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Unlocking the Wildlife Sanctuary: A Journey into La Palmyre Zoo Royan
Established in 1966 by Irène and Claude Caillé, La Palmyre Zoo is now overseen by their son Patrick Caillé and grandson Pierre Caillé. Spanning over 18 hectares, the zoo is situated in a pine forest and is conveniently located just a short distance from the Côte Sauvage beaches.
La Palmyre Zoo is located in Charente-Maritime, Southwestern France. It is situated within the beautiful coastal town of Les Mathes, near La Palmyre Beach. This popular attraction is easily accessible and draws visitors from all over the world. Its strategic location in the heart of the stunning region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine allows visitors to combine a visit to the zoo with exploring the surrounding natural beauty. Whether you’re strolling along the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast or marvelling at the diverse wildlife within the zoo, La Palmyre offers a wonderful experience for animal lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.
It is one of France’s most popular tourist destinations and the second most visited site in Charente-Maritime, with 600,000 visitors exploring its paths annually.
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The zoological park of La Palmyre is open all year and has over 1600 animals from 110 species. It has more than 200 births annually, including 30 different types of primates, such as gorillas and orangutans. The park also houses various other iconic animals, such as Asian elephants, white rhinoceros, flamingos, lions, gibbons, great apes, Bornean orangutans, cheetahs, wolves, African zebras, hippos, giant otters, crocodiles, polar bears and tortoises. And, of course, we can’t forget about the well-known giraffes, exotic birds, red pandas, Madagascar lemurs and many other animals. The giraffes can be reached at their head height, where you can feed them. When you enter the park, you can buy bags of popcorn to feed the animals.
Every day from Easter to All Saints Day, there are daily presentations featuring sea lions and birds.
La Palmyre Zoo contributes significantly to the preservation of at-risk species by actively engaging in 50 European Breeding Programs and financially supporting over twenty initiatives aimed at safeguarding endangered wildlife across the globe. These efforts extend to various regions, such as Borneo for orangutans and elephants, the Democratic Republic of Congo for gorillas and chimpanzees, Madagascar for lemurs, Brazil for giant otters, Colombia for tamarins, and beyond.
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We spent over 4 hours at the park and still didn’t manage to see everything so it can be a full day out. You can exit and re-enter the zoo, but ensure you get your hand stamp at the entrance before leaving the park.
We absolutely loved the zoo and will be returning again. Mostly, it is an incredible natural environment with hectares of pine forest and shaded paths. However, I did think that some of the enclosures, such as the lion ones, were too small, and I would love to see these improved.
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Eating at zoo of la palmyre
In the zoo, you will find two places to eat: the bar, situated on top of the sea lion bleachers, offers hot dogs, sandwiches, and crêpes. The crêperie, located near the giant otter enclosure, serves galettes, salads, and desserts.
You can also find vending machines and ice cream stands in the park. You are allowed to have a picnic on the benches along the pathway or on the sea lion and bird bleachers when there are no presentations happening.
Getting to Zoo de la Palmyre
Zoo de La Palmyre
6 Avenue de Royan
17570 Les Mathes
La Rochelle is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes away by car, and Royan is approximately 20 minutes by car. Royan train station is 25 minutes away.
A10 Motorway from Paris to Bordeaux: Exit 35 Saintes.
A10 Motorway from Bordeaux to Paris: Exit 37 Mirambeau.
From Royan: follow the signs “Zoo de La Palmyre”.
There are two large car parks that are free to use.
Opening times
The La Palmyre Zoo remains open throughout the year, even on public holidays.
It is open from 9:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening, starting on April 1st and ending on September 30th. The hours of operation are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm between October 1 and March 31.