We have visited North Wales nearly every Summer for as long as I can remember and there is so much to see and do here with incredible beaches, historic castles, awesome cafés and restaurants and brilliant family friendly days out and attractions. This year we have stayed at a great family friendly and dog friendly hotel in Snowdonia, and found some amazing North Wales family friendly campsites too. Over the Summer we stayed in Abergele and headed to the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay during our stay. Read on for our honest Welsh Mountain Zoo review.
Ad – We were provided with tickets to the Welsh Mountain Zoo in return for a full blog review
Welsh Mountain Zoo Review
This is our first visit to the Welsh Mountain Zoo and we had such a lovely day. We arrived early at around 10 am. We were provided with a map of the zoo on arrival and there were plenty of parking spaces available. Parking is free. The zoo is not a huge zoo but there is plenty of animals to see, and everywhere is really clearly signposted and easy to find. I took a photo of the demonstrations and Species Talk Timetable by the gift shop so that we didn’t miss any talks. The zoo is in a beautiful and picturesque location, with around 37 acres of green landscape and overlooks Colwyn Bay and the Carneddau mountains in North Wales.
What animals are there at the Welsh Mountain Zoo?
There is so much to see and do here. We absolutely loved the penguins and this was our first talk of the day. They come so close to the visitors and the talk is really informative. My next favourite was the sea lions who are so cheeky and make so many loud noises such as barks, honks and roars.
You will also find chimpanzee, fallow deer, otter, meerkat, brown bear and red panda and flamingo to name just a few!
There is a reptile house with a collection of reptiles and amphibians including snakes, stick insects and the incredible Golden Poison Dart Frog!
We spent quite a bit of time with the Chimpanzees and Spider Monkeys, they are incredibly engaging and we loved watching how they interact with each other and swing around the trees and ropes.
Welsh Mountain Zoo Opening Times
The Spring/Summer months (31st March 2024 – 26th October 2024) the Zoo opens at 9.30 and closes at 6pm, with the last entry 4.50pm. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is open all year, every day except Christmas Day.
Welsh Mountain Zoo Prices
It is cheaper if you purchase your tickets online in advance with prices starting at £18.23 for an adults and £13.73 for children ages 3-15. A family tickets to include 2 adults and 2 children starts at £57.15 and under 3s are free. For current prices and opening times do check here before you visit.
*prices correct from Summer 2024.
Tips for visiting the Zoo
- Allow at least half a day to enjoy the zoo. Saying that you can easily spend a day here.
- Pack a picnic to keep costs down. There are plenty of places to stop and enjoy a picnic with picnic benches dotted around the zoo.
- The zoo does not allow pet dogs, as this may endanger the welfare of the animals.
- Wear good comfortable shoes as you will do quite a lot of walking around the 37 acre site.
- There are quite a few slopes and steps around the zoo, therefore visitors with mobility constraints may have trouble accessing certain areas of the Zoo. The free map provided highlights the paths best suited to wheelchairs and pushchairs to avoid steps.
- There are places to grab a drink and bite to eat – the penguin cafe with panoramic views of the zoo offers sandwiches, paninis and salads, coffee, tea, cold drinks and hot chocolates. The Safari restaurants offers hot and cold snacks including nuggets and chips.
- The zoo shop has a variety of items including soft toys, books, and zoo merchandise that I thought were quite reasonably priced.
Welsh Mountain Address
We travelled to the Welsh Mountain Zoo from Abergele, and the zoo is really conveniently situated just off the A55 Expressway – exit at Junction 20 Rhos-on-Sea. The Zoo is situated approximately ½ a mile from the town of Colwyn Bay. The Zoo is really clearly signposted from the junction and there is a large car park – parking is free.
Welsh Mountain Zoo
Old Highway,
Colwyn Bay,
Conwy,
LL28 5UY
For more information and to purchase tickets – visit the Welsh Mountain Zoo online
Disclosure – We have been gifted tickets in exchange for a Welsh Mountain Zoo review. All honest thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.