Mexico is a great region to enjoy many fun and educational experiences that are perfect for the entire family or the solo explorer, including notable zoos and aquariums.
So whether your taste runs to relaxing on a tropical beach and experiencing the aquatic life, touring ancient ruins, incredible culture, vibrant cities, Mayan temples, colonial towns, magic pueblos, or world-famous cuisine, Mexico provides a treasure trove of experiences.
Contents
- Best Zoos & Aquariums in Mexico
- Interactive Aquarium, Cancun
- Africam Safari, Puebla
- Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz, Veracruz
- Croco Cun, Puerto Morelos
- Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro, Tuxtla Gutierrez
- Acuario Mazatlan, Mazatlan
- Zoologico Guadalajara, Guadalajara
- Zoologico de Vallarta, Mismaloya
- Acuario Michin, Puebla
- Xaman Ha Aviary, Playa del Carmen
- 10 Best Zoos & Aquariums in Mexico – Summary Table
- Mexico Safety Overview
- Frequently Asked Questions
Best Zoos & Aquariums in Mexico
Interactive Aquarium, Cancun
The Interactive Aquarium provides guests of all ages with an incredible opportunity to interact with sea urchins, rays, and echinoderms.
Visitors can swim with a dolphin or feed sharks (locked in an underwater cage) in this hands-on aquarium.
Enjoy a fantastic adventure at the Cancun Interactive Aquarium, all while learning about these beautiful species.
Perfect for solo exploration, school trips, and family adventures, guests can enjoy educational videos and documentaries to learn more about the marine world.
And the iPad Area is a kid-centered area featuring interactive activities that foster and promote the care of marine life.
Open, 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. daily.
Want to Swim with Dolphins?
Visit the Interactive Aquarium, located inside La Isla Shopping Village.
Africam Safari, Puebla
Africam Safari, opened in 1972 by Captain Carlos Camacho Espíritu, is a park where animals can develop and reproduce their species in areas resembling their habitat in the wild, with approximately 2500 animals of 350 species who make the Africam Safari their home.
Visitors can become immersed in animal habitats.
Here, the creatures freely roam, and guests can view them from their cars or guided buses.
Experience habitats like the American steppes, African Savannah, Tropical Jungle, Tiger Lake, Mexican Forest, Lion Territory, and a walk-through adventure zone.
Professional organizations, such as WAZA and AZA, accredit Africam Safari.
Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz, Veracruz
Enjoy viewing thousands of specimens in ten exhibitions that captivate your senses and make your visit an incredible experience.
In addition, educational and informative kiosks promote the importance of the natural wonders that coastal ecosystems maintain and are designed to raise awareness, respect, and conservation of the region’s vital flora and fauna.
Besides the exhibitions, the Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz also hosts events.
Examples of events include: “Importance of Manatees,” where attendees learn what manatees contribute to preserving the balance of vegetation in ecosystems, and “Night Camp,” which offers kids an opportunity to observe animals’ nocturnal habits and habitats!
Croco Cun, Puerto Morelos
Come to Croco Cun for a fun and educational experience that’s fun and informative for the entire family.
With the help of our guides, guests interact and feed some animals while learning fascinating facts and aspects of the local fauna, and, for those brave enough, come and take a walk among crocodiles!
Capture all the photos you like as you find amazing animals in a natural environment.
Meet diverse species, including vulnerable animal populations, and discover the ways we are learning to protect them.
Note: Watch the top branches of the trees, the residence of a troop of wild spider monkeys who enjoy playing and hanging out there.
The interactive tour, where visitors may touch and feed a wide variety of local fauna and even walk among crocodiles, lasts approximately 60-75 minutes.
Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro, Tuxtla Gutierrez
Located in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro, in the reserve of El Zapotal, the zoo offers a media room, a library, a cafeteria, and a dining area.
