Lovely animals, chaotic layout

I’ve been to Loro Parque quite a few times over the years, and there are things I still really enjoy and a few things that haven’t changed. The gorillas are always a highlight for me. There’s one who absolutely knows he’s the main event and sits right at the front of the glass like he’s posing for everyone. I could watch him for ages. Same with the sea lions. You can really see how much the keepers care for them, and it’s lovely to watch that interaction. What I don’t enjoy is the photo gauntlet at the entrance. The staff are very pushy with it, and it creates a huge bottleneck before you’ve even got into the park properly. It’s not a great start, especially when it’s busy. And it was busy when we went on Friday. The park itself is beautiful, but it’s obvious it wasn’t designed for the number of people it now gets. The paths are narrow, steep and winding, and even after five visits I still find myself lost. Add in grown adults pushing past kids, people stopping dead in front of enclosures to take endless photos, and couples staging full photoshoots. Courtesy seems to have gone out the window. If you go in expecting that, you’ll cope fine. One thing I wish they’d improve is seating. There’s hardly anywhere to sit unless you’re buying food, and those spots fill up fast. A shaded picnic area would make a huge difference. Animal wise, everything looked well cared for and content. The only part I struggle with is the orcas. I watched Blackfish years ago and it’s stayed with me. I can see how much the keepers adore them, and the park talks about the calf born in 2025 as proof of their wellbeing, but I still find it hard to reconcile. The collapsed dorsal fins are something I can’t ignore, and I do think in ten years we’ll look back and wonder why we kept such huge, intelligent animals in tanks for so long. Overall, there are still lovely parts of Loro Parque, but it’s worth going in with realistic expectations about crowds, queues and the layout.