Best aquarium destinations in South America

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South America's aquarium sector is less developed than other regions but includes institutions of genuine quality built around the continent's extraordinary freshwater and marine biodiversity. The Amazon river system alone contains more fish species than any equivalent freshwater environment on earth, and the leading institutions have developed freshwater exhibits and Amazonian ecosystem recreations that deliver encounters with fauna unavailable in marine-focused aquariums elsewhere.

Coastal aquariums along the Pacific and Atlantic seaboards have developed marine displays reflecting the distinct oceanographic environments of each coast, with cold upwelling Pacific waters and the warmer Atlantic producing entirely different species compositions. Several institutions combine public display with active research and conservation programmes for threatened freshwater and marine species.

Admission fees are modest across most of the continent making multiple institution visits practical on modest budgets. Welfare standards and accreditation vary and researching institutional credentials before visiting is worthwhile. The most popular facilities require advance booking during school holiday periods when capacity fills quickly.