Relish tours over roadways with only regional species: scarlet macaws, resplendent quetzals, tapirs, white-tailed deer, pumas, jaguars, ocelots, neotropical otters, Mexican spider monkeys, a reptile house, turtles, three species of crocodilian, and an insect house: and wait, there’s more!
Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro is the only place to lodge and breed resplendent quetzals in captivity; the program goal is to release them into the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve.
Acuario Mazatlan, Mazatlan
The Mazatlán Aquarium offers a variety of marine life that covers a range of species and exhibits across over 50 tanks!
Exhibitions include an interactive stingray pool, a lovebird aviary, a turtle museum, and more.
So, come and see the sea horses of the deep blue sea!
Shows cover topics including everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how divers interact with marine life, answering your most perplexing bird questions with amazing avian demonstrations.
And then, there’s catching the amusing antics of the sea lion at play.
Special packages, including extraordinary experiences such as swimming with sea lions–or sharks!–are offered for additional fees or seasonally.
Open every day, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Zoologico Guadalajara, Guadalajara
Experience a zoo nestled on 50 hectares and surrounded by native flora.
Plus, guests can see a chachalaca, a capybara, and a blue wildebeest at the Zoologico Guadalajara in the Barranca de Huentitán.
Attractions include the following:
Guadalajara Aquarium: Delve into the depths of the fascinating marine world, where visitors will have the sensation of being submerged in the clear waters of a river or coral reef.
Encounter freshwater fish, including cichlids, alligators, and gars.
Or meet marine fish, from surgeonfish to clown fish, and investigate invertebrates and sharks in this immersive experience of the great bodies of water that nourish and sustain us.
Masai Mara Safari: The Guadalajara Zoo invites visitors to “discover Africa” in the Masai Mara Safari, an immersive way to interact with animals and a unique experience.
Sky Zoo: Experience a novel zoo view: from above!
Take a lovely panoramic view while traveling high above gorillas, bison, wolves, lions, Monkeyland, and more!
Zoologico de Vallarta, Mismaloya
Providing residents, as well as national and international visitors, a venue to facilitate understanding the goals of today’s modern zoos rests on the pillars of providing visitors with educational experiences with the region’s lush and diverse flora and fauna.
The mission of the Zoologico de Vallarta is to promote and develop a conscious understanding and commitment to preserve and enrich our knowledge of the relationship between humans and the environment.
Acuario Michin, Puebla
Acuario Michin Puebla is committed to being a key factor worldwide in promoting and teaching environmental sustainability.
Here, guests learn, have fun, and more, in one of the most modern and innovative conservation centers.
Meet unique species of the marine and terrestrial world differently while having an incredible time with all the activities you can do with us.
Pavilions include Open sea, Mangrove swamp, Reef, Rivers and Lakes, Jungle, and Forest!
Xaman Ha Aviary, Playa del Carmen
Xaman Ha Aviar is a serene and beautiful natural setting with stone and concrete trails where guests can view birds, including parrots, flamingos, macaws, ducks, and more.
This park is a natural look at what the area would look like in its environment.
It features birds that are indigenous to the Yucatan Peninsula.
The birds are cage-free and sit on limbs or walk around ponds, and one enclosure houses birds and guests are welcome to visit it.
So, whether visiting in the cool morning, the shade of the afternoon, or late afternoon, when some avian inhabitants come home to roost, each part of the day offers its own distinct enjoyment.
