Valencia Oceanografico

About the Oceanografico

Valencia is a beautiful coastal city in Spain, known for its iconic Oceanografico - the largest aquarium in Europe, part of the stunning City of Arts and Sciences complex. The city combines historic charm with modern architecture, featuring the futuristic buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava and the beautiful Mediterranean coastline.

Opened on 14 February 2003, the Oceanogràfic completed the main sequence of buildings in Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, the complex built along the drained bed of the Turia river after the river was diverted following the 1957 flood. Its entrance pavilion, a thin concrete shell evoking a water lily, was designed by the Spanish-Mexican architect Félix Candela with engineers Alberto Domingo and Carlos Lázaro, and it is usually described as the largest aquarium in Europe. Together with Santiago Calatrava's neighbouring Hemisfèric and Museu de les Ciències, it now functions as shorthand for the modern city in tourism material, and stands as one of the region's most visited attractions.