Acquario di Cattolica
Founded in 1931, the Acquario di Cattolica is one of Italy's oldest and most beloved aquariums, housing more than 6,000 animals across 90 tanks inside a striking waterfront pavilion. It consistently ranks among the top paid attractions in Emilia-Romagna and genuinely earns its reputation with immersive tunnel tanks, shark lagoons and daily feeding shows.
What's Inside
The centrepiece is a walk-through acrylic tunnel where sandtiger sharks and rays glide overhead — a genuinely jaw-dropping moment that silences even the most screen-addicted teenagers.
Elsewhere you'll find a Caribbean reef tank, a piranha pool, a touch-pool where children can handle starfish and sea urchins, and a dedicated jellyfish gallery lit in violet neon that doubles as an accidental art installation.
Planning Your Visit
Allow at least two hours; the aquarium is larger than it looks from outside and the feeding demonstrations — sharks at 15:00, penguins at 11:30 — are worth timing your visit around.
The on-site café is overpriced as aquarium cafés universally are, so fuel up beforehand at one of the bars on Piazza Roosevelt just two minutes away.
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