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Opening times:
The aquarium at La Rochelle is open every day including weekends and public holidays.
April-June and September: 9am-8pm
July and August: 9am-11pm
October – March: 10am-8pm
The aquarium has good access for the disabled.
Where is it?
Quai Louis Prunier, La Rochelle,
Tel: (0)5 46 34 00 00
La Palmyre zoo near Royan – a real animal kingdom in the Poitou-Charentes
The zoo at La Palmyre near Royan has been one of the most-visited attractions in Poitou-Charentes ever since it opened in 1966. A family affair from the start, the La Palmyre Zoo has gone from strength to strength at its attractive forest location near the beaches of the Charente-Maritime thanks to its policy of keeping its animals in as natural a setting as possible. Today it is the most popular private zoo in France.
www.zoo-palmyre.fr
Zoodyssée - zoo and animal park in the forêt de Chizé in the Deux-Sèvres
Nature and the environment are key themes at Zoodyssée zoo and animal park in the Deux-S￨vres.For one thing this popular 25-hectare nature park is set in beautiful countryside amid the forest of Chizé. Moreover the wildlife park, which has around 500 animals from 60 different European species, places great emphasis on protecting endangered species and promoting biodiversity.Indeed, Zoodyssée is proud of the fact that it was the first animal park in France to be awarded the ISO 140001 standard for all its environmental actions, from sorting rubbish to the way it handles water and saves energy. Of course the main attractions of Zoodyssée are its own animals. These range from foxes, wolves and bison, to ibex, wild boar, badgers, vultures, porcupine, lynx, the Konik horse from Poland
www.zoodyssee.org
Les Antilles at Jonzac – indoor water park in the Charente-Maritime
Even in the sunny Charente-Maritime it can get chilly in the winter. That's perhaps why the huge Les Antilles water park at Jonzac is so popular. This indoor aquatic centre is one of the largest of its type in Europe, offering not just all-year-round swimming but slides, water toboggans, indoor beaches, beauty and fitness centres, tropical surroundings and great eating too.
www.lesantillesdejonzac.com
Futuroscope
If your idea of a great day out is a mix of rides that make you scream plus jaw-dropping 3D films that take you white-water rafting across the Nile, then to the depths of the ocean and even into outer space, Futuroscope is made for you. The theme park is the top attraction in the Poitou-Charentes and second in France, and has an impressive 70% visitor return rate.
Created just over 20 years ago the 60-hectare park, with its landscaped gardens and fountains, contains a number of futuristic-looking pavilions in which the films and rides are housed. One-fifth of the 23 attractions are refreshed every two years but every year there is something new.
This year’s everyone’s talking about ‘Les Animaux du Future’ (‘The Future Is Wild’) which uses the latest in 3D technology to create a world of the future. Seated on a moving cart and holding special viewing binoculars, visitors see creatures that may be inhabiting earth in five, 100 and 200 millions years time. A special sensory bracelet allows visitors to reach out their hand and ‘touch’ the animals as well as throw them food.
www.futuroscope.com
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