If you’re considering a trip to Valencia in 2024, the Oceanogràfic Valencia is a must-visit destination. As the largest aquarium in Europe, it offers a unique opportunity to explore the diverse marine ecosystems of our planet. With stunning exhibits and engaging activities, many travelers are asking: is the Oceanogràfic Valencia worth visiting in 2024? In this guide, we’ll delve into the highlights of this incredible attraction, providing insights into its main exhibits, ticket prices, and essential tips to make the most of your visit. Get ready to discover why the Oceanogràfic Valencia should be at the top of your itinerary!
Oceanogràfic is located in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. As the Europe’s largest marine park, it offers an immersive journey through several ecosystems like the Mediterranean, Arctic and the Red Sea. It was designed by architect Félix Candela, and combines stunning architecture with a commitment to marine conservation and education.
Its main objective is to actively promote the conservation of the seas and their inhabitants and to disseminate the importance of this message amongst the world. It serves as both a popular tourist destination and a key center for research on endangered species and environmental sustainability. Visitors of all ages are able to enjoy the interactive exhibitions, hands-on activities and amazing displays of marine biodiversity, making it a perfect destination for families and enthusiasts.
Tickets prices for the Oceanogràfic vary depending on the pass that you want to choose. The general tickets costs around €37 for adults and €27 for kids ages 4-12, pensioners and for people with disabilities. This general ticket would allow you to visit for a whole day all the different exhibitions as well as to be able to see the famous dolphin show.
However, there are more tickets that involve extra attractions such as 4D cinema, backstage tours, and many more ranging from 20 minutes up to an hour each. If you also plan to visit the Hemisferic and the Museum De Les Ciencies, we suggest that you buy the combined ticket which will save you around €5-€10 per person depending on whether you go during high season or not. A combination ticket costs around €45 for adults, and €35 for kids ages 4-12, pensioners and for people with disabilities.
This is relatively a good deal knowing that tickets for the Hemisferic and the Museum De Les Ciencies cost around €7 each. The combined tickets can easily be bought through the La Ciutat website Official Admission Tickets. This allows you to choose the specific date you want to visit for each as well as choose what too see at the Hemisferic.
There is a wide range of marine habitats and attractions in the Oceanogràfic, each offering a unique glimpse into the world’s oceans:
The park is divided into several areas, each representing different environments such as the Mediterranean, Arctic, Antarctic, Temperate Seas, Tropical Seas, and the Red Sea. Each area features native species and habitats from these regions.
The main highlight and what its mostly known for is the massive underwater tunnel, where visitors are able to walk through a transparent passage and be surrounded by sharks, rays and hundreds of different fish.
One of the largest in Europe, offering educational and entertaining dolphin shows that highlight their intelligence and promote marine conservation. It is truly a spectacular show but also very educational in a way that they explain conservation and what they do in order to protect and nourish these creatures.
The Antarctic part is home to penguins in a recreated icy environment, where you can observe their behaviors and daily life. Even though we love penguins this was our least favorite exhibition as the penguins seemed to be very sad in this contraption.
Mesmerizing display of jellyfish in various tanks, in various colors and shapes, illuminates these delicate creatures, showing their ethereal beauty and diversity. This is a very aesthetically pleasing and relaxing exhibition.
It also features wetlands that are home to various bird species, with the habitat simulating marshes and coastal environments. The metal bird dome is a definite must visit even though there might be queues, however you cannot miss out on the stunning colorful birds flying all around you.
The park itself offers a variety if dining options. The most notable is the Submarino Restaurant, an underwater high end dining experience offering a range of traditional Spanish food. It features a large circular aquarium surrounding the dining area, allowing guests to enjoy their food while surrounded by marine life.
Moreover, there are also several casual dining spots and cafes throughout the park which can be more suitable especially for children with picky taste buds. They offer snacks such as sandwiches, pizza, hotdogs and more and many drinks such as the famous multicolor slushy. These are much more budget friendly however, prices do still add up so we suggest to be careful if you’re on a budget.
We personally suggest that if you plan to spend a whole day at the park that you take some snacks and drinks with you especially if going with kids and you are on a budget or don’t want to spend on overpriced items. We found it rather easy to find supermarkets and bakeries all over the city which makes it simpler and cheaper to buy snacks and drinks especially if you plan to visit during the summer which can get very hot.
Furthermore the food from the park tastes average and was nothing special when compared to the price. We were mostly disappointed by the famous slushy which was around €8 for one very thin cup. Even though there was a vast variety of flavors, many of them were mediocre and when all the flavors mixed it didn’t make it any better. If you’re easily influenced like us and still want to try it we suggest that you only take one and share it as it is very sugary and we couldn’t even finish it between the two of us.
A typical visit takes around 4 to 6 hours to fully explore the various marine habitats, exhibits and shows. This would allow visitors for walk around the huge aquariums, visit the dolphinarium show, explore the various ecosystems, and enjoy and relax at the restaurants and cafes.
If you’re particularly interested in marine life or want to take part in interactive experiences such as some extras mentioned above, you could easily spend a full day (around 6 to 8 hours) there. For families with children, allocating extra time might be helpful to ensure you can enjoy all the exhibits and activities at a relaxed pace.
It opens everyday including weekends from 10am to 6pm. When we visited we went first thing in the morning and waited around 20 minutes in the queue despite having bought tickets beforehand. We spent around 6 hour there exploring everything, eating and buying cute souvenirs. It was a very tiring and eventful day so we don’t suggest that you plan much more stuff after as you might be exhausted and not enjoy it as much.
The Oceanogràfic can be considered quite expensive and may take a substantial amount of your budget especially if visiting as a family. While the costs may be higher than other attractions, the price includes access to all exhibits and shows, making if a reasonable investment for a full-day experience. Moreover, you can make it even cheaper by buying snacks beforehand and purchasing combination tickets like mentioned above.
Given the size and scope of the park, the time investment matches the number of activities and exhibits available. Considering that it can be an all day activity and the fact that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, many consider Oceanogràfic Valencia worth visiting. Moreover, as this is the main top attraction in Valencia, it also makes it more worth it to visit the Oceanogràfic all day rather than doing multiple other activities such as museum’s which price could easily add up to a lot more.
To conclude, the blend of entertainment and education makes it a valuable visit for marine enthusiasts, families, and casual visitors alike. Considering the unique offerings, the activities provided are well worth the time and cost. We found Oceanogràfic Valencia worth visiting overall, and it will forever remain as one of the most memorable experiences we ever did. The only thing we would have changed from our visit is to take some snacks with us as to save a bit on costs and we wouldn’t have bought the overpriced slushy. Apart from that it was an amazing experience that we will cherish forever.
Is there a specific attraction you can’t wait to explore during your visit? Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more travel insights! Check out our articles featuring other stunning destinations like Stockholm and Porto for more travel inspiration!
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