The Best Zoos & Aquariums in France

Caves and quarries

Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine is built into old troglodyte quarries, with rock walls, caves and large aviaries. The caves keep the paths shaded, and giraffe feedings are a main draw.

Mountainside parks

Parc Animalier des Pyrénées in Argelès-Gazost is on a mountainside, with a shaded path that climbs the slope. Walk-in enclosures for goats and marmots sit beside overnight lodges with wolves, bears and red pandas. Parc Animalier d'Auvergne in Ardes focuses on endangered species in large natural enclosures, and a small train climbs to the top of its hillside trail.

Shows and aviaries

Zoo La Palmyre in Les Mathes has a sea lion show and a parrot show, and its giraffe and otter feedings are a main draw. ZooParc de Beauval in Saint-Aignan has a large equatorial dome, a greenhouse and a walk through aviaries. Its bird show and a cable car cross the grounds.