Overcrowded, overpriced, and disappointing

We visited Loro Parque with high expectations but left disappointed. There was a huge queue right at the entrance, including mandatory photography of visitors, with no clear explanation of why it was necessary. The park was extremely overcrowded. Wherever there are double doors, only one side is open, creating bottlenecks and making it very slow to move around. As a result, it is almost impossible to get to all the shows on time, and you often end up seeing only parts of them. The animal habitats are clean and the animals appear to be well cared for. However, many can only be viewed through dirty glass covered with fingerprints. We did not see staff monitoring this or intervening when children were loudly banging on the glass. Some animals we were hoping to see were apparently on their annual leave — the red pandas, for example. We enjoyed the aquarium, the parrots, the lions and the orcas. During the orca show, however, the trainer seemed to enjoy repeatedly encouraging them to splash the audience, and we ended up completely soaked from head to toe three times. The park is beautifully designed and landscaped, but feels more like a commercial complex. Restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops are everywhere, and the visitor route even passes straight through the middle of a food outlet. Tickets, food, drinks and souvenirs are expensive, and given the level of organisation, we do not think the prices are justified. During peak season, Loro Parque is definitely more of a tourist trap than an enjoyable zoo experience.