Our Family Day Out at Newquay Zoo

We had the day to ourselves today, and since my son loves zoos, we decided to try out a new one — Newquay Zoo. It’s about an hour and forty minutes’ drive from Exeter, really easy to get to, and most importantly, it ticked my son’s essential zoo checklist: penguins, meerkats, and tortoises!

Penguin Talk 🐧

The penguin talk was one of the highlights of the day. We learned so much — like how it’s really common for male penguins to be in same-sex couples. In fact, in mating season, heterosexual penguins often produce two eggs but usually only want to raise one chick. So, once the first egg hatches, the second egg is abandoned — and that’s where the same-sex couples step in. Their job in the colony is to foster the “spare” eggs and raise the chicks as their own.

There were also loads of funny stories and drama (penguins love drama apparently!) alongside some really educational facts, like the importance of making sure the fish we eat is sustainably sourced.

Meerkat Talk 🐾

The meerkat talk was just as brilliant. The keeper was hilarious and gave us a great insight into how the colony works — including who’s in charge and why meerkats are definitely cute but not cuddly. Apparently, the dominant female checks if the electric fence is working by pushing another meerkat into it (poor thing!).

We also learned that the meerkat enclosure is basically a seagull-free zone because gulls have quickly learned that things don’t end well for them if they venture in. Inside their burrows, the meerkats stash all sorts of things they’ve claimed — including seagulls and even iPhones! We even got the chance to feed them, which was such a fun experience.

Animals We Don’t Normally See

Newquay Zoo has quite a few animals that we haven’t come across in other zoos, which made it feel fresh and exciting. Some of our favourites included:

• Dusky pademelons

• Dwarf mongoose

• Prevost’s squirrel

• Visayan warty pigs

• Long-nosed potoroos

Family Favourites ❤️

Here’s what we loved most:

• My son was fascinated by all the different species of frogs — so tiny, bright, and colourful.

• The penguins (of course).

• The tortoises — always a favourite.

• The squirrel monkeys, especially watching them dart around with their babies clinging onto their backs for dear life.

Facilities at the Zoo

• Food & Drink: We brought a picnic, but there were kiosks dotted around selling drinks, ice creams, hot drinks, and snacks. There was a cafe that looked like it sold things like pizzas, jacket potatos and items with chips if you wanted to get something there.

• Seating: Plenty of benches, picnic tables, and grassy spots. Even though it was busy, we still managed to find somewhere to sit for lunch.

• Play Parks: Two great play areas — one with swings, climbing frames, and obstacle courses, and another more natural, wooden-style climbing park.

• Accessibility: The paths are nice and flat, so it’s perfect for prams and wheelchairs.

• Toilets: Loads around the site and all very clean.

• Parking: Easy! There’s a big pay-and-display car park right next to the zoo. We paid £6.80 for all-day parking using the JustPark app. Four hours costs about £4.80 if you’re planning a shorter trip.

• 

Things Nearby

The car park serves a whole Newquay leisure area, so there’s plenty to do if you want to make a day of it: crazy golf, a miniature train play area, a swimming pool, a trampoline park with soft play, and even a skatepark (perfect if you bring scooters along).

Final Thoughts

We had a really lovely time at Newquay Zoo. It’s quite a small zoo, so I wouldn’t say you could spend an entire day here, but 4–5 hours was just right for us.

My biggest tip would be to check in advance which animals they have, especially if your children (like mine) arrive at zoos expecting to see certain favourites and get disappointed if they’re not there.

Almost everything is outdoors (apart from the café and a few seating areas), so if it rains, pack waterproofs — you’ll need them!

If we’re in Newquay again, we’d definitely go back, and probably combine it with some of the other activities right on the doorstep, like the mini golf (review coming soon) or the skatepark at the top of the car park.