The Gijón Aquarium faces Poniente beach and opens every day from 10:30; in autumn and winter 2026 it closes at 18:30 or 19:00 depending on the period, and the ticket office closes one hour earlier. A general ticket costs 21.50 euros and a child ticket 13 euros.
It is the most visited paid attraction in Asturias and, for many people, the answer to what to do in Gijón when it rains. The aquarium opened in June 2006 on the old docks of the Astilleros del Cantábrico shipyard, facing Poniente beach, and in 2026 it turned twenty. Here is what is inside, what it costs and how to fit it into a day without a car.
An aquarium in an old shipyard
The aquarium was inaugurated on 9 June 2006 and opened to the public the next day, on the Poniente beach promenade, on the docks of the former Astilleros del Cantábrico. According to Wikipedia it has about 2,000 square metres of exhibition space spread over 60 freshwater and saltwater tanks, the same figure Turismo Asturias gives.
In 2018 the tender to run it was won by the Rain Forest group, the company behind the Bioparc parks in Valencia and Fuengirola, with a fifteen-year concession and the option of five more; hence today's name, Bioparc Acuario de Gijón. In 2025 it received 208,348 visitors, its record, and according to the local press it is the most visited paid attraction in Asturias.
What you see inside
The route starts close to home: a Cantabrian river with its freshwater species, such as salmon, trout and sturgeon, and the intertidal zone of the coast. Then the water warms up: the Caribbean, the Indo-Pacific, Macaronesia, the great African rivers and lakes and an American rainforest. The aquarium's website also lists the Cantabrian Coast, the Continental Shelf, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gran Oceanario, the big tank where the sharks and turtles swim.
The local press in 2026 counts about 5,400 animals of more than 480 species and more than 2 million litres of water. Since 2023 it has also run the Asturias Marine Animal Recovery Centre, which cares for turtles and seals. Wikipedia puts the visit at one hour and forty minutes.
When the animals are fed
The aquarium's website lists three fixed sessions at 13:00: the Gran Oceanario feeding on Mondays and Fridays, an educational talk at the Oceanario on Wednesdays and Sundays, and another on sharks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. If you are going with children, that is the time to be inside.
Autumn and winter 2026 opening hours
It opens every day from 10:30. Closing time changes by period: from 13 to 30 October it closes at 18:30 Monday to Thursday and at 19:00 on Fridays, weekends and public holidays; on 31 October and 1 and 2 November, at 19:00; from 3 to 30 November, at 18:30 every day.
In December it closes at 18:30 from the 1st to the 3rd; at 19:00 from the 4th to the 8th; from the 9th to the 23rd, at 18:30 on weekdays and at 19:00 on Fridays and weekends. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 15:00, and on 25 December and 1 January it does not open. Note one detail printed in large letters on its timetable: the ticket office and entrance always close one hour before closing time.
What it costs
A general ticket, for ages 15 to 64, costs 21.50 euros; a child ticket, ages 3 to 14, 13 euros; over-65s, 14 euros; with a youth or student card, 15 euros; and for people with disabilities, 11.50 euros. Children under 3 go free. With Gijón's Tarjeta Ciudadana the general ticket drops to 10 euros. The annual pass costs 50 euros.
The city's price ordinance for the Jardín Botánico Atlántico also lists a combined Aquarium and Botanic Garden ticket at 15.90 euros; ask at the ticket office whether it is still on sale before counting on it.
Getting there without a car
The bus stop is simply called Acuario, and lines 1, 4, 6, 12 and 16 stop there in both directions. On foot, according to the aquarium itself, it is about 17 minutes from the Plaza Mayor and about 15 from the marina, along the Poniente promenade.
There is no car park of its own. The local press points to the Poniente car park and the one at Sanz Crespo station as the nearest options. Inside, flash photography, eating during the visit and pets are not allowed.
Checked
Facts checked in October 2026 against: the official Gijón Aquarium website (September to December 2026 timetable, prices, directions and habitats), Turismo Asturias (Bioparc Acuario de Gijón page), Wikipedia (Acuario de Gijón), Bioparc Valencia (2018 statement on the concession), Planomato (2026 anniversary) and Gijón City Council (Jardín Botánico price ordinance).
Quick questions
Which buses go to the Gijón Aquarium?
Lines 1, 4, 6, 12 and 16, which stop at the Acuario stop in both directions. On foot it is about 17 minutes from the Plaza Mayor.
When are the sharks fed?
At 13:00: the Gran Oceanario feeding is on Mondays and Fridays, and the session on sharks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
How long does a visit to the aquarium take?
Wikipedia puts it at one hour and forty minutes, for a route through 60 freshwater and saltwater tanks.