CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED

Aquariums & Sea Life in Belfast

There isn't a big aquarium right in Belfast, but the Maritime Mile has The Great Light, free to see and out in the open all hours: a 130 year old lighthouse optic on the Titanic Walkway, good for a quick look on the way to somewhere else. For the real sea life, it's a drive out to Newtownards for Exploris Aquarium, from £12, where seals, otters, sharks and a crocodile share the building and you can book a shark encounter or feed the capybaras. Seaforde Gardens near Downpatrick, a longer trip out, does something different again: a warm glasshouse full of free-flying tropical butterflies, from £5.35 and set for ages 3 to 16, with a walled garden and maze outside afterwards. If cost matters, start with The Great Light, it costs nothing. For a proper indoor day with feeding times and hands-on bits, Exploris is the one to plan around, and it has quiet sessions if that helps. Seaforde suits an afternoon of wandering rather than a tight timetable, and the maze is worth saving for after the butterflies.

✓ 4 places✦ 1 free to visit