A visit to the Gijón Aquarium takes about an hour and a half, according to its website, and once you leave the route you cannot go back in. It opens at 10:30, the free sessions are at 13:00 and a child ticket, ages 3 to 14, costs 13 euros; under-3s go free.
With children, the question is not what there is in the Gijón Aquarium but how long it will take and whether it will go well. The short answer is an hour and a half, with one condition that catches many families out: once you are out, you cannot go back in. This is what helps to plan a morning with kids, from arrival time to snack time.
How long it takes
The aquarium's website puts an ideal visit at an hour and a half. With small children it can be less, if they get tired, or much more, if they stay glued to the shark glass. When you buy online you pick a time slot: you must go in within that hour, and once inside you can stay as long as you like.
The rule worth remembering is another one: according to the aquarium's rules, once you leave the route you cannot go back in. So the toilet, the coats and the sandwich are sorted before you start, not halfway. If you are going to take a break, make it at the end.
The general information, its autumn and winter hours and ticket prices are in our guide to the Gijón Aquarium.
When to arrive
The aquarium opens every day at 10:30, and the ticket office and entrance close one hour before closing time. With children the maths is simple: there are three free sessions a day, all at 13:00. On Mondays and Fridays the Gran Oceanario is fed; on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays there is a session about sharks; and on Wednesdays and Sundays, an educational session at the Oceanario.
Going in at 11:30 lets you do the first half of the route calmly and reach the Gran Oceanario at one o'clock. Then you leave for lunch, which by then is due.
Which animals to look for
The route goes through eleven settings, from the Cantabrian river and the intertidal zone to the Caribbean, the Indo-Pacific, Macaronesia and the great African rivers and lakes. For the youngest it works as a treasure hunt: in the intertidal zone there are hermit crabs, sea urchins, starfish and cuttlefish; the aquarium's animal list includes the axolotl, seahorses, clownfish and jellyfish.
The finale is the Gran Oceanario, the big tank, with sand tiger sharks, loggerhead turtles, rays and stingrays. Better not to promise penguins or otters: they are not on the official animal list.
Food, pushchairs and practicalities
There is no eating along the route. Only water is allowed, in a non-glass container, although the website itself allows baby food and small snacks for small children. There is a café, the Kraken Beach Bar, on the ground floor, and a restaurant, the Kraken, on the second floor, with its own entrance.
The whole route is accessible, with ramps and lifts. There are automatic lockers at the entrance, 5 euros a day for a medium one and 7.50 euros for a large one. Pets are not allowed, except assistance dogs, nor are bikes, scooters, balls or balloons, and photos are taken without flash. Under-14s must always be with an adult.
What it costs for a family
A child ticket, ages 3 to 14, costs 13 euros, and under-3s go free. Large families pay 15.50 euros for a general ticket and 11 euros for a child ticket. With Gijón's Tarjeta Ciudadana, the child ticket drops to 8 euros. If you plan to come back, the child annual pass costs 38 euros.
Autumn workshops and plans
Between October and December 2026 the aquarium runs half-hour workshops for families with children over 4, at 4 euros per person: sharks on 24 October, axolotls on 14 and 28 November and turtles on 12 December. There is also a no-school-day workshop for Halloween, on 30 October.
For older children, aged 8 to 14, there is Durmiendo con tiburones: a night inside the aquarium, from Friday at 20:00 to Saturday at 10:00, with dinner and breakfast, for 69 euros and with 30 places. This autumn's dates are 23 October and 18 December. On Sundays there are also guided tours at 11:30.
Checked
Facts checked in October 2026 on the official Gijón Aquarium website: FAQs, rules, where to eat, services, tickets, animals and habitats, and activities and workshops.
Quick questions
Can you bring food into the aquarium?
There is no eating along the route and only water in a non-glass container is allowed, although baby food and small snacks for small children are accepted.
Are there penguins at the Gijón Aquarium?
They are not on the official animal list. What there is: sand tiger sharks, loggerhead turtles, rays, seahorses, clownfish, jellyfish and axolotls.
Can you spend the night at the aquarium?
Yes, with Durmiendo con tiburones, for children aged 8 to 14: from Friday at 20:00 to Saturday at 10:00, with dinner and breakfast, for 69 euros.