Lanzarote Aquarium

The Lanzarote Aquarium in Costa Teguise is the largest aquarium in the Canary Islands, and one of the island’s best rainy-day, windy-day or just-something-different family outings. Home to more than a million litres of water across 33 tanks, it takes you on a journey through the marine life of the Atlantic and beyond, from colourful tropical fish and rays to a huge central shark tank with a glass underwater tunnel running right through it. It’s compact enough to see comfortably in an hour or two, engaging for all ages, and open all year round. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.

You’ll find the aquarium in the heart of Costa Teguise, on the island’s east coast, tucked into the resort within easy reach of the beaches, hotels and Pueblo Marinero. It’s an indoor attraction, which makes it a genuinely useful one to have up your sleeve: perfect for a cooler or breezier day, a break from the sun, or simply an afternoon of something different, and it’s a firm favourite with families. Despite the modest footprint, it holds the title of the biggest aquarium in the Canaries, and it’s thoughtfully laid out so you wander through a series of themed zones, each recreating a different underwater world.

The Sharks and the Underwater Tunnel

The undoubted star of the show is the enormous central tank, which holds around 500,000 litres of water all by itself, and the glass tunnel that runs beneath it. Walking through, you’re surrounded on all sides and overhead by the residents of the tank, with sharks, rays and turtles gliding right past your head, which is a genuinely memorable experience and the moment most children remember longest.

Several species of shark call the tank home, including nurse, bamboo, blacktip and zebra sharks, alongside manta rays and stingrays. It’s an unforgettable, slightly spine-tingling highlight, and the closest most of us will ever get to swimming among sharks.

What Else You’ll See At The Lanzarote Aquarium

Beyond the big tank, the aquarium’s 33 displays hold hundreds of marine species, and there’s a lovely mix of the local and the exotic. You’ll see plenty of species native to the waters around the Canaries, such as moray eels, bream and the little fulas, alongside vivid tropical showstoppers like clownfish, anemones, puffer fish and seahorses.

Clear, informative displays throughout share facts about the creatures and their habitats, so the visit is quietly educational as well as spectacular, which is part of what makes it such a good one for children. It’s the kind of place where curious young minds come away having genuinely learned something without ever feeling like a lesson.

Touch Pools and Getting Hands On

One of the features families love most is the interactive touch pools. The aquarium has several tactile tanks where children and adults alike can gently touch and get close to certain species, things like starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, under supervision. It’s a lovely hands-on touch that brings the marine world to life for little ones and turns a look-and-learn visit into something more memorable. Small details like this are what lift the aquarium above a simple walk-round.

Swimming with Sharks At The Lanzarote Aquarium

For the truly adventurous, the aquarium offers something rather special: the chance to swim with sharks in the main Oceanarium tank. It’s billed as the only aquarium in Spain where you can do this without a diving qualification, carried out under the close supervision of the aquarium’s experts, so no prior experience is needed. There are conditions, it’s for adults and older children only, with a minimum age, and you’ll need to meet basic health requirements, and it’s booked separately as a premium experience on top of standard entry. It’s not cheap, but for anyone who’s ever dreamed of getting in the water with sharks in complete safety, it’s a genuine bucket-list moment.

A Focus on Conservation

The aquarium is about more than entertainment. It runs marine conservation and environmental education programmes, and includes a rehabilitation role for marine animals such as sea turtles, aiming to send visitors away with a bit more understanding of the ocean and why it’s worth protecting. It’s a nice dimension to a family visit, and a reminder that the creatures you’re admiring are part of a wider, fragile world, fitting for an island that takes its natural environment as seriously as Lanzarote does.

Lanzarote Aquarium Prices and Opening Times

The Lanzarote Aquarium is open every day of the year, from 10:00 in the morning until 18:00 in the evening, with last entry at around 17:15. Standard admission is in the region of 16 euros for adults, with reduced rates of around 11 euros for children aged 4 to 11 and around 13 euros for seniors aged 65 and over, and discounts for visitors with disabilities. Under-fours generally go free. Swimming with sharks is a separate, higher-priced experience that must be booked in advance. It’s worth knowing that if you’re also visiting Aquapark Costa Teguise, a combined ticket for both is available and works out cheaper than buying the two separately. Prices can change, so it’s worth checking the latest before you go, and a visit typically takes around an hour to an hour and a half, with a souvenir shop at the end.

How to Find The Lanzarote Aquarium

The aquarium is easy to reach in Costa Teguise, close to the Pueblo Marinero and the El Trébol shopping centre area. If you’re staying in the resort, it’s an easy walk or a very short hop. Several island bus lines stop nearby, with the Pueblo Marinero stop only a couple of minutes’ walk from the entrance, and there are handy connections from Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero. If you’re driving there’s parking in the area, and being so central in Costa Teguise it combines easily with a day at the beach, a wander round Pueblo Marinero or a trip to Aquapark just up the road.

Why the Aquarium Is Worth a Visit

The Lanzarote Aquarium makes a great addition to any family holiday, and it’s especially handy to have in your back pocket for a day when the wind’s up or you fancy a break from the beach. As the biggest aquarium in the Canaries, it delivers a proper underwater adventure, with that unforgettable shark tunnel, hundreds of weird and wonderful sea creatures, hands-on touch pools for the children and even the chance to swim with sharks for the brave. Add its genuine commitment to conservation, and it’s an hour or two that entertains and educates in equal measure. For families in Costa Teguise in particular, it’s an easy and rewarding day out.

Check availability and book your tickets for the Lanzarote Aquarium below.