L’Aquàrium de Barcelona first opened its doors in 1995, with a clear educational vocation and the aim of showing the general public what living in the marine world is like. It is now the leading Mediterranean-themed, marine leisure and educational centre in the world. It is one of the city’s top leading leisure facilities. 

Now, 30 years later, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is entering a new stage. After an extensive update, the iconic marine space presents itself as a benchmark in educational, immersive and sustainable experiences. A major transformation built around three key pillars: digitalization, sustainability, and modernization, with a vision designed to inspire, educate, and change the way we look at the marine environment.

The best Mediterranean-themed aquarium in the world
A wonderful place for discovering the biodiversity of marine ecosystems, especially in regard to Mediterranean species, and for explaining why their conservation is so necessary and important.

The aim of our itinerary around L’Aquàrium’s biological collection is to make it an authentic immersion into the Mediterranean itself; a walk around 80 Mediterranean and tropical aquariums, where eleven thousand specimens from over 600 different species coexist. The biggest and most spectacular aquarium is the Oceanarium, where a tunnel over 80 metres long brings visitors close to various types of shark, rays, morays and other species.

From the very moment you enter L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, technology becomes an ally to immerse visitors in the marine environment. The center has incorporated the largest digital floor screen in Europe, covering an area of 300 m², an interactive installation that transforms the entrance into a living, dynamic, and ever-changing experience. The sea comes to life within the facilities.

At the beginning of the visit, we are surrounded by the Mediterranean’s surface ecosystems and we then gradually dive deeper and deeper, showing the various habitats, animals and plants that are characteristic of each bathymetric zone, as well as dedicating aquariums to areas of special interest, such as the Medes Islands marine reserve, which has a specially rich biology and biodiversity.

As a counterpoint to this itinerary through the depths of the Mediterranean, there is also a gallery featuring a series of tanks on the planet’s most representative tropical seas, including the Red Sea, the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where visitors can compare the austere beauty of the sea bathing our shores with the explosion of colour and biodiversity of the fauna native to coral seabeds. But take care! Some tropical species are also poisonous.

Without a doubt, some of L’Aquàrium’s most spectacular guests are its sharks. During the tropical itinerary, you can get a close-up view of various shark species, including the blacktip reef shark and the oceanic whitetip shark, as well as the zebra shark.

Immersive Room

L’Aquàrium introduces its new immersive room “Journey to the Depths”, an enveloping space with 360° projections that allow visitors to literally dive into the seabed.

The experience offers an unprecedented sensory immersion: moving images projected on all four wallsand the floor, ocean sounds, and a audio-visual narrative that guides the viewer on a deep and fascinating journey through marine ecosystems.

Aqua Protectors 
This new interactive installation combines augmented reality, creativity, and environmental awareness in an experience designed for younger audiences. Visitors can color their own fish, give it a name, and release it into a digital ocean where it comes to life.

A visit to L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is a unique experience that you really shouldn’t miss.

Other Activities:

Premium Pass:

Enjoy an exclusive, personalized visit to L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, the world’s leading Mediterranean aquarium. There won’t be any queues, but you will have an expert guide to tell you all about the secrets of the deep. And we also include a surprising visit to L’Aquàrium technical area, which is usually reserved for our specialist staff.

Shark Diving and Shark Cage Diving . Your adventure as a scuba diver from an observation platform begins.  An instructor will teach you all about common diving signals, using a regulator and breathing underwater. You’ll practice buoyancy control and moving around by means of underwater rings while you observe all of our guests: sharks, rays, moray eels, and other species.

Proposal: Get them to say “I do” in the most original way. Surprise your partner as you both are enjoying a cosy and quiet visit through L’ Aquàrium’s main route. As you walk by, a scuba diver submerged in the Oceanarium will show a proposal sign to express your desire to marry your partner on your behalf.

End your visit with our various services to our visitors, including the cafeteria, the shop, and a souvenir photo.