Great Fun! (L'Aquarium Barcelona)

Member Name: emmakate06

Product:	L'Aquarium Barcelona
Date:	04/06/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Spacious, well displayed, clear large windows for viewing.

Disadvantages: Try to sell you souvenir photo

I visited this aquarium whilst visiting Barcelona for the day on an Ocean Village Cruise with my husband and my daughter who was 11 months old at the time. We actually paid more than the admission price as we were on a full day trip where we visited Barca FC in the morning then had a guided tour of Barcelona itself and then went on to the Aquarium in the afternoon, however the usual prices are Euro17 for an adult and Euro12 for a child admission.

On entering the foyer area is very spacious and after entering you walk down some platforms. When we visited, you had to do the touristy thing of getting your photo taken when entering, which they then try to sell to you when you go to leave. I disagree with this, however it was not optional and with a gigantic queue behind me, I wasnt going to waste my time complaining about it.

On entering the aquatic displays I was pleased to see how large, clean and visible they were. My daughter could see everything perfectly and absolutely loved being able to get up close to the large windows and staring at all the amazing varieties of marine life.

There are numerous fish displays ranging from Mediterranean fish to Tropical fish. There is a spectacular Oceanarium which is the largest in Europe and feature a diverse range of species. If features a transparent tunnel which is over 80m long and crosses under it enabling you to have a fantastic view of everything swimming around you as if you were actually under the sea.

If you are really brave, you can also have the opportunity to dive with sharks though you need to be a qualified diver to do this as well as have Euro300 euros spare in your pocket.

There are also several other facilites on the premises which include a cafe which serves drinks, fast food, convenience food and snacks and it is self service. I cant remember the price we paid for some food at the time though I can remember thinking that it was reasonable. In addition, there is also a well stocked shop full of the usual gift shop adornments and novelty gifts and of course soft toys galore of all things fish like. Again the prices were reasonable, but obviously this is dependent upon the exchange rate when you travel. All the facilities are adapted for disabled persons and there are ramps and lifts on all floors. We found the aquarium to have great accessibility and didnt struggle at all pushing a pram around the premises. I was also 6 months pregnant at the time and didnt find walking around the aquarium strenuous at all.

This attraction is open all year round, and would definitely recommend it for a visit if you are in Barcelona. In addition for convenience, tickets can also be purchased online from their website.

Overall it is a great fun place to visit for people of all ages and would love to visit here again in the future.

Summary: Ideal half day trip for all the family.