CRETAquarium Heraklion: Mediterranean Sea Life Ticket

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration1h–6h

Audio guideEN · CS +7

Mobile ticketAccepted

2,000 Mediterranean creatures in 60 tanks—what's swimming behind the glass in Heraklion

You get entry to all 60 tanks and access to 2,000 Mediterranean animals representing 200 species, with the option to rent an audio guide for 3 euros. The aquarium is fully wheelchair accessible, allows strollers and service animals, and sits near public transport in Heraklion. You move through at your own pace with no fixed schedule.

1h–6h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit CRETAquarium in Crete

Arrive at CRETAquarium
Explore 60 Mediterranean sea tanks
Observe 2,000 sea animals
Learn about Mediterranean ecosystems
Participate in educational programs
Discover marine research exhibits

The Experience

The tanks are already full when you walk in. Schools of fish move in unison, jellyfish drift like ghosts through blue water, and in one corner a grouper sits so still it looks painted on. CRETAquarium in Heraklion holds 200 different species—everything that lives in the Mediterranean basin, from the shallow beds off Crete to the deeper hunters that rarely surface. You move through at your own pace, no guide talking over the sound of water, just you and whatever catches your eye.

The aquarium is built around 60 tanks of different sizes, each one designed to show how the sea actually works here—not some tropical fantasy, but the real ecosystem that's been feeding civilizations for thousands of years. You'll see the creatures that belong in these waters: the dusky groupers that hang in the rocks, the immigrant species that drifted up from warmer seas, the ones that hunt and the ones that hide. The staff treats injured animals and keeps adding new species, so the place stays alive instead of static. If you want more than just looking, an audio guide is available for 3 euros—you pay directly at the entrance.

The whole thing is wheelchair accessible, surfaces are flat throughout, and if you're traveling with small children there are prams and stroller space. Service animals are welcome. Public transport stops nearby if you're coming from central Heraklion. You can spend an hour here or three, depending on how long you want to stand in front of a tank watching something you've never seen before move through water.

What’s included

Admission ticket to all 60 tanks and exhibits.
access to 2,000 Mediterranean sea animals and 200 different species.
wheelchair accessibility throughout.
stroller and pram accommodation.
optional audio guide device available for 3 euros paid on-site.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cretaquarium of Hellenic Centre for Marine Research

Is this one for you?Right for anyone in Heraklion wanting to see Mediterranean sea life without arranging transport or worrying about timed entry—you show up, pay at the door, and spend as long as you want with the tanks.