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Genoa Aquarium is the largest Italian aquarium, the second biggest in Europe, after that of Valencia, and the ninth in the world. It was built in the ancient part of the port of Genoa – on the Ponte Spinola – and is easily accessible by both private and public transport thanks to its proximity to the highway, the Principe railway station and the underground San Giorgio stop.

The Aquarium, which is part of Costa Edutainment company, was opened in 1992 on the occasion of the Expo exhibition (also known as “Colombiadi”), celebrating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.
At the time of its inauguration, it was the second-largest aquarium in the world. It was, later on, expanded on more than one occasion.

A typical visit to this aquarium takes about 2,5 hours, over a total area of some 12.000 yards.
The 39 huge tanks host fish and reptiles, featuring the natural environments for each single species and plenty of instructional opportunities. Five of these tanks can be seen from both floors of the aquarium, and host dolphins, sharks, seals, manatees (sea cows) and turtles, as well as countless fish species.
Dolphins are not always visible to the public, as they usually rotate among three different tanks.
The new Cetacean Pavilion though, let people see them up close, thanks to a huge glass wall, and a spectacular underwater tunnel: a real must-see of Genoa Aquarium. This brand new pavilion was designed by architect Renzo Piano, in collaboration with Officina Architetti.
Positioned between the main body of the Aquarium and the Great Blue Ship, the new Pavilion magnifically integrates itself with the “Porto Antico Area” (“Old Harbour”): the glass façade on the Southside and the suspended pathway have a very “light” impact with the surrounding structure, thus looking absolutely amazing.
This pavilion actually consists of four open-air tanks, the main exhibition, the nursery, medical facilities – and enough space to accommodate up to ten bottlenose dolphins.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)