Wild Visit with the park's keepers

What it is

A day at Cabárceno accompanied throughout by a park expert, to see what you cannot see from the car. You enter the brown bear enclosure to find out where they hibernate, visit the elephant stalls, see how veterinary training sessions are done and get close to six large African mammals and some primates. The park leaflet adds a curious detail: finding out how rough a giraffe's tongue is. The visit ends with a diploma certifying the participant as knowledgeable about good practice and respectful of nature.

The idea is to understand how Cabárceno works: a 750-hectare park in a former iron mine, with more than a hundred species and breeding programmes for threatened species, such as the African elephant, which the official map presents as the largest endangered land mammal.

Hours and what is included

According to the park leaflet, the Wild Visit runs from 10:00 to 17:00 and includes lunch and the day's entry. There is a half-day version, the Explorer Visit, from 10:00 to 14:00, also with entry included; its price is confirmed when you book. After the visit you can carry on round the park by yourself: the ticket is valid until sunset, although some animals are brought in from 17:45.

Price and booking

€250 per adult and €125 per child aged 3 to 12; minimum two people, one of them an adult. By advance booking only, on 942 318 950 or at [email protected]. It cannot be done with pets. The leaflet says the visit is also accessible: if someone in the group has reduced mobility, mention it when booking so they can prepare.

Getting there

The park is about 15 minutes from Santander, in the Pisueña valley. The recommended access is the north entrance at Obregón; you can also enter through the village of Cabárceno and through Sobarzo, to the south. The meeting point with the keeper is given when the booking is confirmed. Arrive in good time: the visit starts at 10:00 and the park opens its ticket offices at 9:30 for most of the year, and at 9:00 in July and August.

Who it is for

For families with children from age 3 who are curious about animals and for adults who want to know how a bear or an elephant is looked after. It is an expensive visit compared with the normal ticket, which in low season costs €25 per adult, but it is the only way into the enclosures. If you prefer to go independently, see the park drive, the gondola and the birds of prey display.