Poema del Mar Gran Canaria: prices and what to see

At the Muelle Deportivo in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a short walk from Las Canteras beach, there's an aquarium that takes you down to the bottom of the ocean without getting your feet wet. Poema del Mar packs 35 marine and freshwater ecosystems under one roof, from the Amazon jungle to the abyssal deep, and it's the kind of indoor plan that rescues a windy day in the capital.

What's inside

The visit opens with La Jungla, a bright recreation of the tropical rainforest around the Panama Canal with its own plant life, and continues into Arrecife: a huge cylinder holding over 400,000 litres of water where Indo-Pacific reef fish and corals swim. It's where most people linger, since you can walk all the way around the cylinder and view it from several angles with no glass in between.

The deep sea and El Veril

Next comes Las Profundidades, an exhibition with several viewing points over the abyssal ocean and its roughly 3,000 specimens from up to 40 species swimming through dark water. El Veril closes the visit on a very different note: a vaulted tank devoted to Canary Island species, built so visitors feel like they can almost touch an ecosystem that's hard to see up close in the wild.

How to get there

Poema del Mar sits at the Muelle Deportivo, right by Las Palmas harbour and a short stroll from the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium and Las Canteras beach. Coming from the south of the island, the drive takes around half an hour; from the capital itself, it's walkable or a few bus stops from the centre. The harbour area has paid public parking, so if you're driving it's worth allowing a few extra minutes to find a spot, especially on a day when a cruise ship is docked at the pier.

A plan that works for the whole family

The building is air-conditioned and the route is flat from start to finish, with no stairs or demanding stretches, so it works just as well with a stroller as with grandparents in tow. Photos without flash are allowed in every room, though it's best to avoid touching the glass of the Arrecife cylinder so it doesn't get scratched. On the way out, the Las Canteras seafront is just a few minutes' walk away: aquarium in the morning, beach or a drink by the water at midday is the classic combination.

Ticket prices

Adult tickets cost €27 and children's tickets (ages 4 to 11) €18.50; under-4s go free. Canary Islands residents get a special rate at the box office on presenting an ID or proof of residency. The ticket is valid for the date you choose when booking, with no fixed time slot, and can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance.

Tips before you go

1. Book ahead: since it's valid for a specific day with no fixed hour, you can reserve now and pick the exact time once you're in Las Palmas.
2. Go early or late afternoon: the venue itself is compact and rarely crowded, but mid-morning tends to overlap with cruise-ship groups docking at the harbour.
3. Allow an hour and a half to two hours: it's not a huge park, so it pairs well with a walk along Las Canteras afterwards.
4. Travelling with under-18s, remember they need to be accompanied by an adult to get in.

FAQs

How much does Poema del Mar cost? €27 for adults and €18.50 for children aged 4 to 11. Under-4s don't need a ticket.

Where is Poema del Mar? At the Muelle Deportivo in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, right by the harbour and close to Las Canteras beach.

How long does a visit to Poema del Mar take? An hour and a half to two hours is enough to take in all 35 ecosystems at an easy pace.

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Still planning your time in Gran Canaria? Roque Nublo is the classic inland escape, the Maspalomas dunes are half an hour's drive away, and here are all our things to do in Gran Canaria.