This summer, Barcelona Zoo has a surprise ready for families looking for plans that are different, educational, and full of excitement: Cuida’ls, an immersive experience that invites children and adults to step into the fascinating world of biodiversity and discover how, together, we can help protect it. Located right next to the entrance by Parc de la Ciutadella, this new space has become a must-stop on any visit to the zoo, and it also works as a climate shelter, offering a cool break on the hottest days.

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Summer at the Zoo: Cuida’ls

Cuida’ls is a 230 m² installation spread across three spaces that invite families to experience biodiversity step by step: a first immersive room where you discover what biodiversity is, guided by fun avatars, and two more rooms with interactive elements designed to move into action and learn how to preserve the natural environment. A journey designed so that, room by room, children and adults move from knowledge to commitment.

Cuida’ls: the new adventure at Barcelona Zoo to discover biodiversity this summer

As soon as you step into Cuida’ls, two very special guides welcome visitors: Alba, a zookeeper, and her companion, a friendly otter. Together they take families on an immersive journey through the history of life on Earth, showing the richness of the planet’s different ecosystems and explaining, in a warm and visual way, the main threats facing biodiversity: poaching, pollution, wildfires, and the overexploitation of natural resources.

Cuída’ls: un viaje sensorial por los orígenes de la vida

This large-format immersive room captivates young children and adults alike, thanks to sweeping images that turn learning into an almost cinematic experience. It’s the perfect gateway to what comes next: moving from knowledge to action.

From spectators to protagonists: illegal trade and conservation

After the immersive journey, Alba and the otter invite families to move on to a second room full of digital and interactive content. Here visitors discover real cases of illegal animal trade and learn about the joint work carried out by organisations, agencies, and security forces such as SEPRONA and the Mossos d’Esquadra to stop this trafficking of wildlife species. Replicas of real seized objects are also on display, a resource that resonates especially with younger visitors and helps convey the scale of the problem.

This room also explains Barcelona Zoo’s role as a centre affiliated with CITES, the international agreement that regulates trade in endangered species and allows the zoo to act as a rescue and shelter centre for animals seized by authorities. Thanks to this commitment, Barcelona Zoo has become a new home for numerous confiscated animals — a lesser-known but essential part of its work.

The interactive elements in this space also let visitors discover the conservation status of different species according to the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). And in a very visual way, some of the conservation projects driven by Barcelona Zoo and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation are explained, aimed at protecting threatened native species — such as the Montseny brook newt conservation project, the TUROCAT project for reintroducing the European polecat, or initiatives to recover populations of Spanish toothcarp, natterjack toads, or the Mediterranean pond turtle.

Moving into action: the families’ commitment

The visit to Cuida’ls ends on a high note in a third space designed to move straight into action. Here families can learn about Barcelona’s Companion Animal Shelter (CAACB) and discover how to help care for the animals it houses. And there’s an activity that will delight the youngest visitors: they can draw an animal that will then be projected, as an avatar, onto the space’s large outdoor screen, simulating its reintroduction into nature. A simple gesture with great meaning, turning children into true protagonists of the commitment to biodiversity.

An experience designed for all ages

One of Cuida’ls’ great strengths is that it was designed with the zoo’s different age groups in mind, with special attention to children and young people. The youngest visitors can get familiar with basic concepts such as what biodiversity is and the main risks it faces, while more in-depth content lets older kids and teens explore these same topics at their own pace.

Cuida’ls also offers a programme of complementary activities and educational proposals aimed at schools, linked to curriculum content, making it a great option for anyone looking for educational plans outside the classroom.

A great plan for this summer in Barcelona

With the arrival of warm weather, Barcelona Zoo becomes one of local families’ favourite plans, and Cuida’ls now adds one more reason to visit again: a cool experience (literally, thanks to its role as a climate shelter), interactive, and carrying a message well worth passing on to the next generation.

Learning through play, being moved by immersive images, and leaving with the motivation to care for the planet: few family experiences manage to combine fun and awareness so well.

So if you’re looking for a family plan for this summer in Barcelona, add Cuida’ls to the list. Between otters, avatars, immersive screens, and a real commitment to nature, a visit to Barcelona Zoo has never been so complete.