Sorède, a commune in the Pyrénées Orientales, located very close to the Spanish border, is home to the Turtle Valley Zoo, very close to the Mediterranean Sea.
Turtle Valley was created in 1998 by Françoise Malirach. The presence of turtles in the wild, Sorède is a Natura 2000 area, the reading of the 1890 thesis "Pliocene Animals of Roussillon" retracing the extraordinary discovery of numerous fossils of giant turtles and other species in the Pyrénées Orientales department, proving, according to scientists, that 200 million years ago, flocks of giant turtles lived where Perpignan is today, the diverse representations of the turtle at many sites in Catalonia, and the presence in Guarriguella and Espolla of the Albères turtle breeding center created by the Generalitat de Catalunya Department of Environmental Health; The Albera Natural Park of National Interest is one of the reasons why this site was created.
In the heart of the Vallée heureuse in Sorède, this educational zoo, awarded the Sud France and Tourism Quality Labels, features tortoises from five continents.
It is home to over 60 species of tortoises and numerous other animals such as meerkats, marmosets, armadillos, snakes, and colorful birds.
The website and booklets are translated into Catalan, English, German, and Dutch. Turtle Valley, suitable for all ages, also features a leisure park with games, a sensory garden, a green trail, and various cool areas for relaxation, discovery, picnics, and naps.
Every day, the park offers free activities for young and old: feedings, contact with turtles, weighing giant turtles, encounters with bearded dragons, and meerkat snacks.
Turtle Valley
Avenue de la Vallée heureuse,
66690 Sorède
Tel.: +33 4 68 95 50 50
https://www.lavalleedestortues.fr/
