Located by the sea, the Barcelona Aquarium is a favorite with small visitors to Barcelona. It is home to some 11,000 fish of 450 different species, all of which consume about two tons of food per week. The perfect activity with kids in Barcelona.
| Aquarium of Barcelona | Tickets, opening hours & public transportation |
|---|---|
| Tickets | Adults and children 11 years and older: €25 Children 5-10 years €18 Children 3-4 years €10 |
| Address | Moll d ‘Espanya, Port Vell, El Gòtic |
| Public transportation / metro | Metro: Drassanes (L3), Barceloneta (L4) |
| Opening hours | Feb. 1 through March 24: Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. , Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. March 27-June 30: Mon-Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. July 1-September 10: Mon-Sun: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. September 11 to November 1: Mon to Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. November 2 through December 21 Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. December 22 to January 7, 2024: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. |
Contents
- What is the Aquarium de Barcelona and why should you visit this attraction?
- Buying tickets to the Barcelona Aquarium
- Discount tickets including the Aquarium
- Visit the Aquarium in Barcelona
- Opening hours
- How to get to the Barcelona Aquarium?
- What can you see at the Barcelona Aquarium?
What is the Aquarium de Barcelona and why should you visit this attraction?
The Aquarium of Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. At the Aquarium, located in the La Barceloneta neighborhood, you can walk through an eighty-meter long tunnel and feel at one with the fish swimming around you. In the interactive zone, you will learn all about marine life. Great for a family trip in Barcelona! I especially recommend the aquarium for families with small(er) children, for example on a rainy day or when it’s boiling hot in the middle of the day (and you’re looking to cool off).
Buying tickets to the Barcelona Aquarium
I recommend buying your tickets in advance, as there is usually a long line at the box office.
Discount tickets including the Aquarium
The Barcelona Card Family
If you come to Barcelona with children, the Barcelona Card Family is a benefit card that can save you a lot of money. You can get free entry to the aquarium, the zoo, Poble Espanyol, the statue of Columbus, the CosmoCaixa science museum and more! And you also enjoy free public transportation with this card.
The card costs €75 for 3 days (72 hours), €85 for 4 days (96 hours) and €95 for 5 days (120 hours). The price for children is €60, €65 and €70, respectively. The card can be purchased through Barcelona Turisme.
Visit the Aquarium in Barcelona
To see everything, you will need about 1.5 to 2 hours. The Aquarium is located in Port Vell, Barcelona’s old port, next to the shopping and entertainment center Maremagnum. You can easily combine a visit to the pools with a visit to the former fishing district of La Barceloneta close to the beach, or with a visit to the Old Town, the Gothic Quarter and El Born.
Opening hours
Feb. 1 through March 24: Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. , Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
March 27-June 30: Mon-Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
July 1-September 10: Mon-Sun: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
September 11 to November 1: Mon to Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
November 2 through December 21 Mon-Fri: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
December 22 to January 7, 2024: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
What is the best time to visit the Aquarium?
The best time to visit the Aquarium is when the fish are being fed. To be present during the feeding, be sure to be at the Aquarium around lunchtime (between 12.00 a.m. and 14.00 p.m.). Scroll down for more information on feeding times at the Aquarium.
How to get to the Barcelona Aquarium?
Metro: The nearest metro station is Drassanes (L3, green line) or Barceloneta (L4, yellow line). From here it is about a 5 to 10 minute walk to the Aquarium. When you get off at Drassanes walk toward the old port and take the wooden walkway towards Maremagnum. The Aquarium is next to the shopping center on the left. Coming out of the La Barceloneta metro stop, walk toward the grassy areas and cross the Plaça de l’Ictineo.
Walking: It is possible to walk to the aquarium from the city center or from La Barceloneta by the sea. From the central Plaça Catalunya it takes about 25 minutes to get there.
Cycling: It is easy to cycle from the center. It takes about 10 minutes from Plaça Catalunya and there are several bike racks.
The Hop-on Hop-off bus: Both companies has a stop at the Aquarium.
Car: If you come by car, there is a parking under the Maremagnum shopping center, next to the Aquarium. You can park your car here.
What can you see at the Barcelona Aquarium?
