Antalya Aquarium

Antalya Aquarium is the world’s largest tunnel aquarium and one of the popular tourist attractions in the Turkish resort. The glass tunnel, through which you can see the inhabitants of the underwater world in detail, stretches for 131 meters and has a width of 3 meters. In addition to it, the building houses 40 themed aquariums with luxurious decorations and many other attractions.

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Video: Antalya Aquarium

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Highlights

Antalya Aquarium is popular not only with tourists vacationing at the resort. Every day with excursions here are groups of Turkish schoolchildren and students. Frequent guests of the aquarium are parents with small children. Those visitors who for various reasons have difficulty with mobility, can take wheelchairs to visit the Antalya Aquarium.

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In the middle of the day, fish feeding takes place at the Antalya Aquarium. Marine predators are hand fed by specially trained divers, and it’s a spectacular sight! In addition to aquariums with fish, the entertainment complex includes a large terrarium “WildPark”, which contains rare reptiles. Nearby is the “Snow World” pavilion, where travelers put on warm clothes and immerse themselves in a real Christmas atmosphere.

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The entertainment complex is home to the popular Oceanride XD movie theater. This is a place where Antalya guests are introduced to the inhabitants of the seas and oceans with the help of modern multimedia technology. On the upper and lower floors of the building there are restaurants, cafes and fast food establishments. Here the guests of the aquarium can relax and taste international and Turkish cuisine. Children adore delicious Italian ice cream and love to spend time in the game zone equipped with five-dimensional simulators, holograms and modern video games. Next to the Antalya Aquarium building, the spacious green lawn hosts many entertainment events throughout the day. Tourists can fly kites, shoot archery, participate in mobile games and tug-of-war, and play paintball.

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Underwater World

At first, visitors get to the themed glass pools where inhabitants of rivers, seas and oceans live. It is noteworthy that near each aquarium there is a description of fish and marine animals, including in Russian.

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The long glass tunnel of the Antalya Aquarium is located at the very end of the exposition. It is divided into three parts: “Underwater World of the Tropics”, “Sunken City” and “Fish and Sea Creatures”. The subdued dark blue lighting gives the impression that tourists are at the bottom of the ocean, and a transparent tunnel allows you to see in detail the large sharks and rays swimming right above their heads.

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Underwater you can see the roots of mangrove trees and models of wrecked ship and airplane. Of great interest is a picturesque setting of colorful coral reef. Thanks to the transparent water, the underwater kingdom appears in every detail, and the perfect purity is ensured by a modern system of filters.

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Snow World

Tourists who come to the Turkish resort for the bright sun and warm sea, with pleasure look into the unusual pavilion. The “Snow World” at the Antalya Aquarium is 1500 m² and the temperature here never rises above -5 °C.

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The pavilion features Eskimo igloos, the snow-covered Toros Mountains, the city’s historic Kaleici neighborhood and Santa Claus’ village. It’s a place where children and adults sculpt snowmen, go sledding and inflatable laps, and play snowballs.

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Tourist information

Antalya Aquarium welcomes guests all year round. You can travel around the oceanarium on your own or accompanied by a guide.

From May to October the doors of the aquarium are open from 9.30 to 23.00, from November to April: from Monday to Thursday from 10.00 to 20.00, and from Friday to Sunday from 10.00 to 21.00. Feeding of the fish can be seen from 12.00 to 13.00. The last visitors are allowed into the building 45 minutes before closing time.

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Tickets for adults (over 12 years old) cost $35, while children from 3 to 12 years old must pay $27. Tickets to the Snow World pavilion are sold separately and cost $13. You can save money by buying a combined ticket that entitles you to visit the aquarium, terrarium, Snow World pavilion and Oceanride XD movie theater. Keep in mind that the Antalya Aquarium is crowded with schoolchildren and tourists in the morning, so a visit here is better planned a couple hours before closing time.

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How to get there

Antalya Aquarium is located in the urban area of Konyaalti, south of the large shopping center “MIGROS”, 70 m from the sea shore. You can get to this part of the city by bus number 5 (stop “Aquarium”). Another option is to take bus #6 or #8 to get to the shopping center and from there walk to the oceanarium.

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