During our recent stay at Pirates Village in Santa Ponsa with Jet 2 Holidays, we decided to book a trip to Palma aquarium. We love visiting aquariums and had heard good things about this one - plus it seemed to be the perfect place for our group ranging from ages 3 - 50+. Palma Aquarium is a fantastic place to visit with kids in Spain and I'd definitely recommend.
You can book tickets online, pay on the door or book with a rep/travel agent once in resort. We checked out all of the different ways to book and they all seemed to be the same price so we booked at our hotel reception for convenience. Our tickets cost 88 euros which worked out at around £78 for 3 adults and 3 children.
There is a free shuttle bus from Santa Ponsa to Palma Aquarium. If you book your tickets from your hotel or through a rep/travel agent, they'll advise you where the pick-up point is. Your seat is not guaranteed however Santa Ponsa is the first pick-up and there were loads of seats available when we boarded - I can't ever see there being an issue with getting a seat on the bus from Santa Ponsa. We didn't have a pushchair with us but you can pop pushchairs and larger bags in the luggage hold before boarding.
Our pick up point was outside of Hotel Ron de Jaime Santa Ponsa at a respectable 11:30am which gave us plenty of time for breakfast first. Hotel Ron de Jaime is just across the road and a 2-minute walk from Pirates Village and there is a kids play park there too. This hotel is a main pick up point for lots of excursions but all coaches are clearly signposted and the driver will shout out where he's going. The driver doesn't check your tickets so don't get on the wrong coach!
It took us just under an hour to get to Palma Aquarium from Santa Ponsa. The coach drops you off right at the door. We picked up guests from Magaluf and Palma Nova en-route. Ideal if you're nosy like me and not so ideal if you just want to get going. The people waiting at the last few pick-ups in Palma Nova missed out as the coach was full and drove straight past them - I'm not sure what happens in this situation? One lady chased the bus down the street but the driver definitely wasn't stopping.
We arrived at the aquarium at 12:15ish and entry was quick and easy - we just showed our voucher. I'm not sure why but I always find that aquariums are super crowded in the first exhibitions. This was definitely the case in the tropical section at the beginning of the aquarium and there were queues to see each tank. We were worried this was going to happen all the way around but thankfully, the crowds seemed to spread out a little after this initial bottleneck.
I was amazed as Heidi and Jack could name 99% of the fish in the tanks as we walked around without reading the descriptions. Proof that learning happens beyond the classroom and through experience. I must say it was a proud mama moment as they reeled off facts they knew about Lion Fish, explained how certain JellyFish looked just like plastic carrier bags and discussed why we mustn't drop litter and the effects it can have on marine life.
There are a few options for lunch and we decided to go for the self-service restaurant which had indoor and outdoor seating. There weren't loads of options and the kids opted for spaghetti and garlic bread. I had some lovely chicken with potatoes and a nice cold beer. For 33 euros it wasn't a bad lunch.
Heidi was dying to visit the Sea Turtles and they didn't disappoint. We were able to get really close which the children loved. Palma Aquarium has rescued and rehabilitated over 100 Sea Turtles over the last few years. You can read more about the work they do here.
Palma Aquarium is so much more than just an aquarium - there is LOADS going on for kids and it's all included with admission. From an underwater-themed bouncy castle area to water play (it's only small but pack swim wear if you think your kids will want to have a quick play), an indoor soft play, free face painting and a pirate ship park, there's loads to keep kids entertained and you can easily spend 3-4 hours here. There are both indoor and outdoor areas and I'd say it's a good attraction to visit in all weathers.
You can buy some fish food for 1 euro to feed the fish which of course we couldn't resist trying. Money well spent! I can't believe how greedy they were. There's also the option to have your photo taken with a parrot which they try to sell you when you leave for 10 euros which I found to be on the expensive side if I'm honest. Apparently, the money goes back into the foundation but the kids preferred to spend their money on cuddly toys from the gift shop instead.
The Jungle area of the aquarium was one of our favourites. With steam lingering amongst the trees, waterfalls and ponds containing snapping turtles, it really was realistic and we felt as if we were Amazon explorers and not sure what we'd find around the next corner.
The shark area of Palma Aquarium is one of the best I've ever seen. Palma Aquarium is 9 metres deep and the deepest shark tank in Europe. It's home to 11 sharks and there are lots of different areas to view them. As you walk through the shark tunnel, they will swim over your heads and there are plenty of chill out zones with cushions where you can just sit and take it all in. We spent a long time in this section and managed to get some fab close up views of these magnificent creatures. You can pay extra (around 8 euro per person) to take a glass bottom boat across the top of the tank but we didn't do this and thought that the views from various points across the aquarium were more than enough.
The final zone was the jellyfish zone and again, there were lots of beanbags on the floor where you could just sit down and watch. It was so peaceful and a lovely way to *almost* end our time at the aquarium.
One last stop at the indoor soft play before we left. This is also included in admission and includes climbing walls, indoor basketball, ball pools and various frames. You can buy coffee and soft drinks (my coffee was less than 2 euro) and if you forget a pair of socks, you'll need to buy some from the soft play counter for 1 euro.
The free shuttle bus picks up at 4:30pm. We'd finished by around 3:30pm so decided to cross over the road to Palma beach for half an hour. This beach is lovely with bars lining the walkway and mini trains taking you into the city. There's also the chance to watch the planes fly into the airport which is fun for toddlers (and plane spotters!) - they fly in very low.
It feels a little like every man for himself as the free buses turn up. There are a couple of buses going to different resorts and nobody wants to be left behind. Elbows were drawn as everyone tried to pile on the bus together. In reality though, there was plenty of room for everyone and nobody was left behind. Our bus was actually half empty. We were back at our hotel for 5:30pm.
Our trip to Palma Aquarium worked out at 25 euro per person including return transport, entry, fish food, lunch with drinks and a coffee for me in soft play which I think offered really good value. It wasn't the best aquarium I've ever visited (Genoa aquarium wins that prize) but it was certainly up there with the best. We managed to get up close to lots of marine life including stingrays, turtles, octopus and sharks and we all had a fun-filled day.
If I was to visit again and had the same evening flight times, I think I'd plan to visit Palma Aquarium on the last day of our holiday. Jet2 Holidays offer in-resort check-in at Pirates Village so you can check in your bags on the morning of departure at your hotel. Then you'd be able to enjoy a full day at Palma Aquarium and catch a taxi to the airport. Palma Aquarium is right next door to the airport and less than 5 minutes in a taxi (there's a taxi rank outside). This seems like a hassle-free and easy way to spend your last day in Majorca.
Let me know if you've ever paid Palma Aquarium a visit.
Disclosure : We paid for our own trip and holiday.
Pin Me For Later
It looks like a great day out, we never went on any day trips when we were in Majorca but I wish we had. x
ReplyDelete