Only a year after the Cuban Revolution, the new government opened the Acuario Nacional, sparing no efforts in environmental conservation in hopes of creating awareness among the people and the future generations. The care and concern put into the aquarium, established while the country was still recovering from the revolution, makes the attraction a special place of significant importance!

The Acuario Nacional aims to get the whole community involved, with programmes aimed for every age group, between young children to the elderly, there is definitely something for you here! There is even an intergenerational scientific event for individuals of different ages to pit their knowledge and skills against each other! Since the 1980s, the aquarium has been holding dolphin shows, and in the early 2000s, renovations were made to introduce new exhibits. With over 350 species and 2,700 animals, you most certainly will have a chance to catch many of these marine-dwellers in action!

Though many may be interested in its giant tanks full of spectacular fish, the Acuario Nacional is dedicated more towards research and conservation, rather than showcasing marine animals. With a research library and many seminars and symposiums they hold throughout the year, the main attraction, to a few, are not the sights but the knowledge you can take away from here! But, don’t worry, there is still a lot to see! The restaurant Gran Azul, for instance, offers a dining experience against the huge dolphin tank, so you can have a great meal while viewing the dolphin show from an entirely different perspective altogether.