Bioparc Aquarium of Gijon Entry Ticket

Gijón’s aquarium packs more than 2,000 cubic meters of water into a tour of rivers, coastlines, and oceans around the world. In one visit, you can move from Asturias’s freshwater species to bull sharks nearly three meters long, loggerhead turtles, tropical fish, and small creatures in touch pools.

I like the sheer range of habitats, and I like that the visit is not limited to pretty tropical fish. You’ll also see salmon, eels, trout, sturgeons, grey sharks, nurse sharks, and other animals that help explain how different water environments work.

The main drawback is that your ticket is non-refundable, so you’ll want to be sure of your plans before booking. It is also a self-guided aquarium visit, not a tour led by a named guide.

Key Points at a Glance

• More than 60 aquariums: Follow freshwater and saltwater habitats from northern Spain to the Caribbean, Pacific, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Atlantic.
• Around 5,000 animals: Expect a wide mix of fish, sharks, turtles, and other aquatic life rather than a collection focused on one region.
• Large bull sharks: Some bull sharks reach almost three meters, giving the aquarium a memorable large-animal encounter.
• Touch pools for smaller creatures: You may be able to touch starfish, small fish, and sea cucumbers in designated shallow pools.
• Useful for families and rainy days: The visit offers a full indoor activity with an educational focus on oceans, rivers, and conservation.
• Wheelchair accessible: Accessibility is listed as available, though the ticket information does not give further details about specific facilities.

Start With Asturias’s Rivers and the Cantabrian Coast

The aquarium’s greatest strength is its geographic range. Instead of presenting only distant tropical seas, it begins close to home with the rivers of Asturias and the Cantabrian Coast.

That local focus matters. Salmon, trout, eels, and sturgeons help you connect the aquarium’s displays with the waterways and coastlines of northern Spain. You are not simply looking at animals behind glass. You are seeing how species belong to particular types of water, from inland rivers to the open sea.

I especially like this approach for families. Children often recognize a shark or turtle at once, but freshwater species can be less familiar. Seeing both in the same visit gives you an easy way to talk about migration, habitats, and the link between rivers and the sea.

The Cantabrian Coast section should also help place Gijón in its wider setting. The city faces the Bay of Biscay, and the aquarium uses local marine life as part of its broader story. That makes the visit feel connected to Asturias rather than like a generic tropical aquarium.

A World Tour Through 60 Aquariums

From the northern Spanish habitats, the displays continue through a long list of marine regions. You can expect sections representing the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Red Sea, the African Indian Ocean, the South Atlantic Ocean, and the Subtropical Atlantic Ocean.

The stated collection includes more than 60 freshwater and saltwater aquariums. That number gives you plenty to see, but it also means the experience works best when you allow yourself time to pause at the tanks instead of rushing from one display to the next.

Each region brings a different setting and animal mix. Some aquariums recreate river life. Others focus on saltwater habitats and the plants and animals found in warmer seas. The point is not simply to count species. You are comparing how life changes from one part of the planet to another.

Because the aquariums cover such a wide geographic range, the visit should suit you if you enjoy variety. If you prefer one very large, dramatic tank with a tightly focused theme, the many smaller habitat displays may feel less direct. The strength here is breadth.

The Big Moment: Sharks and Loggerhead Turtles

The largest animals provide the most dramatic part of the visit. Gijón Aquarium keeps bull sharks, some almost three meters long, along with grey sharks and nurse sharks.

Bull sharks are especially memorable because of their size and powerful shape. They give the aquarium a sense of scale that smaller fish cannot provide. The grey and nurse sharks add variety, letting you compare different shark forms and behavior as you move through the displays.

Loggerhead turtles share the aquarium’s larger animal appeal. Their slow movement offers a useful contrast to the faster fish and sharks. You can take your time watching them, then shift to a tank filled with smaller, quicker animals.

The aquarium’s collection includes around 5,000 animals, so sharks and turtles are only part of the visit. That is good news if your group has mixed interests. One person can focus on large predators, another on turtles, and someone else on the smaller fish and freshwater species.

Small Animals and Hands-On Pools

The touch pools offer a change of pace. In these smaller pools, you may be able to touch starfish, small fish, or sea cucumbers.

This area can be particularly useful for children who need something more active than looking through glass. Touching a sea cucumber or starfish can make the animal feel real in a way that a photograph cannot. It also creates a natural chance to discuss gentle handling and the need to follow the aquarium’s instructions.

You should treat the pools as an educational feature, not a guaranteed hands-on session for every member of your party. The supplied details identify the touch-pool animals, but they do not specify session times or rules. Check the instructions on arrival and follow the staff guidance closely.

The touch pools also balance the larger shark displays. The aquarium is not trying to impress you only with size. It gives you encounters with animals that have very different shapes, movements, and roles in aquatic life.

Why the Conservation Message Matters

Bioparc Aquarium of Gijón presents itself as a place for education, public awareness, and ocean conservation. That mission gives the displays more purpose than a simple collection of attractive animals.

You can use the visit to think about where each animal lives and why its habitat matters. A river species raises different questions from a tropical reef animal. A large shark prompts a different conversation from a small invertebrate in a touch pool.

