L’Aquàrium de Barcelona opened on September 8, 1995, in the Port Vell harbor and quickly became one of the city’s signature attractions, ranking among the most-visited sites in Barcelona alongside the Sagrada Família and Park Güell. Owned and operated by Aspro Parks, it was built as a showcase for Mediterranean marine life while also housing species from tropical waters around the world.
The aquarium’s centerpiece is a massive oceanarium tank holding about 3.7 million liters of saltwater, part of a complex whose tanks together hold roughly 5 million liters. Visitors pass beneath sharks, rays, and other large fish through an 80-meter underwater tunnel, one of the longest of its kind in Europe when the aquarium opened, making it a lasting draw for families and marine life enthusiasts visiting the Catalan capital.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Opened: September 8, 1995
- Size: About 5 million liters of water across all tanks
- Species/animal count: Around 11,000 animals and hundreds of species
- Annual visitors: Roughly 1.5 million
- Famous for: 80-meter underwater tunnel through the main shark tank
The Oceanarium and Underwater Tunnel
The aquarium’s signature exhibit is its oceanarium, a large circular tank holding about 3.7 million liters of saltwater and reaching roughly 5 meters deep. An 80-meter transparent tunnel runs through the tank, letting visitors walk beneath sharks, moray eels, ocean sunfish, and other large marine species swimming overhead.
The oceanarium was designed to give visitors an immersive sense of the open sea, and it remains the aquarium’s most photographed feature more than three decades after opening.
Exhibits and Marine Life
Beyond the oceanarium, L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is organized around dozens of smaller tanks representing different Mediterranean habitats, from rocky coastlines to seagrass meadows, alongside displays of tropical marine ecosystems from other parts of the world.
The facility positions itself as a center for Mediterranean marine biology and conservation education, complementing its collection of thousands of animals with interactive and educational displays aimed at both children and adults.
Explore more: Explore more top zoos and aquariums.
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona FAQs
When did L’Aquàrium de Barcelona open?
It opened on September 8, 1995, in the Port Vell harbor area of Barcelona.
How long is the underwater tunnel?
The oceanarium’s underwater tunnel is about 80 meters (260 feet) long, running through the aquarium’s main shark tank.
Who owns the aquarium?
L’Aquàrium de Barcelona is owned and operated by the Aspro Parks group.
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Photo: Paul Hermans / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.