Unspecified/General

Opened in June 2014 in the Plaza Carso development in the Polanco district of Mexico City, the Inbursa Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in Latin America and a notable family attraction in a capital far from the sea. Set largely below ground over several floors, it holds around 1.6 million litres of seawater brought from the Gulf of Mexico and displays some five thousand creatures of more than two hundred and thirty species across dozens of exhibits. The route leads visitors through a sequence of recreated environments, among them the deep ocean floor, a swaying kelp forest, a beach, a mangrove and even a representation of Antarctica, so that the journey doubles as a tour of the world's marine habitats. Among the animals on view are sharks, rays, sea turtles, crocodiles, jellyfish, piranhas, penguins and corals, and the aquarium places emphasis on education and conservation. It forms part of a cluster of cultural attractions in the area, standing close to the gleaming Soumaya Museum and the Jumex contemporary art museum, so that a visit can easily be combined with the surrounding sights. Its central location and broad appeal make it a popular outing. The aquarium was a notable addition to the cultural quarter that the Carso group developed in Polanco, and its scale and ambition reflected a desire to give the landlocked capital a window onto the marine world to rival the great aquariums of coastal cities. Descending through its floors, visitors pass from one recreated habitat to another, the design intended to immerse them in the sights and atmosphere of each environment rather than simply to line up tanks, so that the journey carries them from a sunlit beach and tangled mangrove through kelp forests and out into the deep ocean, and even to the cold of an Antarctic scene complete with penguins. The variety of creatures is broad, from the sharks and rays that patrol the larger tanks to the slow drift of jellyfish, the menace of piranhas, the bulk of crocodiles and the colour of corals and reef fish, and explanatory displays throughout stress the diversity of ocean life and the threats it faces, giving the visit an educational purpose alongside the spectacle. Its setting among the cultural attractions of the district, with the silver-skinned Soumaya Museum and the Jumex art museum close by and restaurants and shops within the same complex, makes it easy to fold a visit into a wider day out, and its broad appeal to children and adults alike has secured its place as one of the most popular family attractions in the city.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 386 Boulevard Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Mexico City, Mexico

Telephone: 55 4438 6978

Website: https://www.acuarioinbursa.com.mx

Opening Date: 11/06/2014