CRETAquarium Thalassokosmos — Attraction in Municipality of Chersonissos

To start, I’d like to say a few words about the area. I didn’t have the chance to try the buffet or the on-site restaurant, and I skipped the beach because it was crowded. However, what really impressed me was the little town nearby (especially noticeable for those arriving by bus, as you have a great view of it from the stop). The town (or maybe it’s a village, I’m not completely sure) is beautiful—I highly recommend that everyone take a walk through it or at least admire it from above. It’s a very interesting experience.

But now to the main point: Cretaquarium made a very positive impression on me. There are around 70 aquariums, often huge in size, and each usually contains many different species of fish and marine life. Many tanks have viewing windows on several sides, which allows you to watch the fish and the displays from a variety of perspectives. There is also a huge amount of extra information to help you identify species, learn about them, and discover some curiosities. The whole place is arranged in a very atmospheric and immersive way, which is enhanced by static exhibits (like fish skeletons, corals, etc.). I highly recommend a visit—not just for families with children but perhaps even more for adults! I think adults can really appreciate and enjoy this attraction, maybe even more than kids do.

A few words of warning though: as you might expect, there are a lot of children in the aquarium and, as is often the case, it can be challenging (or impossible) for parents to keep them quiet. This leads to quite a lot of noise and general commotion. Unfortunately, some adults also behave loudly, ignoring the signs asking for quiet to avoid scaring the fish. I think this point is self-explanatory, but here’s my recommendation—if you don’t plan on supervising kids and don’t intend to get the audio guide, bring your own headphones with some relaxing ocean sounds or other atmospheric music. Sadly, I didn’t have mine with me, and it would definitely have made the experience even better. As for the audio within Cretaquarium itself, you’re not missing much: for some reason, most of the music played is fantasy-style, and my impression was that a lot of it came from Lord of the Rings.

All in all, I highly recommend Cretaquarium—it's truly a...

Dreckig und klein. Fische werden nicht artgerecht gehalten. It's a very small aquarium, just the basics including a bigger tank with big fish and a very small shark. Waste of money, we walked through it in less than 20min and left sad and feeling bad for the fish there. If I'd rated the staff alone it would get 0 stars! Not only because they keep the fish in dirty and small tanks but also because they were very rude. My 2 year old was the only one who had a great time and she expressed her excitement accordingly with giggling and laughing out loud - apparently this was not welcomed, as a woman working there shushed at her and told us to shut her up,... I'd understand it if my daughter was crying out loud but she was literally just happy and excited and expressed it accordingly. Plenty other babies that were there crying and screaming but I guess MY daughters laughter was irritating her. Probably act of racism that surely will be denied, in any case horrible staff, did they want me to taped her mouth shut or make her cry or leave, literally because my daughter was too happy? Honestly, for me as an adult it was pretty boring and sad to watch the fish being kept like that. I have seen a lot better, bigger and more clean aquariums around the world. Save your money and don't go there. I recommend the semi-submarine cruise if you want to see fish in their...

​This was the fifth aquarium I've visited, so perhaps my expectations were too high. ​Unfortunately, the venue was very crowded with many children who were noisy and constantly tapping on the glass, despite clear signs asking for quiet. Staff were only present at the ticket counters, so there was no supervision within the exhibition itself to enforce the rules. ​The layout of the tour was also disappointing. The main attraction, the largest tank, is located right at the beginning. In my experience, you expect a spectacular finale, but here the climax comes far too soon. ​The digital information panels were another downside. The touch screens often lagged, and with only one screen serving several tanks, it was very impractical in the crowds. The gift shop was also unremarkable and felt just like a typical Cretan souvenir stall. ​However, there were some positives. The animals themselves are beautiful, and photos don't do them justice. I also learned a couple of interesting facts, for instance about the turtle nesting grounds on Crete, and that ammonite fossils were apparently used for discus throwing in the ancient Olympics. ​I was debating between giving 3 or 4 stars. However, after considering all the shortcomings and the €12 adult ticket price, I feel that 3 stars is the more...