A family-friendly day out with conservation at its core — ideal for younger guests and multi-generational stays. A good choice when you want a structured day with easy pacing and variety.
The Welsh Mountain Zoo is the National Zoo of Wales -- the oldest and most established zoo in the country, perched high above Colwyn Bay on a 37-acre site of woodland and gardens with panoramic views over the coast and the Carneddau mountains. It is about fifteen minutes by car from Llandudno and makes for an excellent full day out, particularly for families.
The zoo was founded by Robert Jackson, a lifelong wildlife enthusiast and naturalist who opened its doors on 18 May 1963 on the site of Flagstaff Gardens, a beautiful area of hillside woodland under council ownership that he negotiated to develop into a conservation-focused zoo. From the beginning Jackson concentrated on rare and unusual species and pioneered new approaches to animal presentation, including free-flying birds of prey. In 2008 the zoo was officially recognised as the National Zoological Society of Wales.
Today the collection includes snow leopards, red pandas, chimpanzees, brown bears, Humboldt penguins, sea lions, meerkats, lemurs, reptiles and much more -- over 140 species in total. Daily talks and feeding sessions run throughout the day, including the popular sea lion and chimpanzee encounters. There are adventure play areas including Jungle Adventureland and the Tarzan Trail, a children farm area, and a newly opened Papilio Forest butterfly house where tropical butterflies fly freely around visitors.
Conservation is central to the zoo mission -- it participates in international breeding programmes for endangered species and its gardens also conserve rare plants and flora from around the world. Wooded pathways wind around the hillside, and the views from the upper sections of the site are genuinely spectacular.
Why Go
- Highly rated by our guests
- Easy to reach from The Rosedene
- Suitable for all guests
