Most aquarium tunnels last thirty or forty meters. The one at Antalya Aquarium keeps going for 131 — a curving underwater walkway that is widely cited as the longest aquarium tunnel in the world. Above and around it drift hundreds of sharks and rays in a main tank holding more than five million liters of water, staged among life-size wrecks of an airplane, a ship, and a submarine.
Opened on August 15, 2012 on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, the complex was built by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality as an anchor attraction for the Konyaaltı beachfront district, and it has grown into one of the five most visited tourist attractions in the country.
Key Stats
| Total water volume | 6,800 m³ (6.8 million liters) across 64 tanks |
| Opened | August 15, 2012 |
| Location | Konyaaltı, Antalya, Turkey |
| Signature tank | Main tank — 5+ million liters with a 131 m underwater tunnel |
| Tunnel | 131 m long, 3 m wide — world’s longest aquarium tunnel |
| Extras | Snow World & Ice Museum, WildPark reptile house |
The 131-Meter Tunnel
The tunnel is the reason to come. At 131 meters long and three meters wide, it turns a walk through the main tank into a genuine journey, passing sunken theming designed by the Italian sculptor Benedetti: a full-size aircraft resting on the sand, a shipwreck, and a submarine. Sharks cruise overhead the entire way. The aquarium has even hosted dinners and press events inside the tunnel, trading on its “world’s largest tunnel aquarium” title.
The main tank’s five-million-plus liters make up the bulk of the facility’s 6.8 million total — enough to place Antalya around 24th among the largest aquariums in the world, and firmly first for tunnel length.
More Than an Aquarium
Antalya Aquarium is really an indoor entertainment complex. Snow World & Ice Museum keeps 1,500 square meters at a constant -5°C with real snowfall at night — visitors get protective coats at the door, a surreal contrast with the Mediterranean summer outside. WildPark adds 70 themed terrariums of reptiles and invertebrates, from boa constrictors and pythons to Gila monsters and scorpions, and the site rounds out with a wax museum and an XD cinema.
Visiting
The complex sits in Konyaaltı, west of Antalya’s old town and a short walk from Konyaaltı Beach, with the Beydağları mountains as a backdrop. It draws more than a million visitors a year, and its position near the beach makes it an easy half-day stop — especially as a heat escape in high summer, when the snow room earns its keep.
FAQ
How long is the Antalya Aquarium tunnel?
The underwater tunnel is 131 meters long and 3 meters wide, making it the longest aquarium tunnel in the world. It runs through the main tank, which holds more than five million liters of water.
When did Antalya Aquarium open?
The aquarium opened on August 15, 2012 in the Konyaaltı district of Antalya. It was built by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality under a build-operate-transfer model.
What else is inside the complex?
Beyond the 64 aquarium tanks there is Snow World & Ice Museum (a -5°C hall with real snow), the WildPark reptile and invertebrate house with 70 terrariums, a wax museum, and an XD cinema.
Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)