Lanzarote Aquarium

Inside the tanks

The underwater tunnel gives visitors a view into the shark display, linked to the aquarium's central 500,000-litre tank. Sharks are the large-scale attraction, but the collection also includes moray eels and sea bream typical of waters around the Canary Islands. Tropical displays add clownfish and anemones, pufferfish and hermit crabs, with differences in body shape as well as colour across the collection.

There are 3 touch aquariums for adults and children, where visitors can touch and learn about animals including sea urchins and sea cucumbers. These provide a different encounter from watching fish through glass: the animals here include species whose form and texture are part of the experience. The touch tanks are intended for both adults and children, rather than being an activity only for younger visitors.

The environmental display takes a different approach. Called the “rubbish aquarium”, it recreates the polluted condition of some stretches of coastline. Its subject is the damage pollution does to marine habitats, placing the animals elsewhere in the aquarium alongside an example of the pressures facing life in the sea.

Planning your visit

The aquarium opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00, with last admission at 17:15. That final entry leaves 45 minutes before closing; it is an admission cut-off rather than a stated duration for the whole visit. Once admitted, visitors can stay until the aquarium closes, so an earlier arrival gives more time for the tunnel, individual tanks and environmental display.

Tickets can be shown on a mobile device or tablet, with no need to print them. Changes to purchased tickets are only accepted at least 24 hours before the planned date. Reduced-rate tickets require the relevant card or certificate, and staff may request proof of age if there is uncertainty about the ticket category.

Discounts are available for residents of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands, with documentation required to establish eligibility. A reduced admission category is also listed for people with reduced mobility. That ticket category does not establish the accessibility of the route, so visitors with specific access requirements should confirm arrangements with the aquarium before booking.

Admission prices and age bands

General admission is listed at €16 for adults aged 12 to 64, €11 for children aged 4 to 12, and €13 for seniors aged 65 and over. Babies and children aged 0 to 3 enter free. Admission for people with reduced mobility is listed at €12, with supporting documentation required for the reduced rate.

The child and adult age bands both include age 12. That overlap matters when booking for a child of that age: the applicable category needs confirming with the aquarium rather than assuming either rate. Age may be checked at entry, and any difference between the ticket purchased and the applicable admission rate is charged there.

For families with younger children, the free admission band and touch aquariums are useful details when deciding on a visit. For older children and adults, the shark tunnel, tropical fish and local marine species form the main viewing attractions. The pollution display adds an environmental subject alongside the live collection.

Local and tropical marine life

The aquarium's collection is not limited to sharks. Species typical of the Canary Islands include moray eels and sea bream, bringing animals from the surrounding marine environment into view through the tanks. These displays sit within a broader collection that also includes tropical species, so the visit covers both local marine life and animals with different colours and body forms.

Clownfish and anemones are among the named inhabitants, alongside pufferfish and hermit crabs. The range includes fish, animals with shells and anemones rather than presenting a sequence of fish alone. Sea urchins and sea cucumbers feature in the touch aquariums, where adults and children can learn about them through a more direct encounter.

The central shark tank operates on a different scale from these smaller animals, holding 500,000 litres of water and incorporating an underwater tunnel. Taken together, the displays give the visit its structure: a large shark-viewing feature, a mixed marine collection, tactile encounters and a recreation of coastal pollution.

What to look for

• Watch sharks through the aquarium's underwater viewing tunnel
• Look for moray eels and sea bream from Canary Islands waters
• See clownfish, anemones, pufferfish and hermit crabs in the collection
• Meet sea urchins and sea cucumbers at the touch aquariums
• Examine the rubbish aquarium's recreation of a polluted coastline