The Ocean Race Museum in Alicante is the only museum in the world dedicated to the toughest round-the-world sailing race on the planet: more than five decades of circumnavigation under sail, first as the Whitbread, then as the Volvo Ocean Race, and today as The Ocean Race. It sits on the Muelle de Levante inside the port, a five-minute walk from the Explanada, general admission is free, it opens Wednesday to Sunday, and you can tour its interactive rooms in a little over an hour.
This guide answers what people search for before visiting (hours, price, location, duration, and exactly what you will see) and, at the end, an idea hardly anyone takes advantage of: how to round off the visit by sailing the same bay from which the Volvo Ocean 65s set out every four years for the rest of the world.
Where it is and how to get there: Muelle de Levante 10
The museum occupies a modern building at Muelle de Levante, 10 (03001 Alicante), right by the sea, inside the port complex but with open access from the promenade. The exact address is the same as The Ocean Race's European headquarters, so if you search for ocean race alicante museum on a map, you will see how the whole complex — offices, store, and exhibition area — is concentrated in one place.
How to get there:
- On foot, from the city centre: leave the Explanada de España heading east, cross over by the port, and follow the seafront promenade; it is about 8-10 minutes walking.
- By car: the Panoramis car park and the Volvo Ocean Race underground car park are the closest; traffic inside the port is pedestrian in the museum area.
- By public transport: TRAM Alicante lines L1, L3 and L4 and the city buses stop at Luceros or on the Explanada, a few minutes on foot.
- By boat: if you moor at the Real Club de Regatas de Alicante or at the marina, you are literally next door.
The location has a nice twist: the museum faces the departure dock. It is there, on 17 January 2027, that the next round-the-world edition of The Ocean Race will start. If you visit the museum, it is the best way to understand why Alicante has been the start port since 2008.
Opening hours, admission, and how long the visit takes
Before you go, it is worth confirming hours on the museum's official website, since they change by season and the museum closes on specific public holidays (1 January and 25 December).
Ocean Race Museum opening hours (winter season)
Between late September and late June, the standard ocean race alicante museum hours are:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 – 18:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 – 14:00 |
In summer, the museum extends its weekend hours to accommodate seasonal tourism. Mondays and Tuesdays remain closed all year round. Hours and prices can change occasionally: confirm them on the museum's official website before your visit.
Ocean Race Museum admission
General admission to the museum is free. This is probably the best news for visitors: no booking, no payment, just show up during opening hours.
What is paid (and optional) are the complementary experiences:
- "The Ride" immersive experience — a 7-minute audiovisual simulator: five euros adult / three reduced (6-17 years).
- Guided tour of the museum with a specialist guide: eight euros general / six reduced.
- Brasil 1 Boat Tour (step aboard the Brasil 1 VO70 on display and go below decks): five euros adult / three reduced.
Prices verified in April 2026 on the museum's official website — it is worth checking again before visiting in case of updates.
If you are coming with children aged 6-7 and up, "The Ride" is one of the most memorable experiences: a cabin that simulates the motion of a race boat in the open ocean.
How long to allow
- Quick visit (free exhibition only): 45 minutes.
- Relaxed visit with "The Ride" + Brasil 1: 1 h 30 min – 2 hours.
- Full guided tour: 2 h – 2 h 30 min.
With children between 3 and 10 years old, add a little more because they will want to stop at every interactive screen and model.
What you will see: the 5 spaces of the museum
For anyone searching for what to see ocean race museum, here is the route, split across five main areas. They are not five rooms with separate doors but five connected spaces, each with a different focus.
1. "Navigating history": 50 years of ocean racing
The central exhibition. Curated archive photographs arranged chronologically and by theme, from the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973 to the latest edition. There are panels on the legendary skippers, the all-female crews, the Spanish teams, and the toughest editions (1989-90, 2008-09). A great starting point if you do not know the race.
2. Brasil 1: inside a VO70
The star of the museum. Brasil 1 is a Volvo Open 70 that raced the 2005-06 edition with Torben Grael at the helm. Today it sits outdoors next to the museum, and with the Brasil 1 Boat Tour ticket you can step into the cockpit and go down below. You will see the navigation station, the berths (if you can call them that — they are fabric bunks), the spartan galley, and the bench where eleven crew rotated watches for more than 20 days straight. The sense of claustrophobia works as pedagogy: this boat sailed around the world.
3. "The Ride": simulator and virtual reality
The most interactive zone. It includes two paid experiences:
- "The Ride", a moving cabin that simulates the motion of a boat in the Southern Ocean during a race. Seven minutes of adrenaline with immersive audio and front projection.