Open every day, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
10 Best Zoos & Aquariums in Mexico – Summary Table
| Zoos & Aquariums | Address |
|---|---|
| Interactive Aquarium, Cancun | Blvd. Kukulcan 12.5, La Isla, Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico |
| Africam Safari, Puebla | Oasis, Carretera al Oasis 17302-22, Blvd. Capitán Carlos Camacho Espíritu Km 16.5, Oasis, 72960 Puebla, Pue., Mexico |
| Aquarium of the Port of Veracruz, Veracruz | Blvd. Manuel Ávila Camacho S/n, Ricardo Flores Magón, 91900 Veracruz, Ver., Mexico |
| Croco Cun, Puerto Morelos | Carr. Cancún - Tulum Km 31, 77580 Puerto Morelos, Q.R., Mexico |
| Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro, Tuxtla Gutierrez | Calz. Cerro Hueco s/n, El Zapotal, 29094 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chis., Mexico |
| Acuario Mazatlan, Mazatlan | Av. de los Deportes 111, Tellería, 82017 Mazatlán, Sin., Mexico |
| Zoologico Guadalajara, Guadalajara | C. P.º del Zoológico 600, Huentitán El Alto, 44390 Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico |
| Zoologico de Vallarta, Mismaloya | Camino.t, Camini Al Eden 700, Mismaloya, 48294 Jal., Mexico |
| Acuario Michin, Puebla | Parque Puebla, Calz. Ignacio Zaragoza local C, Corredor Industrial la Ciénega, 72220 Puebla, Pue., Mexico |
| Xaman Ha Aviary, Playa del Carmen | P.º Xaman - Ha, Galaxia del Carmen II, 77717 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico |
Mexico Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Mexico Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: HIGH
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some of the best places in Mexico to visit?
Mexico is a beautifully diverse country with many ecosystems.
Whether you’re looking for big city excitement or small village serenity, mountain terrain, or ocean views, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
That said, some famous tourist spots include Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Mexico City, Mazatlan, Cozumel, Ixtapa, Cancun, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and Puebla.
What are some of the most important Mexican holidays and celebrations?
Mexico is big on tradition.
Many holidays are celebrated across the land, and some festivities are local traditions.
Some of the most important occasions include the following: New Year’s Eve: December 31-January 1; Dia de Muertos/Day of the Dead: October 31-November 2; Mexican Independence Day: September 16; Cinco de Mayo: May 5; Carnival: Late February; The week of Easter; Christmas: December 24-25.
What are three fun facts about Mexico?
The challenge here is limiting fun facts to three!
- Mexican cuisine deserves respect: In 2010, UNESCO added Mexican cuisine to the Immaterial World Cultural Heritage list.
- Mexico City is constructed on a lake and sinks approximately 12cm annually.
- The country in Latin America that’s the most visited? You guessed it, Mexico.
Bonus fact: The world’s largest pyramid, at 66 meters, is the pyramid of Cholula in Puebla.
What are some local animals in Mexico?
Mexico’s range of wildlife and animals is immense, and the country possesses a tremendous range of creatures in its diverse ecosystems, ranging from armadillos to eagles.
Some exciting animals that visitors might see include:
Axolotls: Colloquially called walking fishes, these delightfully unusual-looking creatures are technically amphibians, and they live in the rivers and lakes of central Mexico, primarily Xochimilco. Unfortunately, axolotls are in dire danger of extinction and are rarely seen in the wild.
In need of conservation and protection, they’re now bred for research purposes.
Mexican Spinytail Iguana: This medium-sized lizard is found mainly in the west of Mexico.
When the stars come out, it’s The Night of the Iguana!
Anteaters: The two species of anteater, the nocturnal tamanduas, and the giant anteaters reside in southeastern Mexico’s forests and grasslands.
Jaguars: residing primarily in Mexico’s Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, home to the most significant population of jaguars outside of the Amazon.
Opossums: The only marsupials living in North America and Mexico, opossums make their homes in rainforests and deciduous forests.
Mexican Prairie Dogs: live in massive colonies in northeastern Mexico.
Sea Turtles: Arrive at the Bay of Akumal in the Mexican Caribbean in the spring and summer to lay their eggs.
Donkeys: Everyone loves donkeys, and in Mexico, their number is estimated at three million; the Spanish name for the donkey is “burro.”
Mexican Wolves: One of the rarest subspecies of the grey wolf in the world makes Mexico its abode.
