Do you want to swim with sharks? In San Sebastián you can
Do you want to swim with sharks? In San Sebastián you can
The San Sebastián Aquarium, which welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year, is one of the most important tourist resources in the Basque Country. Located at the end of the port, in constant dialog with the Cantabrian waves that strongly beat its facade, this ‘Palace of the Sea’ was built in 1928 and expanded in 1998. It currently consists of a museum, 31 aquariums, exhibition halls, an auditorium, a shop, a cafeteria, and a restaurant and it is a place that is sure to surprise children and adults alike.
The museum section helps to contextualize the maritime history of Gipuzkoa: the whalers, the fishing trade, maritime commerce, etc. It also explains the creation and history of the Guipúzcoa Oceanography Society –currently called the Gipuzkoa Oceanographic Foundation–, the Aquarium’s founder. This society was a pioneer in the dissemination of meteorological, fishing, oceanographic, and fish stocking knowledge, as well as in the creation of the first fishing school in Spain, and of a Master of Marine Biology that is undertaken in cooperation with various European universities.
The aquariums, meanwhile, are dedicated to the Cantabrian Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and tropical fauna. Among them, the Oceanarium stands out: a large tank that holds 1,500,000 liters of water and features a 360º glass tunnel that runs through it which visitors can walk down to observe the diversity of the fauna of the Atlantic Ocean, with two bull sharks as protagonists. The more intrepid also have the chance to don a diving suit, dive into the Oceanarium, and swim among its 7,000 fish – including the two sharks.
The tour of the facilities is topped off with a visit to the temporary exhibitions (many of which are by renowned local artists like Nisa Goiburu, Agustín Pontesta, and Alfredo Bikondoa who create works linked to marine life) and with a meal in the restaurant, which offers an unparalleled view of La Concha Bay.
The importance of the sea in the daily life of the Basque Country is such that, in order to understand life on land here, it is essential to understand what happens offshore – and a visit to the Aquarium is the best way to immerse yourself in the secrets of the great blue.
Aquarium
Plaza de Carlos Blasco Imaz 1, San Sebastián.
Tel.: +34 943 440 099
