The Museum of the Sea (Museo del Mar de Cumaná) is one of the most interesting options for educational or family holidays in the city of Cumaná in the North of Venezuela.

The museum is housed in a building belonging to the University of Oriente (UDO) in the Luis Manuel Peñalver Cultural Complex (Complejo Cultural Luis Manuel Peñalver).

The Museum of the Sea was opened in October 1984 in the administrative building of the old airport, where it worked for thirteen years. In 1997, the most important collections of the museum were put in dead storage: work was suspended due to the destruction of the aquariums ( that year an earthquake occurred in the city). In 2005, the exhibitions were re-opened at a new address - where they are still located - in the cultural and educational center on Vela de Coro Street.

The combination of the museum's exhibits is diverse and informative: from the skeletons of the marine fauna in the halls to marine equipment; from scale models of the sea to a unique fossil of the coelacanth (an extinct genus of underwater animals).

The museum has various themed halls such as the Seabed, the Coral Room, or the Hall of Fishing Gear. There is also an internet room and a support service for students, who would like to get materials about the life of the sea.

Unfortunately, Venezuelans generally have a cool attitude towards museums. It does not affect museums positively: many museums in the country deserve more attention. And the Museum of the Sea is one of them.

Employees with extensive knowledge of the subject will not only guide you through the halls of the museum. Here, your attitude to the marine theme may change: a lot of unusual and unexpected opens up on scientific, educational, fascinating sites, you explore the sea depths in the format of a large city while being on land. The only "non-marine" detail of this museum is its remoteness from the sea (about 2 km to the coast of Carriacou Bay).