Zoo de Barcelona is gearing up for Christmas with new decorations and a special programme. Starting Saturday, 22 November and until 5 January, visitors can enjoy a variety of activities inspired by this time of year, which will encourage younger visitors to learn about the importance of biodiversity and conservation.
A 12-metre-high Christmas tree and a space for discovering how El tió takes care of the forests
For the first time, a 12-metre-high Christmas tree will be erected in Plaça de La Dama del Paraigua. In addition, there will be Christmas and winter photo opportunities throughout the zoo for both young and old to take photos, sing carols or make El tió poop Christmas presents.
Another great new feature will be “La casa dels tions”, a space to discover how this emblematic character of the Catalan forests takes care of the natural environment and how everyone can help him. La casa dels tions will be located at the entrance to the Sabana-Sahel area.
On 24 December, visitors will also be invited to make El tió poop Christmas presents in Plaça de La Dama del Paraigua. This event, which is a classic every Christmas at the Zoo de Barcelona, will take place at 12.00 pm.
Another activity that is back at Zoo de Barcelona for the festive season is the Christmas gymkhana. This game promises fun for the whole family, designed to enliven the visit and provide insights into how to conserve biodiversity. The gymkhana will be available until 31 December.
Christmas camps and grandparent days are back
Once again, over the Christmas school holidays, Zoo de Barcelona is organising activity camps for children aged 5 to 14. They are: “Els cuiners del zoo” (from 22 to 24 December); “Apunta’t a traballar per a la conservació” (from 29 to 31 December or 2 January); and “Viatgem amb animals” (on 5 January). All information and registration details can be found on the Zoo de Barcelona website.
For the third consecutive year, on 22 and 23 December, the zoo will celebrate Grandparents Day, two days to honour all those family members and friends who make finding a work-life balance possible in many homes. Over these two days, grandparents, uncles, aunties and childminders who visit Zoo de Barcelona will receive a free two-person ticket (one adult and one child).
A new activity for learning about the importance of wetlands
Coinciding with the Christmas programme, Zoo de Barcelona is also launching a new experimental activity to learn about the role of wetlands and their importance as natural filters, as they retain sediment and improve water quality.
As part of this activity, aimed at families with children aged between 3 and 12, there will also be an explanation of how the operations of the pilot natural-filter plant regenerate water from the zoo's facilities for reuse. This facility was developed within the framework of the LIFE4Zoo project of “Water resources management in urban parks–FIT4USE Water recirculation technology,” funded by the European Union through the LIFE programme.
This activity, available on weekends and holidays, costs 3 euros per child and 6 euros per adult and must be booked in advance on the Zoo de Barcelona website.