Casela Nature Park

Casela covers around 350 hectares of hillside below the Rempart mountain on the west coast, and it has grown from a bird park opened in 1979 into the island's largest adventure and animal attraction. A safari section is driven or walked among zebra, ostrich, rhino, antelope and giraffe kept in open paddocks, while the activity side runs ziplines, a canyon swing, quad and buggy trails, a suspension bridge circuit and a via ferrata on the mountain. Big cats are kept on site and interaction sessions have been offered, a practice widely criticised on welfare grounds. The setting is genuinely good, with views over the west coast and the lagoon from the upper part of the park.

Highlights

• The safari paddocks - zebra, rhino, giraffe and antelope in open ground.
• Zipline circuits - the aerial routes across the valley.
• Rempart views - the mountain above and the coast below.
• The bird collection - the aviaries the park began with.

When to go

May to December for drier trails and better activity conditions. Mornings are cooler for the safari and the ziplines. Weekends and school holidays are busiest.

Practical notes

Captive big cat interactions have drawn sustained criticism from welfare organisations and visitors may prefer to avoid that part. Pricing is by package and adds up quickly. The park is large and involves a lot of walking or shuttle use. It is a built attraction, not a wild reserve.

Nearby

Flic en Flac lies west on the coast; Tamarind Falls is south.