AquaRio

AquaRio, officially the Aquario Marinho do Rio de Janeiro, is the city's large public aquarium and the most dependable family attraction in Rio when the weather turns or the beach needs a break. It opened in 2016 in the Gamboa district of the old port, on Praca Muhammad Ali, as part of the regeneration that also brought the Museum of Tomorrow and the Museu de Arte do Rio to the waterfront, and it occupies a converted warehouse building with a built area of around 26,000 square metres and some four and a half million litres of water. The aquarium focuses on marine life, especially the species of the Brazilian coast, and its official materials speak of thousands of animals from around three hundred and fifty species. The route takes about an hour at a steady pace and leads through themed areas: reef tanks of brilliantly coloured fish, mangroves and rocky shores, jellyfish lit in changing colours, touch pools where children can feel starfish and sea cucumbers with staff on hand, and the great oceanic tank, the centrepiece, where sharks, rays, large groupers and shoals of fish swim overhead as you walk through a glass tunnel. The tunnel is the moment everyone remembers and the place to linger. AquaRio also has a strong education and research side, with conservation projects and behind-the-scenes programmes, and the building houses other attractions that can be bought on a combined ticket, including a mirror installation, a wax museum and the Globo Experience. There are places to eat in the lobby and along the route, and a gift shop at the end. In 2026 the aquarium was again named among the best attractions in Brazil in TripAdvisor rankings, and it published an accessibility guide for visitors with disabilities.

Practical details: the aquarium's own 2026 guide gives opening hours of 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends and holidays, with last entry an hour before closing, but check the official site for holiday changes. Buy tickets online in advance to skip the queue, especially on weekends and during Brazilian school holidays in January and July, when the aquarium is at its busiest. Half-price tickets are offered to children from three to twenty-one, students, people over sixty and people with disabilities, with ID, which makes it good value for families.

Getting there: the easiest route is the metro to Carioca station, then the VLT light rail (Line 1) to the Utopia AquaRio stop, right outside. A ride-hailing car from Copacabana or Ipanema takes around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on traffic. Plan at least an hour and a half: the circuit itself takes about an hour, but most people want time in the tunnel and at the touch pools. Weekday mornings are calmest.

Who it suits: families with children of any age, above all; it is also a good wet-weather option for adults who enjoy marine life. Combine it with the Museum of Tomorrow or the Boulevard Olimpico murals, a short walk or VLT ride away, for a full day in the port district.