit at the restaurant to feed the monkeys.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Families and animal lovers who want something different from the beach.
- Families
- Children enjoy the touch session and the macaws, though the crocodile feeding is dramatic.
- Couples
- It works as an offbeat half-day on an interior-island drive.
- Pair with
- Agüimes old town or the Guayadeque ravine.
- Time needed
- Two to three hours, plus the drive.
Good questions
How many crocodiles does Cocodrilo Park have?+
The park keeps about 300 Nile crocodiles, including one around five metres long, in a collection described as unique in the Canary Islands.
Are there shows?+
Yes, there is a crocodile show that explains their habits and shows the strength of their jaws, and a separate macaw and parrot show. Ask at the gate for the times.
Can you touch a crocodile?+
Visitors can touch a juvenile crocodile held by a member of staff.
Where is Cocodrilo Park?+
It is in the south-east of the island near Agüimes, a drive of under an hour from Playa del Inglés or Meloneras.
What else is there to see besides crocodiles?+
The park also keeps tigers, deer, snakes, macaws, parrots and monkeys, and as a rescue centre it directs its entry fees to animal care.
