Parque Explora and its Aquarium

Explora is a set of red blocks of interactive science exhibits beside the metro, and while the physics and mechanics halls are aimed squarely at school groups, the aquarium underneath is the reason adults go. It concentrates on the fresh water of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, which is a rarer thing to see than a reef tank: arapaima the length of a person, electric eels, stingrays, piranha, and a flooded-forest tank that shows what a river looks like from below once the water rises into the trees. There is a marine section as well, plus a vivarium of snakes and amphibians and a planetarium next door.

What you actually see

• The freshwater tanks - arapaima, stingrays and electric eels from the Amazon and Orinoco.
• The flooded forest tank - a river seen from underwater among submerged trees.
• The vivarium - Colombian snakes, frogs and other reptiles.
• The interactive halls - hands-on physics and mechanics exhibits.

When to go

Open year round, closed on Mondays outside holiday periods. Weekday mornings belong to school groups, so arrive at opening or come mid-afternoon once they leave. Weekends are busy with families. Two to three hours covers the aquarium and one exhibition hall; add the planetarium and it becomes most of a day.

Honest expectations

The exhibits are pitched at children and much of the signage is in Spanish only, so adults without the language get less from the interactive halls. It is loud when school groups are in. The aquarium is genuinely good but is one part of a larger ticket, and the combined passes push the price up. Some installations are out of order at any given time.

Nearby

The botanical garden is next door, and the metro reaches the centre in a few minutes.