The Aquarium de Barcelona has 35 pools with a total of six million liters (!) of seawater. Each basin simulates a different sea area.
Oceanarium and underwater tunnel
The largest basin by far is the Oceanarium, where the largest fish species reside. The huge tank, which holds four million liters of water, has a diameter of 37 meters and is five meters deep. This basin in undoubtedly the highlight of your visit. Walking through the aquarium’s long tunnel is like standing at the bottom of the sea, but without getting wet. (Or in danger of being bitten by a shark!) In addition to two species of sharks, swimming around in this basin are rays and sunfish, among others. You can also see a sunfish swimming there. This fish can grow up to 3 meters long and weigh over 1,000 pounds. Fun fact: the Aquarium organizes sleepovers for children between 8 and 12 years old, in the tunnel. Truly an experience!
Other water tanks
The other 34 pools are obviously a lot smaller than the Oceanarium, but even here you will find unusual fish and other underwater animals. How about guitar fish, rabbit fish and squid, for example? A personal favorite is the “fantasy pool,” where strange and funny creatures swim around that you’ve probably never seen before. For those curious about tropical fish species, but don’t have the time or money to travel to the other side of the world, there are pools centered on the Great Barrier Reef (with beautiful coral), the Red Sea and the Caribbean Sea.
Penguins
Oh yes, we would almost forget the funny penguins! Also worth seeing, of course. It is most fun to watch them at feeding time. No dolphin shows are held at the aquarium and you will not meet either dolphins or whales.
Planeta Aqua
Nearly three-quarters of our globe is covered with water. And yet we know less about the oceans and its inhabitants than we do about the moon. On the second floor of the Aquarium of Barcelona, at Planeta Aqua you will learn how life is possible on the deepest sea floors, where it is often pitch dark and freezing cold, or conversely in warm, tropical waters. You will also find a large open water tank where you can view different species of rays. Through computer games, information boards, small aquariums and interactive elements, you will learn all about the evolution of different fish and reptiles.
Explora!
Especially for the youngest visitors, there is Explora! Where you will explore the mysteries of the underwater world by looking, touching and listening. You can view living fossils and see how some sea creatures change color to hide. Okay, secretly quite fun for mom and dad, too, actually. Explora! is divided into three parts of the Mediterranean: the marshes of the Ebro Delta, a corner of the Costa Brava and an underwater cave in the Islas Medas, a group of seven islets off the Costa Brava.
Feeding Time
¡A comer, say the Spanish people. Time to eat, in other words. No less than 150 different meals are prepared for the underwater animals at the Barcelona Aquarium. Curious to see how all those goodies are consumed by the fish? Then be at the aquarium around lunchtime.* On Tuesdays and Fridays between noon and 1 p.m., the sharks are fed. Divers serve the meals – usually oily fish or squid – to the hungry animals using a long rod. The penguins get fed a bit more often: twice a day, between 1:30 and 4:30 pm. Except on Sundays, at 2 p.m. it’s time for the rays. Be sure to stay at a distance if you don’t want to get splashed wet, because these gluttons go wild for their meal! * In principle, the aquarium’s inhabitants are fed at the times indicated above, but various circumstances may cause the times to deviate from time to time.
Swimming with sharks
Do you dare to swim with sharks? For €300 you can participate in this exciting activity. To do so, you must take a “swimming with sharks” course on site and hold your diving license.
Giftshop
In the gift store (which you pass before leaving the Aquarium) you can buy all kinds of items and souvenirs related to this popular attraction.
Restaurant
There is also a restaurant at the Aquarium and it is possible to order a children’s menu here. Other facilities for children have also been thought of, such as high chairs and a changing pad in the toilet. This video will give you an impression of what you will see in the aquarium.
Personal tips
- Close to the aquarium is the Museu d’Història de Catalunya. Here you have fantastic views from the roof terrace (free to visit, take the elevator to the fourth floor) and you can have a coffee or a cocktail.
- Keep your day in the theme of the sea and combine your visit to the aquarium with a boat trip along the coast of Barcelona. When the weather is nice, you can dive from the boat and discover the underwater world of the Mediterranean.