The aquarium’s mix of Asturias, the Cantabrian Coast, and distant oceans is useful here. It shows that conservation is not only about faraway coral reefs. Local rivers and coastal waters matter too.

I would not expect a formal guided lecture based on the ticket details. This is an entry ticket for exploring the aquarium, and no guide is named. The educational value comes from the displays, the habitats, and the animals themselves.

How Much Time Should You Allow?

The ticket is valid for one day, and the stated duration is one day. That gives you room to build the aquarium into a flexible Gijón schedule rather than treating it as a tightly timed activity.

The exact time needed is not provided, so I would avoid planning another fixed appointment immediately afterward. The aquarium has more than 60 tanks and around 5,000 animals, and your pace will depend on whether you stop for every habitat, spend time at the sharks, or visit the touch pools with children.

The one-day validity is helpful if your day changes. You can plan the aquarium around other activities in Gijón, subject to the available starting times shown when you book. Since the ticket is non-refundable, choose a day you can genuinely keep.

This also works well when the weather is poor. You get an indoor activity with enough variety to fill a substantial part of the day, though the experience is best approached as a full aquarium visit rather than a quick photo stop.

Is the $24 Price Good Value?

At about $24 per person, the ticket is not a tiny add-on, especially for a family. The value depends on how much of the aquarium you use.

You are paying for access to more than 60 freshwater and saltwater aquariums, a collection of about 5,000 animals, large sharks, loggerhead turtles, local river species, international habitats, and touch pools. For someone who enjoys aquariums, that is a solid amount to see in one admission.

Families may find the price easier to justify because the visit combines visual displays, large animals, and a hands-on area. The educational focus also gives parents more to discuss than a simple attraction built only around photographs.

The value is weaker if you want a short visit or have little interest in aquatic life. You should also remember that the ticket includes entry only. No guide, transport, meal, or additional activity is included in the information provided.

Who Will Enjoy This Aquarium Most?

I would put this near the top of your Gijón list if you are traveling with children. The sharks, turtles, colorful marine life, and touch pools offer several points of interest, even when attention spans vary.

It also suits couples and solo visitors who enjoy natural history and photography. The chance to see animals from Asturias alongside creatures from the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Atlantic gives you more visual variety than a small local aquarium.

The aquarium received a rating of 4.8 from 20 ratings, and the strongest praise centers on the overall experience and its appeal to children. One parent described a daughter who stayed fascinated from start to finish, while another visitor singled out the range of habitats and creatures from the sea and land. Those points match the practical strengths of the visit: variety, accessible subject matter, and plenty to look at.

You may want to skip it if your schedule is extremely tight or if you are looking for a guided tour with detailed commentary. No guide or guided format is specified. This is a self-paced visit built around the exhibits.

Practical Details Before You Book

The activity takes place in Asturias, Spain, at the Bioparc Aquarium of Gijón. The listed price is $24 per person, and the ticket is valid for one day.

Wheelchair access is available. The information does not describe ramps, lifts, rest areas, or accessible toilets in detail, so you may want to confirm any specific access needs before booking.

Starting times depend on availability. Check the available time options for your chosen date before you pay, especially if you are coordinating the aquarium with other plans in Gijón.

The ticket is non-refundable. That is the most important booking condition. If your schedule is uncertain, wait until you can commit to the date.

Bring your camera if you enjoy aquarium photography, but do not let photos replace the visit itself. Some of the best moments are likely to come from watching movement over time, particularly with sharks, turtles, and schooling fish. The aquarium encourages photography as part of the experience, but the available information does not specify its exact camera or flash rules.

Should You Book the Bioparc Aquarium of Gijón?

I would book this aquarium if you want a flexible, family-friendly indoor attraction with both local and international habitats. The combination of more than 60 tanks, 5,000 animals, large sharks, loggerhead turtles, freshwater species, and touch pools gives you enough variety to justify the $24 price for a full visit.

I would be more cautious if you want a guided experience, need a fully flexible cancellation policy, or plan to spend only a few minutes inside. The non-refundable ticket means you should be sure of your date.

For families, animal lovers, and anyone curious about the rivers and seas around Asturias, this is a practical choice. Book it when you can give the aquarium time, and use the contrast between local waterways and faraway oceans to make the visit more meaningful.

FAQ

Where is the Bioparc Aquarium of Gijón?

It is located in Gijón, in Asturias, Spain.

How much does admission cost?

The listed price is $24 per person.

How long is the ticket valid?

The ticket is valid for one day.

How many aquariums can I see?

You can explore more than 60 freshwater and saltwater aquariums.

What animals are at the aquarium?

The collection includes salmon, eels, trout, sturgeons, bull sharks, grey sharks, nurse sharks, loggerhead turtles, and many other animals. Around 5,000 animals are included in the aquarium’s collection.

Can I touch any animals?

The aquarium has small pools where you may be able to touch starfish, small fish, or sea cucumbers.

Is the aquarium wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

Can I cancel my ticket for a refund?

No. The activity is non-refundable.