Fota Wildlife Park

Many of the animals at Fota Wildlife Park roam without visible barriers. Kangaroos, wallabies and lemurs share open ground with visitors, giraffes graze across grassland, and ring-tailed lemurs and primates live on wooded islands in the park's lakes. Set on Fota Island in Cork Harbour, the park opened in 1983 and is run by the Zoological Society of Ireland, the same organisation behind Dublin Zoo.

The park concentrates on conservation and captive breeding, and it is particularly well known for its cheetahs, which have bred here with notable success. Walking routes lead through enclosures arranged by region, from African savannah species to an Asian section that includes Sumatran tigers.

With more than 400,000 visitors a year, it is one of Ireland's most popular family attractions. The grounds are large and mostly flat, and a visit usually takes a few hours on foot. It works well for children and for anyone who wants to watch animals at close quarters in an open landscape.