The long awaited reopening of Loro Parque

After thirteen and a half months of being closed and with all the measures required by the current health situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Loro Parque reopened to the public yesterday. About 2,000 people, according to the organization, enjoyed the lush gardens and green spaces, as well as the different species and ecosystems from the five continents.

From the early hours of the morning, and despite the fact that the weather wasn’t that good, people crowded at the main door of Loro Parque on Saturday to be the first to enter, all keeping the proper safety distances and with masks on, an image that was repeated both inside and outside.

Two hours later, when the sun was shining, the influx was increasing. Screaming children, adults carrying bags and all kinds of children's equipment to spend a “long-awaited day” at Tenerife’s number one attraction.

The venue is open from Thursday to Monday to the general public, asc Tuesday and Wednesday is reserved for cruise tourists. For the moment, some of the usual services, such as photographs on the way in are suspended, and until the situation adjusts, there will only be a couple of souvenir shops open, a restaurant and two kiosks. However, visitors are allowed to bring prepared food with them since specific places have been enabled to eat picnics.

Respect for spaces and rules:
In the different shows, the designated spaces were also respected and the park staff who were watching at all times, ensured that the rules imposed by the Health Authorities were respected and called the attention of those who, for example, did not wear their mask correctly: “It's for your own safety” one worker snapped at an English-speaking woman.

The joy was not only for visitors to Loro Parque, but was shared by the workers too. José Luis has been driving the Loro Parque ‘train’ since the summer of 1996. "For me, going back to work today was like a gift from the gods, because I wasn't used to being at home," he confessed.

José Luis has changed the routine of the last year from getting up, going for a walk and watching TV in the afternoon, by going back to his usual job which he missed a lot, just like his colleagues. "I’ve never had problems with clients or workers, they all love me, I know them all, because most of them started after me," he said.

The only thing that has changed in his daily work has to do with safety and hygiene measures. Thus, once the passengers get off the train, they have to clean the seats with hydroalcoholic gel. The service hours have also been modified. Last year it started at 8:45am and ended at 6:45pm and now it starts at 9:30am and ends at 5:30pm. "It is obvious, because there is still not so much tourism," he explained.

Wolfgang Kiessling appreciates the good response of the public:
The president of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling, wanted to be present early in the morning to receive the first visitors. He did it accompanied by his wife, his daughter and his granddaughter, and showed his joy at the good response he had with the decision to reopen the parquet to the public, even the number of visitors is well below the usual capacity.