Second Day in Genova
Second Day in Genova
After a good breakfast we walked until the Acquario di Genova, along the way don’t miss the Galeone Neptune
The “Neptune” is a ship replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon.
The ship was built in 1985 for Roman Polanski’s film Pirates, where she portrayed the Spanish ship of the same name. An accurate replica above the waterline, the Neptune is currently a tourist attraction in the port of Genoa, where its interior can be visited”.(wikipedia).
This massive boat unfortunately needs a lot of work on it and although some restoration work has been started there is a lot that needs doing. When you stand on the harbour next to it, you can see how big it is.
We did not go on board because of that but it is definitely something you should take photos from the pier!.
Acquario di Genova is an amazing place to be visited and with your children will be even better, you can spend hours in there without to be bored.
The Acquario di Genova is a fascinating journey through the largest exhibition of biodiversity and ecosystems in Europe.
What we loved more were the penguins of Magellano and the sharks bay, where you can find the big tank that hosts the predators of the sea – not only various species of sharks from different environments, but also other interesting fish.
Near the bottom, for example, you can find two specimens of sawfish, typical of the Indian and Western Pacific Ocean; they can be identified easily because of their long rostrum with tooth-like, the mermaids lagoon which hosts the manatees, aquatic herbivorous mammals.
It seems that these tame animals were at the origin of the myth of mermaids, mythological creatures that are half woman and half fish. The origin of this legend could stem from their way of nursing, which is very similar to the human one.
And at least but not last the jellyfish, in this room you can find nine tanks that allow you to find out species coming from many seas around the world, but also to observe the first stages of the life cycle of these ancient organisms and their really simple structure.
Finally we enjoyed the feed the dolphin experience which usually happens around noon.
After that that I would higly recommend you to include in the ticket the possibility to visit the tropical garden “Wings flapping” in the Acquario di Genova.
The Biosphere is a striking sphere of glass and steel designed by the architect Renzo Piano.
Here you can learn about the plant and animal life in tropical forests. You will see rare tropical plants: not only tree ferns, but also gum trees, coffee plants, banana trees and cinnamon.
The tree ferns that grow in the Biosphere are the tallest cultivated plants of this species in the whole world.
Here you can actually enter into the Central America forest and you can watch tropical plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles and multi-coloured butterflies without fences, to take a look at their fascinating life cycle.
A couple of tips: look at your feet as you need to pass water where pirania live and don’t be scared by the red and bright birds which welcome you very closely and usually continue to walk with you along the path.
After that we took in the Porto Antico the area near the Genoa Aquarium a boat tour “Genoa by the Sea” lasting about 1 hour, cruising through the tranquil waters of one of Europe’s largest ports, with the chance both to discover the harbor’s many activities and connections within the different river basins (Porto Vecchio, Avamporto and Porto Nuovo) and to enjoy a privileged view of the city: the centre’s old and modern buildings, the lighthouse, the forts strung across the hills, and the airport.
The boat stops also at Genova Pegli west limit of the town, and why not enjoy a delicious ice cream here walking through this area waiting for the next boat to go back.
Always in Porto Antico Area you can find the BIGO a panoramic lift designed by Renzo Piano.
It offers a fantastic view of the old town centre, one of Europe’s largest and richest in arts.
My daughter said that she wanted to live on it so don’t miss it.
We did it twice, by the way if you visited the Acquario you have a discount on the ticket.
In the late afternoon we also enjoyed a pleasant trip with the city train that you can take at the Porto Antico area this small train will bring you along the streets of Genova a very nice way to see the city having relax and fun.
Tonight we had a dinner at the Osteria Carabas, this small but beautiful osteria is very frequented by locals and is not far away from the Genova Principe station.
The Osteria sits on top of a small slope, there are also tables outside but we preferred to stay inside, the place is small but the food is really good especially the fish, we had a very good fried seafood.
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