Those vacationing in Spain’s wonderful city of Barcelona should definitely plan to spend an entire day at the magnificent L’Aquarium Barcelona. It’s home to the sensational Oceanarium, Barcelona’s largest aquarium, and it also features an amazing over 260-foot transparent tunnel that allows visitors to view all of the underwater action. Some 11,000 animals that represent 450 different species call L’Aquarium home, and you’ll see tropical aquariums, Mediterranean aquariums and several themed aquariums that include one dedicated to seahorses and another that celebrates oddities of the sea. These are just a few of the special activities that the entire family is sure to enjoy.
Incredible Shark Experiences
If you’ve dreamed of getting up close and personal with sharks without the fear of becoming dinner, then one of these experiences is definitely for you.
- Shark Cage Diving: Believe it or not, this once-in-a-lifetime experience is for beginners ages 8 through adult. You’ll learn basic scuba diving from a licensed professional before entering the Oceanarium in a caged underwater platform with your experienced guide. Only four people are allowed per group to ensure maximum safety and enjoyment, and you’ll be right in the midst of the underwater dwellers, which include sharks, thousands of bright and beautiful tropical fish, moray eels, stingrays and so much more. This 3-hour activity is available every day of the year, and advanced booking is highly recommended.
Diving With Sharks: Only for experienced divers aged 18 and up, this activity allows you to enter the Oceanarium with a guide for the most up-close encounters with the sharks and other incredible forms of marine life. Expect to come in close contact with the sand tiger shark, the sandbar shark and both the blacktip and whitetip shark. This experience is offered each Wednesday and every weekend from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and you must bring your diving certification to participate.- Sleeping With Sharks: The title may sound scary, but this amazing experience is designed to entertain and educate children ages 8 to 12 during a unique shark sleepover. Available only on the first Friday and the third Saturday of each month, this program gives children the opportunity to see how the sharks act when night falls and how they wake up and begin their new day. Participants will stay over from 7:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. and enjoy shark-based games, stories and workshops as well as dinner and breakfast.
Don’t Miss Feeding Time
The crew at L’Aquarium is very careful about making sure all of its residents receive the proper nutrition, and the dieticians stay busy preparing more than 150 unique meals for every species. These are a few of the feeding experiences that you may want to see during your visit.
- Sharks: On Tuesdays and Fridays from 12 noon to 1 p.m., you may watch the brave divers feed the sharks. You can imagine the excitement of the sharks as they realize their favorite meal of squid and oily fish has arrived, and the divers use very long rods to deliver the food so that the sharks don’t get confused and take a bite out of them as well.
- Penguins: Considered the greediest of all the residents, the penguins can’t wait to get a hold of their favorite fish. You may see their antics at meal time every day of the week at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Rays: You’re welcome to get up close to watch the rays being fed at 2 p.m. every day except Sunday. However, be aware that they are excited at feeding time, and anyone standing close will get splashed.
- Eagle Rays and Moray Eels: These are fed around noon Monday through Friday, and everyone can get a good view because they are fed in the Oceanarium walk-through tunnel. They put on quite a show as they bob and weave around each other for the food, so come on out and enjoy.
Explora Children’s Area
Over 50 interactive activities allow your child to learn about marine life through fun exploration, and the entire family is invited to work their way through stunning replicas of the Costa Brava, the underwater cave of the Medes Islands and the marshes of the Ebro Delta.
Planeta Aqua
This area houses the Humboldt penguins, and you’ll be able to observe them playing and swimming beneath the water thanks to their unique enclosure. You’ll also find the Tropical Universe here with its iguanas, tropical turtles and piranha, and there’s even a bigger-than-life replica of a whale to walk through and discover the mysteries inside.
Plan Your L’Aquarium Day Now
When you reserve your luxury vacation home with us here at Exceptional Stays, just let us know if you’re interested in visiting L’Aquarium during your stay. We’ll be happy to secure your tickets and arrange for any of the special experiences that it offers on your behalf.
