CRETAquarium
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 11
1 / 11
Opening hours
Today09:30 – 17:00Show all
Shorts
-
Cretaquarium!Incredible Crete
-
Cretaquarium - Heraklion GreeceDespina Mertzanidou
-
Sea life magick 🐠 Cretaquarium - public aquarium in Crete, Greece.PrideCZ
-
A giant grouper from the CretaquariumRazmafzarTV
-
Hey, why all ancient world feared 😱STINGRAYS and now Greeks keep them…Hey from Poland by Rita
-
📍Cretaquarium-Θαλασσόκοσμος .#creta #fyp #music #foryou #fypシ゚viralKitchenRider
-
Dive into the Magic of the Sea at CRETAquarium – A Must-Visit in Hera…Magic Day Trips
-
Cretaquarium in Gournes, Herakleion, Crete!Kretaonline
Why go
- The two largest tanks, holding 600,000 and 400,000 liters, in the second section
- The tank scenery inspired by the seabed of Vai and Matala, in the second section
- The curved viewing pane, about 9 by 2 meters, and the largest panes, about 5 by 3 meters
With kids
- Education programmes for primary and secondary school pupils, led by specialist scientists.
- The programmes are hands-on, and their content is adjusted to the level of the pupils who choose them.
- The fourth section has shallow open tanks where visitors see animals up close, including Mediterranean rainbow wrasse and moon jellyfish.
- The second section has sand tiger sharks, loggerhead sea turtles, common octopuses and slipper lobsters.
- The last section has clownfish and spinefoots among tropical fish that are Lessepsian migrants.
Tips for your visit
- The exhibits are arranged in five sections, each with its own mix of animals.
- Many animals are watched by cameras to study their life cycles and behavior.
- The site also holds research laboratories and fish-farming facilities alongside the aquarium.
Know before you go
- Open every day, from 09:30 to 17:00.
Interesting facts6
-
It is also known as Thalassocosmos.
Cretaquarium - Wikipedia -
Its buildings also hold research laboratories and fish-farming facilities, not only the aquarium.
Θαλασσόκοσμος - Wikipedia -
58,000 square
The site covers 58,000 square metres in total.
Θαλασσόκοσμος - Wikipedia -
250 species
About 250 species live in its tanks, most of them native to the Mediterranean, with over 2,500 animals in total.
Cretaquarium - Wikipedia -
1,800,000 liters
Its tanks hold 1,800,000 liters of water in total.
Cretaquarium - Wikipedia -
It cares for sick or wounded animals and returns them to the wild.
Cretaquarium - Wikipedia
History
Former staff of the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete conceived the project. It was started as part of a marine park for research, education and culture, and aimed to create the first large aquarium in Greece. Its construction was co-financed by the European Investment Bank and the Greek state. Michalis Papadakis has been its director since it opened.
- 2005Opened in December 2005 on the former USAF Iraklion Air Station site, with about 35 tanks.
- 2008Expanded with 25 more tanks.
- Today61 tanks holding about 1.8 million liters of water.
Sources: Cretaquarium - Wikipedia · Cretaquarium - Wikipedia · Θαλασσόκοσμος - Wikipedia · Cretaquarium - Wikipedia · checked 26 Oct 2026
- Website
- cretaquarium.gr/
- Phone
- +302810337788
Questions and answers
What are the opening hours of CRETAquarium?
CRETAquarium is open every day from 09:30 to 17:00.
How far is CRETAquarium from Heraklion?
CRETAquarium lies about 15 km east of Heraklion, near the village of Gournes on the north coast of Crete.
Is CRETAquarium suitable for children?
It runs education programmes for primary and secondary pupils, led by specialist scientists. In the fourth section, visitors see animals up close in shallow open tanks.
How many animals live in CRETAquarium?
It holds over 2,500 animals of about 250 species, most native to the Mediterranean. They live in 61 tanks holding 1.8 million liters of water in total.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.