Our number one tourist attraction for families in Gran Canaria

Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Suzy McCullough

Before we went on our bucket list holiday to Gran Canaria we did some research into where was the best place to visit with children. The place that came up more than most and consistently ranks higher on Trip Advisor as the best tourist attraction is Palmitos Park, near Maspalomas. Our day trip here did not disappoint.

After thinking that we were a little lost, trying to find our way around Maspalomas, we eventually realised we were going the right way anyway. Palmitos Park is about 10-15 minutes north of Maspalomas and is eventually at the end of a long road through some spectacular scenery. The drive alone is worth the trip out.

Palmitos Park Gran Canaria Review

If you know for definite that you want to visit before leaving the UK it’s a good idea to book your tickets online in advance. It is cheaper to buy your tickets online and the ticket is valid for 90 days from the day after your day of purchase. Jamie luckily is 3 years old so there was a vast price difference for his ticket than had he been 5 years +. Children under 3 years old are free.

Hats and sun lotion are essential. I’d also recommend decent footwear as there is a steep hill to walk up and what goes up must come down. The parking is free. You can also get a bus to Palmitos Park that goes from a bus stop in most tourist destinations.

Palmitos Park Review

Upon arrival, you are given a map and a timetable for the day’s shows. I advise you to plan your trip around the park according to the shows and don’t lose what you are given. We managed to fit in 3 of the 4 shows. 

I was a little underwhelmed when we first arrived but the more we walked around the more we fell in love with the park. We have been to a lot of zoos in our time and this is up there with our favourites. It just keeps getting better and better. There is so much to see and the gorgeous scenery makes it even more appealing.

It is quite a hike up a very steep hill to see the Birds of Prey show but the walk was worth it to see the birds flying around and the best view from the park. They also have an exotic bird show here later in the day.

There’s a really good variety of animals and lots of walk-in enclosures. All the animals seemed pretty well-housed and happy. We have macaws (large parrots) at home so we spent a long time, twice, in the exotic bird section. There were birds there we’d never seen before. Some were clearly ex-pets as there were a few Cockatoos keen for a chat. The area for the birds was very pretty and it certainly felt exotic.

If I was to recommend anything to the park it would be to provide some lower-priced children’s meals. Because for a place that mainly relies on families we were shocked to see that there was nothing on offer for the children. The only option for food for them was adult-sized meals at adult-sized prices. So we did what most people did and shared our food with Jamie but it didn’t feel right to have to do that.

After our lunch, we went to see the main reason that I wanted to take Jamie to Palmitos Park. The dolphin show. Dolphins have always held a special place in my heart. The show didn’t disappoint. Jamie sat with his mouth wide open in astonishment as to what the Dolphins could do. I was rather impressed myself. Well done Palmitos Park.

We were very impressed with the Butterfly House. Jamie can be seen above practising his standing still pose in the hope a butterfly lands on him. It didn’t work! We also really loved the aquarium and we spent a very long time in here finding Nemo and Dory. We saw many species of fish that we’d never seen before and the displays were very informative.

I was also super impressed that we were able to walk in an enclosure with flamingos and other birds. That was something I’d never been able to do before. You could also get up really close to the Emus. Again something I’d never come across before.

Our final show for the day was the Parrot show. This was highly entertaining and I felt perhaps that it could have been a bit longer as it didn’t seem to last very long. They had a lot of birds that I’m sure they could have used more.

You have the opportunity to purchase a photo of yourself, or your family, with some Macaws from when you first arrived. Jamie’s was super cute so we couldn’t resist. Even if we could just take a photo of him at home with our own birds!

We spent a lot more time at Palmitos than we were expecting to and we didn’t quite fit everything in. There’s so much more to discover than what I have talked about above. If you are heading to Gran Canaria then I highly recommend a visit. Should you have no plans to visit then I think it’s perhaps time to make some plans.