Go to the underwater world and visit the aquarium in Barcelona (2026)

One of the most interesting attractions you will find in the old port of Barcelona, ​​Port Vell, is an aquarium (L'Aquarium of Barcelona). It is among the largest of its kind in Europe and if you are a fan of marine fauna or flora, definitely set aside around 2 hours to visit it - you won't regret it! (Well, what if you are traveling to Barcelona with children, so expect to spend at least half a day here...).

Barcelona aquarium tickets comparison

Are you determined to visit the aquarium in Barcelona? Study what tickets are available for individuals, families and larger groups, find out what their price is and choose the best one for you.

View Barcelona Aquarium tickets >>>

Aquarium as a point after the tour of La Rambla

Would you like to visit the aquarium in Barcelona? I usually recommend it combine a tour of the aquarium with a walk around La Rambla: you start at Pl. Catalunya, you walk all the way down the famous avenue down to the Columbus Monument and then turn left onto the waterfront Moll de Bosch and Alsina. After that, you have 2 options to get to the aquarium:

1. Longer: You will go around the local marina and go to the aquarium through the park at Pl. de l'Ictineo.
2. Shorter: Cross the floating bridge to Rambla de Mar and walk around/through the MareMagnum shopping center.

Access to the aquarium via Pl. de l'Ictineo

Whichever option you choose, you definitely won't get lost – the aquarium building is already unmistakable from a distance...

We have an aquarium within reach...

If you are going to the aquarium in season, don't be fooled by the number of people, which will be displayed in front of the cash registers. That's why I advise everyone to bought tickets online and instead of waiting in line, they went straight inside. 

You will only be lucky to see empty checkouts in the off-season...

That's how we always do it - just say you have at the counter at the entrance online tickets from Barcelona Turisme, after which the operator usually points to a sign with an email [email protected] and instructions to forward them there. For some reason, they can't read the code from the online ticket, so I recommend having an email ready right away and just send everything at their request... then you can go inside. 

Before you start enjoying yourself, or entering the aquarium

As soon as you go through the entrance turnstile, you can use the lockers on the left for €1 to store your backpacks or other luggage.

Just behind the entrance they will give you the opportunity to take a photo in an improvised photo booth. If you choose to do so, you can later purchase the photo on the top floor of the aquarium for €12. Well, what will I do, it's not exactly the cheapest (just like the entrance itself) - the aquarium's argument is that it is a unique monument that you wouldn't otherwise have. And it's actually true: flash photography is prohibited in the entire aquarium, so you wouldn't achieve a similar result on your own. But for me personally, the price is really much 

One of the tanks in the Barcelona Aquarium

So once you've taken a picture (or not), you can view the jaw of a megalodon, which was a huge shark that lived from the early Miocene to the Pliocene.

After that, you continue to the underground, where the main area of ​​the aquarium is located. 

What will you see at the Barcelona Aquarium? 

The local aquarium is divided into several parts: in the first you will find 21 huge tanks, which will show you in detail the animals and plants inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea or tropical seas full of corals. Each of the tanks has a different theme and contains completely different animal and plant species... 

One of the smaller sharks here

At the beginning, I wrote that the aquarium in Barcelona is one of the largest in Europe: in sum, it has its home it has over 100 animals belonging to 000 different biological species: fish, rays, moray eels, sunfish, crustaceans, molluscs, but also sharks or penguins. And lots and lots more...

Especially sharks are famous in this aquarium – you will find representatives of two species here: tiger and brown sharks.

And some bigger sharks...

If you have done it for fear and at the same time you are no stranger to diving, it is even possible order a dive in a cage in the water with sharks. Few people get such an experience from Barcelona. I haven't found the courage to try it yet... :-)

Underwater world all around

At all the most popular attraction is the local oceanarium with a diameter of 36 meters, a depth of 5 meters and more than 4 million liters of water. Through it runs a transparent glass tunnel with a travelator 80 meters long, through which you can walk and observe the underwater world of the Mediterranean Sea from all sides and angles. 

An oceanarium with a sliding walkway from which you can enjoy watching the sharks.

Don't forget (look) for lunch!

If you want to make your visit a little more varied, don't hesitate to plan your visit to the aquarium around feeding time. Here, visitors are regularly shown how to feed penguins, rays and sharks. 

The feeding times can be seen in the attached picture, noting that: 

• you can observe penguins and stingrays on the top floor of the aquarium
• you will only see sharks from the oceanarium

Don't expect anything grandiose from it, it's just such a small diversion: an aquarium employee brings food in a box, silently gives it to the given animals and goes away. And no, sharks don't pounce like v Jaws... :-)

Oh, and in case you missed it, you were down there inspecting all those tanks, it's no problem to run upstairs to feed and then go back underground again - there are freely accessible escalators. 

Interactive environmental exhibition: Water as the liquid of life

Once you've seen all the tanks and gone through the oceanarium, there's more waiting for you rich interactive exhibition called Planeta Aqua.

Upper floor with interactive exhibition

They will introduce you to various aquatic creatures and the ways in which they have adapted to different living conditions: 

• penguins living in bitter winter and frost (they always look very sad here...)
• a model of a huge (life-size!) sperm whale prowling the dark depths
• piranhas and various lizards inhabiting tropical rivers

Another part of the exhibition is devoted to topics that are closely related to water, such as oceanography or various environmental problems. Visitors are introduced to these things in a playful way through various computer games, touch panels and other interactive elements.

Exposure of jellyfish in the stomach of a sperm whale

On the same floor, you will find several other attractions for smaller children, dominated by a huge yellow submarine. It has a lot of buttons, buttons, dials and other things that you use in short, you have to play or reach for them. 

A submarine that will be especially enjoyed by children

In addition to the described exhibition on the upper floor, you can also: 

• Run out on the outdoor tetrasa – here you can catch the sun, admire the surrounding view, children can goof off on the climbing frames or have an ice cream from the parked truck. 
• Have some snacks or lunch at the local buffet – unfortunately, such a standard offer is available, nothing that would make you jump to the sky twice, the prices are rather higher compared to the food; if you're really hungry, you'll find a significantly larger selection a little further on in the MareMagnum mall. 
• Buy a photo from the photo booth – as I wrote above, one photo costs €12. I stood at the counter for a while and there was no extra interest in them...
• Jump to the toilet – the toilets are in the same place on each floor, they are just tucked away a bit and you can easily miss them. They are up here behind the buffet on the left. 

Once you've gone through everything upstairs, take the escalator back down to the ground floor, where the turnstile will spit you out. to the souvenir shopIf you are here with children, prepare your wallet again, there is so much stuff here...

How much are tickets and where to buy them? 

Barcelona aquarium tickets compared to other monuments, they are not exactly the cheapest: 

• adults €25
• children 5-10 years: €18
• children 3-4 years: €10

The given price is valid when purchasing a ticket for a specific time. If you would like a so-called flexi ticket, where you can come to the aquarium whenever you want, you will have to pay a few euros extra. This applies at least to purchases on official website. 

I shop at site Barcelona Turisme, where they have a flexi ticket automatically, but at this lower price. I have more detail with the comparison in the article Barcelona Aquarium tickets.

Address:	Moll d'Espanya del Port Vell
Transportation:	metro lines L3 (Drassanes station) or L4 (Barceloneta station)
Opening hours:	Every day from 10:00 to 19:30 (off season), to 21:30 (in season)
Entrance fee:	adults (11 years and over): €25, children 5-10 years: €18, children 3-4 years: €10, family tickets also available for a better price on the official website Buy tickets online with a discount >>>
More information:	https://www.aquariumbcn.com/en/