Le Beffroi sur Ardes

A very beautiful park, with many different and truly endangered species, living in spaces adapted to their needs. We're from the Auvergne region, so we come quite often throughout the year with our annual passes. Having known it for a long time, we've seen its evolution and can't wait for 2028! We warmly recommend this park, where respect for animals is truly evident.

Beautiful park with regular spaces for children

Without a doubt, the most beautiful animal park I’ve ever seen. What makes Animal Park Auvergne so special is that the animals are given as much natural space and environment as possible, rather than simply being placed in enclosures. And in some areas, you can actually walk through the animals’ habitat, including the ring-tailed lemurs and mountain goats. You can get surprisingly close to the animals, while still feeling like you’re visiting their world rather than a collection of cages. The park itself is spacious, beautifully maintained and has plenty of places to sit and take a break. It’s quite hilly, so you’ll get a workout whether you planned one or not. 😅 But the views over the surrounding Auvergne countryside make the effort worthwhile. Pro tip: take the little train (€3 per person) up the hill and walk your way back down. Your legs will thank you. There’s an impressive variety of animals too: red pandas, otters, giraffes, lions, lemurs, all kinds of deer and reindeer, and a huge variety of monkeys. There’s also loads of genuinely interesting information about the animals, so you actually learn something along the way. The honest bit 💶 The entrance fee is definitely on the expensive side. We paid over €140 for five people, including three children, which is a lot in my opinion (keep in mind I'm Dutch). Buying tickets online in advance saves €3 per person, but be aware: you need to buy them at least three days in advance. The food prices, however, were where things got a little… creative. 😅 A hot dog for almost €10, a panini or croque monsieur for €9, ice creams around €4–5 and €3.50 for a coffee from a machine. At those prices, I was half expecting the vending machine to personally hand me the coffee and tell me about its childhood. Our advice: bring a coolbox and pack a nice lunch. There are plenty of picnic tables throughout the park, and you’ll save a small fortune. Despite the price, we absolutely loved it. The combination of natural habitats, the space given to the animals, the beautiful setting and the chance to get relatively close to some amazing species makes this a genuinely special place. Highly recommended! Just bring your own sandwiches 😉🥪🦁

A very beautiful wildlife park. I recommend a visit to the Chamois-Bouquins wildlife park. Well done to the staff.

Discovering a magnificent wildlife park! It was our first time! We'll definitely be back. However, we did find a few negative points: - Prices seemed a bit excessive for food; €4 for a bottle of water during a heatwave is a real windfall for the owner, especially since, regrettably, there's no drinking water available. - While the park is shaded, we would have appreciated more misting stations. - Empty fridges at 11:30 am, and they tried to sell me a bottle of water at room temperature (37°C) for €4. - Toilets with questionable hygiene from the moment we opened—this is unacceptable! All the soap dispensers were empty! This is unacceptable! We quickly forgot about Covid here. Admittedly, at the entrance they advertised a little train, which was great, I could take my 4-year-old daughter on it, but they didn't tell us it was €3 per person, just for a one-way trip. I might be overly critical on some points, but honestly, it's still a pretty expensive day out.

We loved it! We were passing through Mont Dore, and I had seen this park listed as a must-see. We went right away! As soon as we arrived, we saw the giraffes from the road. The animals are treated with respect, and there are immersive enclosures where you can walk around in their natural habitat. It's truly wonderful to see such respect for nature and animals. Special mention also goes to the little restaurant, "Le Lion Doré," which was excellent. The service and the food were delicious, homemade, and reasonably priced. Watching the peacocks on the terrace was a lovely touch. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit! A must-do!

This is the most beautiful park we've visited as a family. You can see that the animals are happy. The staff are also very kind. We will definitely come back to this park!

A little disappointed because lots of animals were still hiding... probably because of the heat... But the park was very clean and well-maintained.

An unforgettable day in this exceptional park! We chose the "zookeeper for a day" option and were accompanied all morning by Jean, a passionate and engaging man! He managed to convey his love for the animals and the place from the very first minutes. Preparing meals, distributing food, and cleaning the enclosures were truly enjoyable and convivial moments. Adults and children alike were captivated from beginning to end. Pure bliss!!! Thank you, Jean, we will definitely be back very soon. The night at the Manoir des Rêves Sauvages (Manor of Wild Dreams) was just as exceptional: the deer and giraffe rooms... it's a shame it was fully booked for a second night... we'll be back!!!

The park is pleasant during periods of intense heat thanks to the many trees that provide shade and coolness. Be warned if you're not used to walking uphill... it's steep! It's a shame you can't leave the park during your visit to retrieve your picnic cooler; this forces you to eat in the restaurant or at the sandwich shops.