Lisbon Zoo

Lisbon, Portugal is a fascinating city. It has a nightlife fit for party-folk as well as a culture that's hard to beat. During my recent visit to Lisbon, I decided to head to the Lisbon Zoo for a day.

Now, you might be wondering why I would want to go to a zoo? I mean, they have those everywhere, right?

Well, you're absolutely right. They are everywhere. In fact, there's one not an hour from my house. However, it had been around 15 years since I had been to a zoo, so I figured that it was as good a time as any to go to one.

It was certainly a different experience going to a zoo in a foreign country than from what I remember it being in the United States.

Upon entering, my attention was immediately drawn to some zebras. My first thought was one of pity for those poor animals. It did not seem like the enclosure was all that well taken care of. And as I made my way through the zoo, I felt the same sentiment.

After I adjusted to the less-than-adequate surroundings, I began to enjoy myself. The zoo itself is designed so that you always seem to stumble upon a new enclosure. I was trying to snake my way through the entire zoo, but I found it slightly difficult because there were so many routes that took me every-which way. Now, I'm not complaining about that. I actually really enjoyed it.

One of the more entertaining highlights of the trip was the dolphin show. A few times a day four dolphins perform a water show to a usually standing-room-only crowd. It was a great 30 minutes spent. They even brought out a few sea lions for some tricks.

The other main highlight can be seen in the picture above. It's a free cable car that tours around the zoo for about 20 minutes. I honestly expected to have to pay money for it, but it's absolutely free.

You can see just about every enclosure from the air. It also gives you a great view of Lisbon perched from on high. Since I went near the end of my trip, I managed to spot the few places that I had missed through my wanderings around the zoo. So, I ended the day visiting those spots.

Now, going to a zoo certainly isn't on everyone's agenda when on vacation - that I completely understand. And I don't blame anyone for blatantly ignoring this post. But - I did have a great time and think that it was a day well spent.