La Rochelle aquarium

The aquarium should not be missed during your visit to La Rochelle. It is housed in a modern glass building on the harbour.

Within the aquarium there are 70 separate sections containing 12,000 marine animals and - most exciting for visitors - 20 species of shark.

The tour starts with a descent in a large elevator that judders along in a slightly alarming fashion. This takes you into a corridor next to a tall narrow aquarium containing tiny jellyfish - very artistic.

You then walk through a glass tunnel surrounded by water and fish, really quite an extraordinary experience.

As you proceed through the different sections of the La Rochelle aquarium you discover life in the different seas and oceans of the world - Atlantic, Mediterranean, Pacific, Caribbean...through a wide range of sea life including stingrays, murray eels, shoals of sardines, numerous brightly coloured tropical fish, sea urchins, starfish, etc. A personal favourite was the numerous species of seahorses.

The highlight of your visit is, of course, the massive tank containing the large sharks, looking every bit as coldly scary as they do in the movies.

After previous disappointing visits to other aquariums in Europe I almost didn't visit this one - but can now confirm it is one of the unmissable attractions of the region!

The tour as a whole takes approximately two hours.

After your journey through the aquarium there is a cafe / bar on a terrace on the roof of the modern building, with great views across La Rochelle.

Tourist classifications for La Rochelle aquarium: Village in bloom (ville fleurie) 3*; 'Historical protected town centre' (secteur sauvegardé);

Suggested places to visit near La Rochelle aquarium, France

Distances shown are direct, driving distances will be greater.

More suggestions: Ile de Re 20km; Marans 21km; Rochefort 28km; Ars-en-Re 28km; Ile d'Oleron 30km; Surgeres 32km; Brouage 35km; Maillezais abbey 40km; Ronce-les-Bains 40km; Georges Clemenceau house 42km; La Tremblade 43km; Fontenay-le-Comte 43km; Marais Poitevin 45km; Nieul-sur-l'Autise 47km; Coulon 48km; La Palmyre 49km;

See these places and more on a map at places near La Rochelle

La Rochelle aquarium tourism: sights and attractions nearby

Jardins du phare de Chassiron - remarkable garden (22km) : Jardins de la Boirie - remarkable garden (27km) : Baie de l'Aiguillon - site of natural beauty (29km) : Eglise de Notre-Dame de l'Assomption (Maille) - religious monument (35km) : Abbaye Saint Pierre et Eglise de Saint Nicolas (Maillezais) - religious monument (40km) : Jardins du Bâtiment - remarkable garden (45km) : Jardins de Chaligny - remarkable garden (45km) : La Roche Courbon - remarkable garden (47km) :