Located on Spain's west coast, Valencia is one of the country's most historic cities. Yet despite this distinguished heritage, one of the city's more modern buildings may be its most appealing tourist attraction. L'Oceanografico - translated to The Oceanographic - is the largest aquarium in Europe and home to some of the most diverse wildlife you'll see during a Spain tour.
The sheer size of The Oceanographic are pretty striking on its own. The enormous aquarium covers nearly 1.2 million square feet and contains approximately 11 million gallons of water. Not only that, it is home to more than 45,000 animals in more than 500 separate species.
Nearly every type of marine animal you can think of lives somewhere in The Oceanographic. Among the highlights of the sprawling aquarium is the area dedicated to the animals that live in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, there are approximately 7,500 specimens that reside in the Mediterranean section alone.
The Oceanographic also houses the world's largest aquarium tank which contains nearly 1.9 million gallons and is home to some of the most famous aquatic animals in the world such as the sand tiger shark, bull ray and sunfish.
Though the marine animals are the largest draw of The Oceanographic, the aquarium has much more to offer. For starters, it's an architecture enthusiast's dream, as it's one of many eye-catching buildings in Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences complex.
Along with its design, The Oceanographic also is home to one feature that you're unlikely to find anywhere else - an underwater restaurant. What better way to cap a day spent exploring the aquarium than a meal beneath the waves?
