Cretaquarium, Public aquarium in Heraklion, Greece
Cretaquarium is a marine research center with public exhibition halls in Hersonissos Municipality, east of Heraklion. The facility houses 61 tanks containing over 2,000 sea creatures from Mediterranean and tropical waters, spread across roughly 1,600 square meters of exhibition space.
The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research opened the facility in 2005 as the first large public aquarium in Greece. Since then, the building has served both educational programs and ongoing research projects about the Mediterranean.
The tanks display fish and crustaceans that local fishermen along the Cretan coast have known and caught for generations. Wall panels explain how these animals are used in the diet of island residents and their role in regional cooking.
The facility sits roughly 15 kilometers east of Heraklion along the coastal road and opens daily. Admission starts at 8 euros per person, with discounts available for children and groups.
Some tanks simulate deep-sea environments with dimmed lighting, letting visitors see nocturnal species under conditions that match their natural habitat. This design allows observation of behaviors usually hidden in brightly lit aquariums.
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