Barcelona: Aquarium

L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, located in the Old Port of Barcelona, is the city’s and Catalonia’s premier and only major aquarium. It is a world-renowned center focusing on Mediterranean themes and was inaugurated in 1995. The aquarium houses an astonishing variety of marine life, with 35 different tanks containing around 11,000 animals belonging to 450 different species.

Highlighted Facilities

The Oceanarium

The Oceanarium is the highlight of L’Aquàrium, featuring a tank that is 36 meters in diameter and 5 meters deep, holding 3.7 million liters of saltwater. This impressive tank includes a transparent underwater tunnel over 80 meters long, offering visitors a panoramic view of Mediterranean marine life, including moray eels, sunfish, giltheads, rays, and sharks.

Mediterranean Aquariums

L’Aquàrium features 14 aquariums representing various Mediterranean communities and their most characteristic species. It also recreates two protected areas of the Catalan coast: the Ebro Delta and the Medes Islands. These aquariums provide a fascinating insight into underwater life in these areas, including the Posidonia community and the red coral community.

Thematic Aquariums

L’Aquàrium’s thematic aquariums are designed to showcase small-sized species. Here, visitors can explore marine invertebrates, seahorses, catshark eggs, tropical corals, and seadragons, among others.

Tropical Aquariums

The complex boasts seven tropical aquariums representing typical ecosystems of the Red Sea, the Australian Great Barrier Reef, the Caribbean Sea, and other tropical regions. These aquariums house venomous fish and tropical water sharks, providing visitors with an immersive experience in tropical oceans.

Planet Aqua

Planet Aqua is an exciting pavilion at the end of the aquarium tour. Here, visitors will find several installations featuring species adapted to different aquatic conditions. The focal point is a shallow tank with guitarfish and rays. Additionally, there are aquariums dedicated to unique species, camouflage, symbiosis, and living fossils. Information panels on oceanography and environmental aspects also enrich the experience.

Additional Exhibitions

• Life in the Cold: A penguin colony is one of the main attractions, with the possibility to observe them both on the surface and underwater.
• The Tropical Universe: This space recreates stretches of an Amazon river and allows visitors to observe iguanas, piranhas, chameleons, and more.
• The World of Darkness: Aquariums dedicated to jellyfish and benthic species are located in a life-sized replica of a sperm whale.
• An Ongoing Search: This space, primarily for children, explores the history of ocean knowledge and the use of oceanographic instruments.
• Explore!: The main interactive space for children, representing three environments of the Mediterranean coast.

L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is a aquatic gem that offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the fascinating marine world of the Mediterranean and other tropical regions. With a wide variety of aquariums and thematic exhibitions, it is a must-visit destination for marine life enthusiasts and one of Barcelona’s top attractions.