Zoo Aquarium de Madrid

When a family trip to Madrid needs a day off from museums, the Zoo Aquarium is the obvious answer. It lies inside the Casa de Campo, the huge wooded park on the western side of the city, and covers more than twenty hectares of paths, enclosures and shaded lawns, with over five hundred species. It is one of the largest and longest-established zoos in Europe, and its best-known residents are the giant pandas, part of a breeding and conservation agreement with China that has made the Madrid zoo one of the few in Europe to show these animals. Around them, the collection takes you through the classic big-zoo cast: white tigers, lions, giraffes, rhinos, elephants, gorillas and orangutans, wolves, bears and koalas among others, organised roughly by continent and habitat. The aquarium section adds sharks, rays and tropical fish in large tanks, and the aviary houses a wide range of birds. Through the day, the zoo runs demonstrations and keeper talks, and there are play areas, picnic spots, cafés and restaurants spread across the grounds, which is helpful when children run out of energy. Like any large zoo, it gives the best experience if you plan rather than try to see everything: pick the animals your children care about most, check the timetable of talks and feeds on arrival, and organise your route around them. The zoo has good areas of shade, but in the heat of a Madrid summer, the middle of the day can be tiring; spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Recent news from the zoo has included births, among them a baby Bornean orangutan, which tends to bring extra attention to the primate area.

Getting there: the zoo is inside the Casa de Campo, west of the centre. Several city bus lines stop near the entrance, and the Casa de Campo metro station is within walking distance on a short bus hop or a longer walk; there is also a large car park for drivers. The zoo opens from late morning until late afternoon or early evening, with longer hours at weekends and in summer, so check the day's times before you set out. Tickets bought online in advance are usually cheaper than at the gate and help you avoid queues at weekends and in school holidays; the Tiqets page also offers combinations with the Parque de Atracciones, the amusement park also in the Casa de Campo, and a Madrid family pass that groups several attractions.

Making the day work: arrive at opening time to see the animals at their most active and to get ahead of the crowds. Head to the pandas early, then plan the rest of the route around the talks and demonstrations you want to catch. Bring water, sun protection and hats in warm months. Food inside is convenient but priced for a captive audience, so a picnic is a good alternative, and there are picnic areas. Allow at least four hours, and up to a full day with small children who need breaks.

Who it suits: families above all, with children of any age; it is one of the best full-day options in Madrid for them, especially when combined with the Teleférico cable car, which crosses into the Casa de Campo from Rosales, or with the Parque de Atracciones next door. Couples and adults travelling alone will find it pleasant but less essential than the city's museums and parks. Pair it with a morning at the Temple of Debod and the Teleférico, or with a relaxed afternoon in the Madrid Río park on the way back to the centre.