Walk on the wild side

Magical glimpses of Welsh wildlife are found throughout the Welsh Mountain Zoo including red squirrels, pine martens, golden eagles and fallow deer, whilst the natural Zoo is home to badgers, and many species of small mammals and wild birds.

Spring and summer see vivid splashes of colour throughout the Zoo with the blooming of many rare and unusual plants and flowers both native to North Wales and provided from expeditions to far-flung corners of the planet. From its hilltop perch the Zoo is a superb vantage point to observe the old and new course of the Conwy estuary, seeing the impact of Ice Age glaciation.

The flora and fauna of the Welsh countryside has a far wider range than you might expect! Pili Palas/Butterfly Palace & Nature World is Wales’s premier showcase for free-flying tropical butterflies. This ‘zoo in miniature’ offers something different around every corner: industrious leafcutting ants and ‘creepy crawlies’ that are enthralling to observe close-up: millipedes, cockroaches and scorpions, water dragons, iguanas and huge snakes. There are birds and small mammals too.

Important National Collections are held at Bodnant Garden: Magnolias, Eucryphias, Rhododendron forrestii and Embothriums. Magnificent specimens of native and introduced trees abound, including the UK’s largest Giant Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Terrace Gardens, including the graceful Canal with a Mill at one end and an open air stage at the other, and a lily pond (flanked by two magnificent cedars) are among many interesting features.

The Dell Garden is a tranquil place with sunlight filtering through towering trees and the river winding its way seawards. At Portmeirion the buildings are linked by delightful gardens and trees, and Y Gwyllt is a display woodland with paths among lakes, choice trees and dense vegetation.

woodland tranquility and life beneath the waves