Aquarium de Barcelona

Aquarium de Barcelona is an unusual marine-themed amusement park and an amazing opportunity to see the beauty of the sea from the inside. The underwater fairytale is created in a lively part of the city, on La Rambla Boulevard. A visit to the Aquarium is a fitting end to a walk through the center of Catalonia’s capital. The place is home to 11,000 sea creatures, some 450 species. Visitors walk through a long tunnel that runs through the giant aquarium.

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The aquatic complex is divided into three areas. The main one is the aquarium, which is home to marine life. It will take a minimum of 1.5 hours to tour it. Another zone is Planeta Aqua, where you can find out how water benefits you and admire the penguins. Explora is a play space designed for children.

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    A “dive” into the marine realm

    A real magnet for visitors is the 80-meter tunnel. It is an underwater corridor running along the giant oceanarium. Planktonic algae, caves and grottos, sea creatures – the underwater world opens up before the visitor as if in the palm of his hand.

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    Fish swim freely above and on the sides, looking with interest at people passing through the tunnel. It’s easy to run into a shark almost nose to nose. Visitors of the oceanarium are separated from sea creatures only by dense glass. The natural environment is recreated for the animals – 4.5 million liters of water are used. A walk through the transparent tube gives the Barsleona Aquarium the right to claim the title of modern wonder of the world.

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    The moonfish, also called “mola mola”, is considered the oceanarium’s divine resident. These creatures are graceful, despite the decent weight – 800 kg! But the “little ones” are not the most huge representatives of their kind. In the wild, off the coast of Japan, they weigh up to 1.5 tons. Moonfish is considered one of the oldest creatures of the sea depths. But these inhabitants of the reservoir are completely harmless. Staff members feed the fish from a teat with liquid fish pate.

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    Communicating with sharks

    The Aquarium’s most formidable inhabitants are sharks. The “cannibal club” includes different species of these predators: tiger, lemon, bull. To prevent sharks from eating their neighbors, they are tightly fed. During the walk, you can get a glimpse of how a predator’s lunch goes. In the water, divers are shown, “armed” with sticks with sardines. Feeding occurs three times a week, and the rest of the time the fish digest their food.

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    Fearless visitors are offered a special fun – diving with sharks. The unusual swimming is held three times a week – on Wednesday and on weekends. There are a lot of people who want to tickle nerves, so you need to book time in advance by phone.

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    In addition to the huge oceanarium, there are many small aquariums in this area. On each – a photo and a short description of the species. Residents of glass tanks are different: seahorses, octopuses, sea dogs. All aquariums are themed: with representatives of northern waters, tropics, sea depths…

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    On a huge turtle

    Kids will love the Explora zone. This is a space with 50 playful exhibits related to the underwater world. Adults can take pictures of the kids on the huge turtle. Toddlers can take a ride on a slide surrounded by bubbling water. There is even a real “submarine” that will be interesting to touch inside.

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    The exposition of Planeta Aqua resembles a zoo. The most vicious inhabitants of the Aquarium – piranhas – are kept in separate tanks. Next door are aviaries with penguins. Planeta Aqua plays an educational role, because the complex is not only a place of entertainment. The center’s staff conducts serious research.

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    Romeo and Juliet with fish

    The center is not limited solely to aquariums. In the complex you can visit the exhibition hall, visit the panoramic terrace, stroll through the winter garden and visit the store in the form of an ancient ship. There is also a theater on the territory, where the actors are children. The plays that are shown to the audience, with a nautical bias. Very unusual local interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet”. The play tells about the love of a clownfish for an anemone. If you want to have a snack, you can stop by the local cafe Aquarium. The menu includes pizzas, chips, burgers, fries, and chicken.

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    Souvenirs to remember

    Guests of the Aquarium are photographed as a souvenir. This may be offered at the mock-up of the shark’s mouth at the entrance, or a few shots may be taken during a tour of the tunnel. Ready colorful photos can be picked up at the kiosk at the exit, but it is not necessary to purchase them. As a memento of the visit, many people buy souvenirs in the small store between the cafeteria and the Explora area: toys in the form of fish and other cute sea creatures. Since the Aquarium is considered one of the largest in Europe – it occupies 13 thousand square meters – positive emotions are ensured for visitors.

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    Tourists

    You can get to the Aquarium by the yellow and green branch of the subway. In the first case you need to get off at the Barceloneta stop, in the second – at Drassanes. Then the route goes to the end of La Rambla boulevard. On the way you should cross the bridge. The path lies to the shopping mall. After the movie theater and food court you should turn left and walk along the wooden surface – the Aquarium is at your service.

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    The Oceanarium is open to the public from 9:30 to 21:00. On weekends and holidays, the opening hours increase to 22:30. Long queues will not spoil the impression – they are rare. To make it easier to get oriented, guides are offered at the entrance. There is a paid, with translation into different languages. In addition, you can take a free one with a detailed description of all parts of the Aquarium. When folded, the guide becomes a poster in the shape of a fish.

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