Oceanarium Lisbon
Oceanário de Lisboa

The Oceanário de Lisboa is located on the former Expo site. It is the largest indoor marine aquarium in Europe and is home to about 12,000 animals.You can discover the different oceans from below (behind the glass wall) as well as from above.

It is also ideal program point with children or if the weather should be worse.

In the surroundings of the Ozeanarium there are also many other interesting things to see and experience:

→ Read more in the chapter Parque das Nações:
the site of the Expo in Lisbon – shopping mall, spectacular architecture …

What can you see in the Lisbon Oceanarium?

The centerpiece of the Oceanarium is a huge aquarium located in the middle of the building.It is filled with 5,000 m3 (5 million liters or 1.3 million gallons) of salt water.It is 7m deep and extends over 2 floors.It offers four approx. 50m² acrylic windows for the visitors.

These are supplemented by many smaller windows, which are often in small niches. So you can enjoy the views of the underwater world for yourself.  Especially the floor to ceiling windows give the impression of being part of the gigantic underwater world. For me as a non-diver, this was an experience that one should not miss.

Over 100 animal species can be seen in this large tank, including barracudas, sharks, rays, tunas, moonfish, groupers and moray eels. The operators of the Oceanarium are particularly proud of the moonfish.  Due to the demanding requirements of keeping and caring for this species, there are only a few aquariums that can show it.

Four other large aquariums are located around the central tank.

What makes the Lisbon Oceanarium special?

You can see both the surface landscape with birds and plants, as well as the underwater landscape.our totally different habitats with flora and fauna are shown: the North Atlantic with rocky coast, the Antarctic coast, the Pacific with seaweed forests and the Indian Ocean with tropical coral reefs.

So you can experience a maritime world tour within an hour. This is complemented by a special exhibition on the top floor.

A video’s worth a thousand pictures

In the video below you can see both the large aquarium and various surface landscapes shown and the playful sea otters.

Practical information for visitors

Opening hours:

April – October 10am – 7pm, November – March 10am – 6pm

Rules / Regulations:

– Mobile phones must be switched off
– Flash photography is not allowed
– Animals (e.g. dogs) are not allowed in the oceanarium

Directions – How do I get to the Lisbon Oceanarium?

The Oceanário de Lisboa is easily accessible by public transport. Take the red metro (stop Oriente) or the bus lines 5, 10, 19, 21, 28, 50, 68, 81, 82, 85 to the stop Oriente.

Visiting with mobility disability

Good news for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility:

The building of the Oceanário de Lisboa is built barrier-free.

Admission prices, costs for tickets for the permanent and temporary exhibition (2019)

Children (0-3 years): free
Children (4-12 years): 13 euros
Teenagers + Adults (13-64 years): 19 Euro
Seniors (over 65 years): 13 euros

With “Lisboa Card”: 15% discount on admission and free travel by public transport

Tip: Skip the line tickets

The Oceanário is not only popular with tourists.
Especially on weekends and public holidays, long queues often form in front of the ticket counters, as the Portuguese would also like to see the oceanarium with their families.

It is therefore better to visit the aquarium during the week, preferably at 10 am.

You can buy the tickets beforehand, without extra charge, e.g. via this website site. So you do not have to queue in front of the ticket counter.

Experience sea animals in freedom

Would you prefer to experience the sea and its inhabitants in Natura? From Lisbon there are many organized boat tours. Whether a 2-hour sailing tour, day trip, sightseeing in a big boat or “dolphin watching” in the Atlantic. There is a wide range of tours and excursions.

On this website you will find nearly 50 boat tours from Lisbon . The tours are well described there and sometimes not twice as expensive as the entrance to the oceanarium.

Discover the Oceanário de Lisboa virtually

You can visit the Oceanarium virtually on your screen.

manual

• If you do not have 3D glasses at hand, you can simply click on the arrows and walk through the entire oceanarium.
• By holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse, you can virtually rotate your head.
• Use the scroll wheel of the mouse to zoom in and out.
• A click on the symbol in the upper right corner brings you into full screen mode. Press the “Esc” key to return.
• On the right you can select the floor with the numbers “1” or “2”, i.e. visit the underwater level or the overwater landscapes.

Have fun.

More about Lisbon and Portugal in this travel guide