Kangaroos bound, cheetahs run, and monkeys and gibbons leap and scream on wooded islands at this huge outdoor zoo, where the animals roam without a cage or fence in sight. A tour train (on wheels, not tracks) runs a circuit round the park every 15 minutes in high season (one-way/return €1/2), but the 2km circular walk offers a more close-up experience. Last admission is 1½ hours before closing.
Fota Wildlife Park
County Cork
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.19 MILES
This imposing former prison is well worth a visit, if only to get a sense of how awful life was for prisoners a century ago. An audio tour (€2 extra)…
15.72 MILES
One of Europe's best-preserved star-shaped artillery forts, this vast 17th-century fortification would be worth a visit for its spectacular views alone…
7.13 MILES
The English Market – so called because it was set up in 1788 by the Protestant or ‘English’ corporation that then controlled the city (there was once an…
4.06 MILES
This low-lying green island in Cork Harbour was once an important part of the port's defences, topped by an 18th-century artillery fort. In the second…
25.19 MILES
The ruins of Ireland's oldest Christian settlement occupy a striking setting on a hill above Ardmore, strewn with gravestones both ancient and new. The…
23.45 MILES
Although Lismore Castle itself is not open to the public, the 3 hectares of ornate and manicured gardens are well worth a visit. Thought to be the oldest…
7.09 MILES
Cork's public gallery houses a small but excellent permanent collection covering the 17th century through to the modern day, though the works on display…
11.55 MILES
If you need proof of the power of a good yarn, then join the queue to get into this 15th-century castle, one of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions…
Nearby County Cork attractions
1. Fota House Arboretum & Gardens
0.29 MILES
Guided tours of Regency-style Fota House focus on the original kitchen and ornate plasterwork ceilings, but the real highlight here is the 150-year-old…
2.78 MILES
Dramatically perched on a hillside terrace above Cobh, this massive French Gothic Cathedral is out of all proportion to the town. Its most exceptional…
2.87 MILES
The original White Star Line offices, where 123 passengers embarked on (and one lucky soul absconded from) the RMS Titanic, now house this powerful…
2.87 MILES
Model ships, paintings, photographs and curious artefacts tracing Cobh's history fill this small but engaging museum. It's housed in the 19th-century…
2.91 MILES
The howl of the storm almost knocks you off-balance, there's a bit of fake vomit on the deck, and the people in the pictures all look pretty miserable –…
4.06 MILES
This low-lying green island in Cork Harbour was once an important part of the port's defences, topped by an 18th-century artillery fort. In the second…
4.1 MILES
Blackrock Castle is a restored 16th-century castle that now, rather incongruously, hosts a small hands-on science centre, an inflatable planetarium and a…
6.24 MILES
Coachloads pour in to tour this restored 200-year-old distillery building. Exhibits and 75-minute tours (run between 10am and 4pm) explain the process of…