Palmitos Park is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Avi ...

and

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

on the island of

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

, Canary Islands,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Geography & climate

The park is located in a countryside area, near Pilancones Natural Park, towards south of the island; about north of the tourist beaches and dunes of

Maspalomas Maspalomas () is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, stretching from Bahía Feliz in the east to Meloneras in the west, including the resort towns of San Agustín and Playa del Inglés and San Fernando. ...

, but towards the interior. The park has a

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

climate.

Layout

There is a terrace near a fountain, along a path that leads up to the amphitheater where flying

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...

perform in shows. Next to the amphitheater there is a snack bar, and a small cafe can be found in the park. One feature of the park is the great wealth of cacti and succulents. There are over 160 different cactus types, and 1000 palm trees of 42 different types.

Parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...

-like birds are well represented in the park, but other types of birds can also be found, including swans and

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

s. Overall, there are over 1,500 exotic birds of 230 different species. Many fly freely around the park. Palmitos Park holds Europe's largest butterfly venue, as well as the biggest Orchid collection on the island. Near the exit - behind the souvenir shop, one can admire hummingbirds that fly very visibly in front of their food.

Sections of the park

*Butterfly house with (mainly living) butterflies. *Pond with water birds *Dolphinarium with 6 dolphins, and live dolphin shows interacting with the audience. *Dolphin Photo Opportunity where members of the public can have their photo taken while stroking a dolphin (additional fee) *Swim with Dolphins opportunity (additional fee) *Glass cages with hummingbirds *House of orchids *Terrace near fountain *Amphitheater with shows with flying birds of prey *Presentation room with documentaries and shows with trained parrots *Souvenir shop *Aquaria with many kinds of fish and other underwater animals

Gallery

File:20100222-0306 Gran Canaria (1114).jpg, Variety of plants in Palmitos Park File:Palmitos Park-entrance.jpg, The entrance in 2006, shortly before the fire that destroyed the park File:PPark Acuario 1.jpg, Tourists watching fish in the aquarium File:Herichthys carpintis 01.jpg, A

herichthys carpintis ''Herichthys carpintis'', the lowland cichlid, pearlscale cichlid, is a species of cichlid. It is endemic to eastern Mexico where it occurs in the Pánuco River drainage, and the Soto La Marina River in northeastern Mexico, its type locality ...

fish at Palmitos Park File:Haliaeetus leucocephalus -Palmitos Park, Gran Canaria, Canary islands, Spain -zoo keeper-8a.jpg, A bald eagle during a show File:Meerkat palmitos park.jpg, A meerkat at Palmitos Park File:Danaus plexippus IMG 8218 Palmitos Park gran canaria.JPG, A monarch butterfly in the Butterfly House File:Greifvogelvorführung.jpg, A

display File:Gran canaria-881.JPG, A bird show in progress at Palmitos Park File:White Peacock, Palmitos Park, May 2018.jpg, White Peacock File:Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Palmitos Park, May 2018.jpg, The Dolphin Show File:Bald Eagle, Palmitos Park, May 2018.jpg, Bald Eagle in flight

2007 Gran Canaria forest fires

On July 31, 2007 it was reported in the media that almost 65% of the park was burned due to ten forest fires, and that some exotic bird species - such as the

toucan Toucans (, ) are members of the Neotropical near passerine bird family Ramphastidae. The Ramphastidae are most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five g ...

- may have been killed. The forest fires caused evacuations of certain parts of

and

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

. A local Forest Ranger was accused of starting the fires intentionally in order to keep him in employment as his contract was due to expire. Over 2000 people from the village of Mogán were evacuated, as well as El Salobre. No human people died during the fire, but many houses were burned to the ground. Smoke was clearly visible from space. Because Palmitos Park was severely affected by the fire, it was closed for a whole year. The park opened for the public again August 4, 2008. It has a new section with information about the forest fire.

Notes

External links

* {{authority control Gran Canaria Aviaries Botanical gardens in the Canary Islands Tourist attractions in the Canary Islands Zoos in Spain Aspro Parks attractions