Zoo Santo Inácio

The Zoo Santo Inácio, in Vila Nova de Gaia, is the largest zoo of northern Portugal: hundreds of animals of species from the whole world, in enclosures designed to recreate their habitats, on the green hills south of the Douro. From the rocky coasts of the penguins to the lands of the great mammals, it is one of the reference animal parks for the families of Porto.

The zoo

The zoo grew in Avintes, on the estate of the old Quinta de Santo Inácio, and opened to the public in the 1990s with a collection that today gathers hundreds of animals, from penguins and birds to the great felines and the animals of the savannah. The institution takes part in international conservation programmes and works on environmental education; the visit follows the paths of the park between the different habitats, in a landscape of woods and terraces above the Douro.

What to see

• The penguins and the coast of the cold seas.
• The great mammals and the savannah areas of the park.
• The birds and the small animals of the children’s areas.
• The woods and terraces above the Douro around the zoo.

Visiting

The zoo is in Avintes, in Vila Nova de Gaia, around fifteen minutes by car from the centre of Porto; the times, tickets and programmes are published by the zoo, and the visit, of half a day, combines well with the cellars and the riverside of Gaia.

Nearby

The city of Vila Nova de Gaia 与 Caves Sandeman are the natural complements of a day in Gaia.

Information: zoosantoinacio.com.

Image credit: Penguins at the Zoo Santo Inácio, by José Gonçalves, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.