Zoos

Bioparc Zoo de Doué

A zoo laid out in former troglodyte quarries. Founded in 1961 in Doué-la-Fontaine, about twenty kilometres from Saumur, the Bioparc covers 17 hectares in the heart of former stone quarries, which gives it a distinctive troglodyte character. It is home…

Océarium du Croisic

An aquarium presenting marine life, from the Atlantic to the tropics. Located near the port of Le Croisic, 400 metres from the sea, the Océarium is one of the largest private aquariums in France. Covering 1,700 m², it is home…

Réserve Africaine de Sigean

A 300-hectare park, visited first by car and then on foot, presenting more than 3,800 animals. Founded by Paul de La Panouse and Daniel de Monfreid, the Réserve Africaine de Sigean lies on the Mediterranean coast, between Narbonne and Perpignan,…

Planet Ocean Montpellier

An aquarium devoted to the seas and oceans of the world, the former Mare Nostrum aquarium is located in the Odysseum leisure area in Montpellier. Opened in 2007, it merged in 2018 with the neighbouring Galilée planetarium: the complex is…

Zoo de La Flèche

Zoo presenting more than 1,000 animals in a historic wooded park. Founded in 1946 by the naturalist Jacques Bouillault on the Tertre-Rouge hill, south-east of La Flèche, in Sarthe, it was the first private zoo opened in France after the…

Planète Sauvage

A safari park to explore by car and on foot over more than 80 hectares, Planète Sauvage is located in Port-Saint-Père, near Nantes, in Loire-Atlantique. Opened in 1992 as the Safari Africain, it has borne its current name since 1998.…

Zoo de Cerza

Zoological park of nearly 80 hectares, with a safari by little train among animals in semi-freedom. Founded in 1986 in Hermival-les-Vaux, near Lisieux, in Calvados, Cerza (Centre d’étude et de reproduction zoologique augeron) is home to some 1,500 animals of…

Zoo de La Palmyre

One of the most visited zoos in France, La Palmyre Zoo is home to more than 1,500 animals over 18 hectares. Founded in 1966 by Claude Caillé and still owned by his family, it lies within the seaside resort of…

Aquarium La Rochelle

One of the largest private aquariums in Europe, facing the Old Port. At this location since 2001, the Aquarium La Rochelle presents more than 12,000 marine animals of 600 species in 3 million litres of seawater, half of it for…

Aquarium de Paris – Cinéaqua

Urban aquarium presenting some 500 marine species, with a cinema room. Set beneath the Chaillot hill, between the Trocadéro gardens and the Seine, the Aquarium de Paris occupies former quarries. A first aquarium was created here in 1878; closed in…

Parc du Marquenterre

Bird reserve in the Bay of the Somme, a stopover for a great many birds. Located on the northern edge of the bay, the Parc du Marquenterre lies within the Baie de Somme national nature reserve. It has been open…

Nausicaá

Europe’s largest aquarium, dedicated to the ocean and its biodiversity. Opened in 1991 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, between the beach and the harbour, Nausicaá, the French national sea centre, is a centre for discovering the marine environment. Its “Journey to the High…

Zoo de Lille

A municipal zoo right in the heart of the city. Opened in 1950 and owned by the City of Lille, the zoo lies in the Vauban-Esquermes district, at the foot of the citadel. It presents more than 350 animals of…

A Cupulatta

A park dedicated to tortoises and turtles, presenting one of the largest collections in Europe. Established in 1998 in Vero, Corse-du-Sud, near Ajaccio, A Cupulatta is devoted to breeding, studying and protecting land and freshwater turtles from all over the…

Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix

130-hectare park dedicated to European wildlife living in semi-freedom. Opened in 1980 in Rhodes, in Moselle, at the heart of the Lorraine regional nature park, the Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix is home to more than 1,500 animals of 130 species.…

Grand Aquarium de Touraine

Europe’s largest freshwater aquarium, with species from rivers all over the world. Formerly known as the Aquarium du Val de Loire, it is now called the Grand Aquarium de Touraine. Located in Lussault-sur-Loire, between Tours and Amboise, near the Loire,…

Parc animalier de Boutissaint

A 400-hectare park dedicated to European wildlife living in semi-freedom. Located in Puisaye, on the estate of the Château de Boutissaint, it was created in 1968 by Pierre-Elie Borione and was the first wildlife viewing park in France. The forest…

Océanopolis

A large discovery park devoted to marine ecosystems, from polar to tropical. Opened in 1990 near the Moulin-Blanc marina in Brest, Océanopolis is a science centre dedicated to the ocean, combining an aquarium, a science centre and a planetarium. The…