A Valencia Must-See: The Oceanographic

Even if you're not a fish fan, the Valencia aquarium needs to be on your list. It really was one of the highlights of my month living in Valencia because it's a very cool series of buildings located amid the very beautiful City of Arts and Sciences Complex.

What makes Valencia's Oceanographic so special?

Well, for one thing, the Oceanographic is the largest aquarium in all of Europe. I really highly recommend it for all tourists to Valencia, not just folks with kids. The Oceanographic covers more than 27 acres (110,000 sq meters) and includes ELEVEN MILLION GALLONS (42M liters) of water. There are 45,000 animals comprising over 500 different species, both sea-faring creatures and some awesome bird species. No matter what animals you are most interested in, there really is something for everyone here.

The different sections of the Oceanographic include areas for sharks, dolphins, crocodiles, penguins, tortoises, sea turtles, sea lions, seals, flamingos, tropical fish, Mediterranean ocean life, and a giant aviary for wetland birds. The aviary was my personal favorite part of the Oceanographic because I think birds are very photogenic and also weird looking.

What is there to do at Valencia's Oceanographic?

On top of all the amazing species to see, the Oceanographic has an underwater restaurant, an aviary, a 4-D cinema, and a massive dolphinarium. This is way more than your standard aquarium. The entire complex took me a good couple of hours to get through, and I didn't even stop to see everything. If you are traveling with little ones, plan at least a half day for your Oceanographic adventure. It really is worth it!

That being said, the Oceanographic (L'Oceanogràfic in Valencian) is located in the heart of one of the most beautiful parts of Valencia, a neighborhood known as the City of Arts and Sciences. The architecture of this complex and of the Oceanographic itself is really something to behold. You can spend another couple of hours just walking around outside and admiring the views.

How to visit the Oceanographic in Valencia

The ticket price for the Oceanographic for one adult is around €38, at the time of this writing, but there are a lot of discounts for children, families, students, and more. You can also bundle this ticket price with tickets to other facilities in the complex to get more bang for your buck. Your options for this would be the Science Museum and the Hemispheric, which is an IMAX theater. Ultimately, it is all fairly expensive, but I promise it's really worth it.

The Oceanographic is open 10 am to 6 pm daily, except Fridays when it stays open until 8 pm. I recommend you buy your tickets in advance, as the ticket line was pretty long and I didn't even go at a particularly busy time. When you buy your ticket, you just buy it for the whole day, so you don't have to worry about arriving at a specific time. And, you can buy a ticket to the Oceanographic for any date in the future for the current calendar year. So you can plan your visit well in advance and get these logistical details out of the way!