Visit Monkey Park – Tenerife’s Best Interactive Zoo

Monkey Park in Tenerife is much lesser known than the famous Loro Parque. This animal park isn’t as often offered as a tour, and is rarely mentioned in guidebooks. However, visitors here can have much more contact with the creatures than at the main Tenerife zoo. Monkey Park is thus a great choice for a family day out on the island. 

The animals come first at Monkey Park, so you won’t see any performances here. Creatures are very much respected. Tourists may, however, enter some of the squeaky clean, fresh-smelling cages to interact with the animals. You can even buy bags of food for feeding them when it’s appropriate. 

For a memorable encounter with man’s closest relatives, this Canary Islands park is far removed from the average commercial animal park. Monkey Park Tenerife isn’t home only to primates, either. Another reason to visit is the diverse range of species you can see here. 

As well as the likes of the common squirrel monkey, marmosets, lemurs, the golden lion tamarin monkey, gibbons or the drill monkey, you may also meet colourful exotic birds. Such as the sort of parrots, macaws and parakeets native to Central and South America or beautiful toucans. Also found among the park’s unspoiled surroundings are reptiles, including giant tortoises and iguanas and hundreds of cute guinea pigs. Check out the current list of fauna on the official website.

In addition to endangered species and breeding pairs, this natural environment is also home to some interesting island flora, particularly cacti. If you’re keen on the conservation of endangered animal species and prefer not to see big cats stalking around their cages, choosing Monkey Park can ensure you have a great visit. 

Read on to find out about Monkey Park tickets, opening times, feeding procedures and insider tips. Then you can decide whether this Tenerife attraction is right for you. 

General Information

Monkey Park is located near the resort of Los Cristianos. It’s therefore easy to reach from all Tenerife South resorts, such as Playa de las Americas and Costa Adeje.

Location: Google Maps

Opening hours: The park is open to the public daily from 09:30 to 16:00.
Tickets: Adults: 10€
Children from 5 to 12 years old: 5€
Children under 5 – free.

You can purchase tickets online or at the gate. The park offers easy access for buggies and wheelchairs.

Feeding the Animals

While zoos are not permitted to allow visitors to feed animals, Monkey Park is different. Don’t bring your own food, though, as that sold here for 3 euros has been specially prepared. So any fresh fruit you have is best kept for the kids. 

Don’t be tempted to break these rules. Surveillance equipment will soon catch you out. If this happens you’d be escorted to the exit by security. The rules are in place to protect the health of the creatures. 

You can feed only the animals that you’re in the enclosure with. This may mean feeding greedy guinea pigs rather than primates. Don’t be put off by this: feeding guinea pigs is great fun for kids of all ages: even the smallest ones. We’ve been to the park three times already, and every time it’s a big hit with our children.

If you do get lucky, you may also be able to feed creatures like little monkeys and lemurs during your visit. You will find, though, that the guinea pigs are always interested in getting more food, while the other animals might be sleeping or lounging around. 

Tips for Visiting Monkey Park

1. This is not a large zoo, and can be visited in just an hour. Most visitors, though, will spend an average of 2 hours at the park.
2. To get the most out of communicating with and feeding the lemurs and monkeys, it’s best to come to Monkey Park in the morning or the evening. Otherwise, the monkeys and lemurs may already be full of food – and very sleepy.
3. Animals can only be touched at Monkey Park if the creatures themselves show an interest in the visitor. Never try to pick up a lemur or monkey. If the animal wants to, it can jump to you. Letting the creature take the lead significantly reduces your chances of being bitten. Don’t forget that lemurs, monkeys and other inhabitants of the park are, first and foremost, wild animals.

How to Get to Monkey Park

Monkey Park is located in the southern part of the island. It’s 1.5 miles (or 2.5 kilometres) from the resort of Los Cristianos. You can get there by car or taxi, or even on foot. There is no Monkey Park bus service and there are no bus stops close to the zoo.

On Foot from Los Cristianos

Depending on precisely where your Los Cristianos starting point is, the park is around 1.5 to 2 miles (or 2.5 to 3 kilometres) away. The walk should take around 30 to 40 minutes.

The path leading in this direction leads you uphill, so the ascent is steeply angled. For this reason, you need to objectively assess your family’s level of endurance and physical fitness. Part of the route also involves walking through an underground tunnel. 

Here is an example of the route when setting from the main bus station in Los Cristianos.

By Car

Monkey Park can be reached via a 10-minute drive from Costa Adeje. The car trip takes 8 minutes from Playa de las Americas, and 5 minutes from Los Cristianos.

There is a large car park near the animal park.

By Taxi

The cost of a taxi depends on the location you’re coming from. From Los Cristianos the price will be about 6 euros, while from Playa las Americas you’re looking at 10 euros or a little more. The exact sum varies according to which part of the resort you’re staying in. 

Getting a taxi back is never a problem, as there will most likely be one waiting at the entrance. If not, you can always ask the friendly staff at the park to call one for you.