- 11th Hour Racing Team VR experience, winner of the 2022-23 edition. You put on the VR headset and sail aboard the IMOCA during a manoeuvre.
4. Technology, science, and ocean sustainability
The Ocean Race is one of the few sporting competitions that carries out science during the race: boats fit sensors that gather data on microplastics, CO₂, salinity, and water temperature in ocean zones where no commercial boat sails. This area of the museum showcases the Racing with Purpose programme and its partnerships with bodies like UN Environment and IOC-UNESCO. There are also explanatory models of the foils and the evolution of materials — from aluminium to carbon in 50 years.
5. Temporary exhibition, terrace, and cafeteria with a view
The upper floor alternates temporary exhibitions with a cafeteria and terrace opening onto the whole port. It is the best spot in Alicante for a coffee with views of the start dock and, if the dates line up, of The Ocean Race boats moored below. Events, talks, and nautical presentations are also held here throughout the year.
Bonus outside the museum: if you walk down the promenade toward Plaza Puerta del Mar, you will see the hull of Pirates of the Caribbean, another VO70 from the 2005-06 edition that suffered a major failure. It has been on open display since 2015 and is a free, photogenic stop.
History: from the Whitbread (1973) to the current name
The most-searched H2 after opening hours. Understanding the rebrands is key to not getting lost among the names.
1973 — Whitbread Round the World Race. The race is born. Sponsored by the British brewer Whitbread. 17 boats leave Portsmouth to sail around the world. It establishes itself as a biennial event.
1997 — The Volvo Ocean Race. The Swedish brand takes over as title sponsor. The iconic Volvo Ocean 65 one-design is born, which democratises the competition by putting every boat on equal terms. Many in Alicante and around the world still remember and search for it as volvo ocean race museum alicante: it is the name this race wore during two iconic decades.
2019 — The Ocean Race. After the 2017-18 edition, Volvo steps back as title sponsor and the organisation rebrands the event with a name that underlines its mission: ocean health, sport, and human adventure. The Alicante museum takes on the brand change but preserves the earlier history — which is why its storytelling mixes all three names together.
2023 — The Ocean Race 2022-23. Last completed edition. Won by 11th Hour Racing Team (USA) with the speed of the foiling IMOCAs.
2027 — The Ocean Race 2026-27. Next round-the-world edition, with a start scheduled for 17 January 2027 from Alicante.
Alicante, start port since 2008
Since the 2008-09 edition, Alicante has been the official start port of every round-the-world edition of the race. The city signed a strategic agreement with the organisation and built the current Muelle de Levante complex to host the Race Village, the offices, and the museum.
Why Alicante? Three reasons the museum explains well:
- Predictable sea and wind conditions in mid-January, without the harsh lows seen in northern Europe.
- Port infrastructure with enough draft for the IMOCAs and VO65s, technical berths, and neighbouring shipyards.
- Institutional commitment from the City Council, the Generalitat, and the Port Authority, which have renewed the agreement through the 2030-31 edition.
In the months before each start, the Race Village opens to the public with free activities, concerts, boat displays, and a Fan Zone. If you visit the museum in autumn or winter of a race year, the vibe on the dock doubles the appeal — the 17 January 2027 start is the next time a major Ocean Race event will depart from the city.
How to round off your visit: a sailing trip around the bay
The paradox of the museum: you leave with your head full of the sea, but the actual sea is 50 metres away and you have not set foot on it. If you have half a day ahead, the logical way to close the visit is to go sailing around the bay of Alicante, the same water through which the race boats head out to the Atlantic. At boat rental in Alicante we work precisely with this kind of visitor: someone who leaves the museum with the sea on their mind and walks straight onto the water.
Our sailboat Peggy, a Centurion 61 — a 19-metre (63 ft) yacht with a professional skipper, leaves the marina just a few minutes from the museum. The two trips that pair best with a museum visit are:
- A private sunset cruise in Alicante, ideal for closing the day with the race start dock in view.
- A full-day sailing experience, if you want to extend the museum visit into a full day of sailing, swimming in a cove, and lunch on board.
For anyone with a full day, the complete option is the one-day boat trip to Tabarca Island, the only inhabited island in the Valencian Community. If you are after a race experience, we also run trips to watch local events from the sea, such as the Trofeo 2 ISLAS A2.
From land, the museum explains 50 years of racing. From the water, you understand why there are people willing to sail around the world.
If after the museum you want to complete the experience from the water, you can see the bay sailing trips available on the Peggy sailboat page.
