L'Umbracle is the entry to the City of the Arts and Sciences and consists of an enormous green 320 metres in length and 60 metres in width. The gardens are surrounded by many palm and orange trees along with various shrubs, 5,500 ground plants and at least 450 climbing plants. Don't forget to look for the fragrant plants of Rosemary and Lavender and also take in the views of the entire complex from this area. 

Leaving L'Umbracle you come across a spectacular building consisting of a huge glass wall and hanging platforms, this is the Prince Felipe Science Museum. Here visitors are encouraged to take part, touch and experiment with present day and future technology. Within this building you will also find the L'Espai dels Xiquets, this is an area especially for young children aged between 4 and 7 where they can watch in a giant incubator funny little chicks hatching from their eggs, followed by a Cartoon Mascot on a giant screen. 

Visit the Space Cadet School and travel with Professor Bombilla and his assistant Sparky through the solar system in an audio visual spectacle which lasts approximately 10 minutes. You can also see on the first floor of the museum a giant pendulum which hangs from the top of the building's eaves, this demonstrates how the earth rotates around its own axis and is said to be one of the longest in the world! Near to the museum is the building which is shaped in the form of a huge human eye, this is called L'Hemisfèric. Here you can enjoy 3D films, laser shows, multimedia shows and hundreds of animations. 

Take a spectacular adventure to the Grand Canyon, one of the most remote and extraordinary places in the world. Experience the thrills of flying over it or the breathtaking sensation of sailing along its waters and discover the history surrounding it. Visit 'Forces of Nature', a National Geographic film based on the greatest natural disasters on our planet. Feel the power of the earthquakes, volcanoes and tornadoes in the company of scientists. 

At the other end of the City of Arts and Sciences is l'Oceanogràfic which is Europe's largest marine centre. The aquarium is home to 45,000 examples of 500 species from around the world. Walk through the maze of glass and tunnels, taking in the spectacular marine life and surrounding yourself with sharks and rays or walk with the penguins. Dolphin in L'Oceanografic In the Temperate and Tropical building you can see the Marine Turtles and in the Izu Peninsula there is an exhibit which recreates the coastline in Japan. This area is where the giant spider crab can be found which grows up to an amazing 4 metres in length! A must for all visitors is the Dolphinarium which is one of the largest in the world and contains approximately 23 million litres of water. Seating up to 2,210 people you can watch the Bottlenose dophins which are common in the coastal regions and the building also has small whales - a must for the children during those long summer holidays. 

The majestic building known as Palau de les Arts completes the City, said to be the largest Opera House after the Sydney Opera House. Inside the Main hall there is seating for 1,800, the Master Room or Chamber Musical Hall seats 400, the Amphitheatre above the Main hall seats 1,800 and the Chamber Theatre seats another 400. You can visit the City by taking the A7 and the N340 or for further information call 902 100 031 or visit your local Tourist Information Office. 

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