Acuario increíble para niños en Oceanográfico Valencia

Introducción

As Spain’s third largest city, Valencia has so much to see and do for all the family. Mientras está fuera de la región de Costa Blanca, it is an easy drive away so is perfect for a day trip or short break.

When we visited recently with our 4 niños, we had heard great things about the Oceanogràfic València aquarium, so were very keen to experience it for ourselves. With Europe’s longest underwater tunnel and the only captive beluga whales on the continent, it promised great things.

If you are looking for more fun, animal-based things to do nearby, also see our review of the beautiful family zoo at Bioparc Valencia.

While I always have my concerns about animal attractions in general and keeping large animals in captivity, I was at least pleased to see the positive claims being made by the aquarium about how they are helping marine ecosystems globally.

Entonces, with considerable excitement, we made our way to this incredible aquarium for kids at Oceanogràfic València. Here is a review of our experiences there.

Where is Oceanogràfic València?

Oceanogràfic València is located in the beautiful and unusual collection of architectural buildings that make up the Valencia City of Arts and Sciences, in the city of Valencia.

La ubicación exacta es: https://maps.app.goo.gl/psuxwHgVJwMX6zD48

There is on-site underground paid car parking available, or else several city bus routes from all directions stop close to the entrance. We arrived by bus and it was very easy and convenient to use.

What are the opening times for Oceanogràfic València?

The aquarium at Oceanogràfic València is open 7 dias por semana. The opening hours change depending on the time of year. The current opening hours (Marzo 2025) son:

• Domingo – Friday: 10:00-18:00
• Sábado: 10:00-20:00

From mid-June, the opening hours switch to 10:00-20:00 every day, before extending again to 10:00-21:00 every day during most of July and August.

What is the cost of entry to Oceanogràfic València?

The current cost of entry (Marzo 2025) to Oceanogràfic València is:

• Adultos: €38.30
• Niños (4-12 años): €28.20

There are other various discounts for pensioners and large families, Entre otros. Ver su rates and schedules page for full details of entry prices and opening hours.

It is possible to buy tickets online in advance, which avoids having to queue at the entry gates.

Some of this money raised from visitors also helps to support the Oceanogràfic Foundation, which promotes marine conservation both locally and all over the world.

What is there for kids to do at Oceanogràfic València?

Oceanogràfic València is a large complex of different buildings and aquariums, many of which are linked by underground tunnels and walkways. It is not just fish and under sea animals either. Above ground there are also other marine animal and bird enclosures.

There is a lot to see, so allow several hours at the miniumum to get around it all. You can happily make a whole day trip out of your visit. There is a schedule of shows, feeding times and guided talks each day to base your visit around.

In addition to the aquarium tanks and shows, there are also outdoor children’s playgrounds to break up the day, as well as other attractions and experiences that can be purchased for additional cost, such as backstage tours, a VR experience and a 4D cinema.

Review of our visit to the incredible aquarium for kids at Oceanogràfic València

It is safe to say that we all had a great time during our visit to the incredible aquarium for kids at Oceanogràfic València. Mi 4 niños (Envejecido 10, 8, 6 & 4) all found plenty to entertain them. We ended up staying pretty much all day in the end as there is so much to see.

The aquarium

The aquarium is really impressive. We have been to several different aquariums in locations all over the world and honestly I think this was probably the best we’ve visited.

The range of fish and marine animals is extensive, with tanks displaying fish and sea creatures from a variety of global ecosystems. Some of the colourful displays are really beautiful.

The long ‘shark tunnel’ was of course a big hit, as well as the unusual opportunity to crawl into a tunnel cave where simulated waves break over the top of you. The beluga whales were also very impressive to see up close as we have never seen these anywhere else before. I was a little concerned about the size of their tank though.

The animal enclosures are all nicely landscaped and well proportioned. They even have a machine that creates continuous snowfall onto the penguins to better replicate their natural environment, which was a nice touch.

The information boards are generally of a good standard and are displayed in Spanish, Valencian and English throughout. They provide plenty of interesting information, without ever leaving you feeling overloaded.

The fact that the aquarium is based underground in a series of interconnected buildings is also a really good idea. It ensures that the visitor experience remains comfortable whatever the weather or temperature outside. There is always the option of returning to the outdoors at ground level to see the animal enclosures and take in some sunshine there should you wish.

The shows

On arrival, the first thing we did was head to the morning dolphin show. It should be said at this point that I am not always a fan of these types of shows as I don’t necessarily enjoy seeing marine mammals being kept in captivity in this way. If these kind of shows are your thing though, this was a good one.

The dolphins performed an impressive array of jumps and tricks to keep the crowd entertained, in return for rewards of fish from their handlers. As well as just performing tricks, the presentation was keen to also demonstrate how they can use the dolphins for useful non-intrusive experiments that assist in marine conservation efforts in the wild.

We didn’t manage to catch any of the feeding shows on this occasion, but I can imagine that they would be fun to witness.

Other attractions

Having already parted with a considerable amount of money to get in, we didn’t want to go too crazy with the add-on experiences, so I can’t comment on them all.

We did pay to have a go inside the 4D cinema though. We watched a short film about the lifecycle of a turtle. It was really sweet and my kids found it fun to wear the 3D glasses. Various wind, bubbles and water spray features are what provide the 4D element. Watch out for the lever in the seat back that pushes into you when the turtle crashes on screen though – it’s surprisingly violent!

The children’s playgrounds are also good for having a break from seeing all the fish and animals on display. While not enormous, my kids still had fun playing on one of them. The one we found was next to a restaurant, so we used it during our lunch stop.

Comida y bebida

It is not permitted to take your own food or drink into Oceanogràfic València.

There are a selection of on-site restaurants for you to use. These are mostly of a fast food nature and not overly expensive considering the location.

We had pizzas from a pizza reataurant. They were of a reasonable standard and fueled us up for more afternoon sightseeing, but were definitely nothing to get too excited about.

Definitely the most interesting eating option for anyone looking for more of a formal meal can be found in the underwater restaurant. This gives diners the chance to eat in a submarine type environment, surrounded by over 10,000 pez!

En resumen

Si, como nosotros, you are a fan of aquariums, you’re going to love this one! The scale and arrangement of the tanks, enclosures and visitor attractions are truly impressive. There is so much to see. We stayed for hours and even my often restless 4 year old remained engaged pretty much throughout.

While it sometimes makes me a bit sad to see marine mammals such as dolphins and beluga whales being kept in captivity, this should not detract from the fact that overall the aquarium was amazing to visit. The strong claims being made by the aquarium relating to global marine conservation also help to balance this viewpoint somewhat. I’ll let you be your own judge.

There is also no getting away from the fact that the cost of entry is quite high, especialmente para familias numerosas como la nuestra. It is not often we would ever spend so much on a single day activity. Eso dijo, we stayed all day and all left smiling. There is at least so much variety on offer that you feel like you are getting reasonable value for money. Despite the price tag I would still definitely recommend others to visit.

If you find yourself visiting Valencia, you are sure to come and see the City of Arts and Sciences area – if only for the impressive architecture on offer there. If you do, you just have to also go inside and experience the incredible aquarium for kids at Oceanogràfic València. For a chance to see all things relating to the marine environment, there really is nowhere better.