Created in 1998, Valley des singes (singes is a monkey in French), is a zoological park dedicated to primates. It aims to be both a place of entertainment and education of the world of primates and of environmental consciousness. The park's main objective has been to contribute to raising awareness in the protection of nature and of the environment.
Valley des singes philosophy
Valley des singes is home to 450 primates in 16 hectares. You will enter the world of primates with no fences, the vast majority of monkeys are free to roam and interact with the humans, only the more dangerous primates have water barriers - for your safety, not theirs !
The main aim of the valley des singes is awareness of issues affecting and endangering primates throughout the world. The park works throughout the globe, through its Conservatory for the Protection of Primates, for the protection of monkeys and their natural environment. Over the years, Monkey valley has become a leader at European level in the proliferation of primates and even worldwide with more than 700 births to date.
Our visits to valley des singes
We have visited valley des singes twice since the children were born. The first time was before Thomas, when Benjamin was a tiny tot of 2. It was a freezing February day, it took longer than we expected to get there (about 1hr30 as we lost our way - there's no major roads/motorways to get to it) ; most of the monkeys were hiding away in the warmth somewhere and the café was closed - so it wasn't a great success. Still, Benjamin enjoyed running freely around the walkways and we did see the odd monkey that we got really close to.
The second time was for Thomas' 10th birthday. He had heard one of the guests in our family holiday cottages talking about how much fun it was and decided that is what he wanted to do for his birthday treat. This time it was a hot August day and we knew the best way to get there so we were off to a better start !
Valley des singes prices and opening times
It's 19€ per adult and 13€ per child age 5 - 12yrs (free under 5). It takes a good 1hr15 to get there, (80km drive in the middle of nowhere) so you really need to love monkeys ! Personally I think the animal park in La Palmyre (about the same drive time) is far better value and far more interesting plus you can tie it up with a few hours on the beach afterwards too. However for our families who have 'done' all the usual sights, it's definitely a good alternative day out.
It's well laid out, there are plenty of toilets and nappy change facilities and you are given a map so you can pick and choose which direction to take. It's set in a woodland location so there is lots of shade around although some areas are very exposed, like the Bonobo feeding time seats - so take sunscreen, hats and water. I would highly recommend watching the feeding times. Its more like an informative show. The handler gives you lots of information about the primates and they are very entertaining without being forced into any silly tricks - just their natural behaviour is fascinating.
It's open 7 days a week from April to the end of October and from 10am to 7pm in July and August. Full details can be found on their web site
Restaurants at Valley des singes
The eating options at least have improved slightly over the years. Being high season both the 'restaurants' were at least open and they were offering more than a sandwich and crisps, however as with most tourist attractions the food is pricey and basic but the kids enjoyed the peacocks wandering around ! It may be a better option to take a picnic. There are plenty of picnic areas to choose from. You can also leave the park to eat - just make sure you get your hand stamped so you can come back in.
We had great fun on our second visit to Valley des Singes. It's a great place for families. Young children can run freely around (it's unlikely they'll actually catch a monkey - they arn't tame despite being surrounded by humans most of the time) and it's lovely to be in such close contact with them. There's also a petting zoo and play park. The feeding shows are very informative (in French but with audio translations available).
