Updated for September 2026
The Best Aquariums in South America
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every aquarium in South America that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Guided tourOn-site diningMobility equipment loan
Mundo Marino
Aquarium in San Clemente del Tuyú
The grounds run to 40 hectares, with assorted attractions and educational shows.
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On-site dining
Acuario Nautilus
Aquarium in Comas
The Monteza Silva family founded the aquarium in 2007 with conservation in mind. Its collection runs to over 600 freshwater and marine animals of more than 150 species, sharks and turtles among them. A substantial refurbishment was carried out in 2020, and the shark tunnel, holding upwards of 1.5 million litres of seawater, is claimed as the largest in the region.
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Touch poolOn-site dining
Aquário de Ubatuba
Aquarium in Ubatuba
Privately owned, it opened in February 1996 and has been described as the country's first aquarium. The collection is made up mostly of medium-sized tanks together with one large one, with freshwater and marine displays arranged by taxonomy. A further area is built around ecosystems such as mangrove and coral reef.
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Animal encounterSensory and cognitive supportTouch pool
Acqua Mundo
Aquarium in Guarujá
Acqua Mundo is an aquarium in Guarujá, Brazil. Animals on show include tubarões, pinguins, tartarugas, lagartos and jacarés.
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Valencia's Aquarium
Zoo & Aquarium in Valencia
The aquarium occupies the city's first waterworks building, known as the old water box, built in 1886 under Antonio Guzmán Blanco. It now keeps numerous fish and snake species as well as endemic plants.
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Indoor spaces
Acuario El Rodadero
Aquarium
Acuario El Rodadero is an aquarium in Colombia. Animals on show include Tiburón, Delfines, Morenas, Caballitos and Meros.
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Municipal Aquarium of Santos
Aquarium in Santos
Opened on 2 July 1945 by Getúlio Vargas, it was among the earliest public aquariums built in São Paulo state. It occupies 2,000 m², with 32 fresh and saltwater tanks holding over 200 animal species, and takes about 500,000 visitors a year.
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Guided tour
Jacques Huber Aquarium
Aquarium in Belém
Jacques Huber Aquarium, opened in 1911, is an aquarium in Belém, Brazil.
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Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum
Aquarium in Santa Marta
Opened in 1965 by captain Francisco Ospina Navia, it belongs to Colombia's national museum network and is a member of ACOPAZOA, the Colombian arm of the world zoo and aquarium association. Reached mainly by boat, it has 13 pools open to the Caribbean and 15 glass tanks holding over 805 animals, among them sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, crustaceans, fish and seabirds, 98 per cent of which come from the local area. A museum wing shows taxidermy and nautical equipment along with a display on Tairona pre-Columbian culture and the sea.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 10 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.