The Aquarium Donostia-San Sebastián traces its roots to 1908, when the Society of Oceanography of Gipuzkoa was founded after a visit from Prince Albert I of Monaco sparked local interest in marine science. That effort led to the construction of the Palacio del Mar, a building at the edge of the Paseo Nuevo in San Sebastián’s harbor, which opened to the public on October 1, 1928, with King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia in attendance. It is considered Spain’s first museum dedicated to the natural sciences.
Nearly a century later, the aquarium remains one of the city’s most popular attractions, just steps from La Concha Beach. A major renovation completed in 1998 modernized the facility and added its now-signature 360-degree oceanarium tunnel, while historic pieces like a whale skeleton recovered off the coast in 1879 still connect the museum to its origins.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain
- Opened: October 1, 1928
- Size: A large oceanarium tank holding roughly 1.5 million liters of water, added in the 1998 expansion
- Species/Animal count: More than 200 marine species on display
- Annual visitors: About 362,000 (2025)
- Famous for: 360-degree oceanarium shark tunnel and an 1879 whale skeleton
A Historic Landmark on the Port
The Aquarium Donostia-San Sebastián grew out of the Society of Oceanography of Gipuzkoa, a group formed in 1908 to study the sea. Their work culminated in the Palacio del Mar, which opened in 1928 as the first Spanish museum devoted to natural science. The building still anchors the harbor end of the Paseo Nuevo, giving visitors a view of the bay before they even step inside.
Over the decades, the collection expanded well beyond its original scope, and the museum underwent a substantial renovation starting in the mid-1990s and completed in 1998 to accommodate new tanks and exhibition space while preserving the historic structure.
Inside the Oceanarium
The aquarium’s best-known feature is its 360-degree acrylic tunnel, added during the 1998 expansion, which runs through the large oceanarium tank and lets visitors watch sharks and other large marine species pass overhead and on all sides. Dozens of smaller tanks throughout the museum showcase species from the Cantabrian Sea alongside tropical fish.
A preserved whale skeleton, pulled from local waters in 1879, remains one of the museum’s oldest and most distinctive exhibits, tying its modern marine-science displays back to the institution’s early-20th-century origins.
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San Sebastián Aquarium FAQs
When did the Aquarium Donostia-San Sebastián open?
It opened on October 1, 1928, inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, making it one of Spain’s oldest natural science museums.
What is the aquarium’s most famous feature?
Its 360-degree oceanarium tunnel, added during a 1998 expansion, lets visitors walk through a large tank surrounded by sharks and other marine life.
How many people visit the aquarium each year?
Around 362,000 people visited in 2025, making it the most-visited attraction in Gipuzkoa and the second most-visited museum in the Basque Country after the Guggenheim Bilbao.
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