Lisbon Oceanarium

There is a place where the magic of the ocean flows before the amazed eyes of its visitors: welcome to the Lisbon Oceanarium, one of the world’s biggest aquariums, where you have the chance to dive underwater without even wetting your feet!

Feel the excitement of seeing a shark just a few centimeters away, admire a ray swimming in the water, and smile when it is time to meet the colourful and entertaining clownfishes that inspired the creation of Nemo; try not to melt when you see two otters swimming together or two penguins that seem to be kissing each other.

These are just some of the exciting natural shows that you will experience at the oceanarium, even if the list could be countless; this place is home to 15.000 animals and plants that belong to 450 different species.

An unmissable journey through nature that will fascinate adults and kids, as well as the perfect solution if you are looking for something to do on a rainy day (it rains so rarely in Lisbon, but sometimes it happens here too!).

The four oceans

The Lisbon Oceanarium hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The main attraction of the permanent exhibition is the big central aquarium with sharks, tunas, and other species. Each of the four minor pools reproduce a different habitat; the one of the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific ocean, the Indian ocean, and the Antarctic regions.

Fishes

Sharks, morays, tays, trumpetfishes, unicornfishes, tunas, sea horses, and much more – it would be impossible to list them all. Fishes are the real protagonist of the aquarium, attracting about a million visitors every year, turning the Oceanarium one of the main tourist attractions of Portugal.

Among beauties and weirdness, here come some of the most popular fishes of the aquarium:

• Yellowtail damselfish: tiny and colorful, it is just an example of the several tropical fishes you can admire here
• Bull Shark: there are several sharks species that you can admire, and maybe the most interesting one is the black finned shark
•  Bluespotted ribbontail ray : a very poisoning ray featuring some beautiful electric blue spots; it is so beautiful to look at but not to touch
• Seadragon: characterized by a very elegant shape, it is capable of camouflaging completely among sea plants
• Antennarius commerson: as weird as its name, this fish is often mistaken for being a coral or a sponge
• Sea devil: the scary ray that can reach up to 5 meters, characterized by a blue-black mantle contrasting with the white of its belly. It is by far one of the most spectacular fishes to look at
• Lion fish: with its beautiful – yet poisoning – colorful spines; it may have inspired the design of one of Star Wars’ spaceships
• Moonfish: looks like a circular wing, and it can reach a diameter of 3 meters

Other animals

Some examples of other animals that can be seen at the aquarium; some are cute, some are colorful or even funny, but all of them are all just wonderful.

• Birds: various species of penguins, Atlantic puffin, terns, razorbill, and so on
• Invertebrates:giant Pacific octopus, Australian spotted jellyfish, colorful anemones, starfishes and many other species
• Amphibians: salamander, eels, frogs, and toads… colorful, weird, beautiful and ugly ones;
• Mammals: the only mammals that you can see at the oceanarium are some sweet otters that act like models when it is time to take a picture of them. They are just irresistible!

Kids activities

The Oceanarium is by far one of Lisbon’s favorite attractions for kids and children. A series of activities are held at the aquarium. In addiction to the ones listed below, there is also the opportunity to throw birthday parties and guided visits.

Sleeping with the sharks

Give a unique experience to your son: a thrilling night in the company of the most (unjustly) feared marine animal. Lisbon Oceanarium organizes the “Sleeping with the shark” night, when kids can sleep in a sleeping bag in front of the shark tank; however, before falling asleep, kids will learn how to get to know, respect, and protect these animals. On the next day they will have plenty of time to visit the oceanarium.

Concerts for kids

A morning concert for the youngest along with their parents, and a huge fish tank on the background; the best way to stimulate their creativity.

Fado for kids

Do you want to attend a fado concert but you are not sure about bringing your child to a crowded tavern? Fado concerts at the Lisbon Oceanarium are the perfect solution; be enchanted by the music while your baby will be hypnotized by the colorful fishes that are swimming in the aquarium.

Lisbon Oceanarium Entrance Tickets

The Oceanarium is one of the most visited and appreciated attractions in Lisbon, and to visit it you need to buy an entrance ticket or take part in a guided tour. There are several different types of tickets: choose the one that suits you best.

Skip the Line Lisbon Oceanarium Ticket

Due to the large number of visitors to the Oceanarium, it is recommended that you book your tickets in advance directly online by clicking on the box below. By purchasing your ticket online, you will be able to avoid the queues that form every day at the ticket offices.

Combined tickets

If in addition to the Oceanarium combine other activities, or take a tour bus tour of the city, choose a combined ticket: you can save money compared to buying individual tickets for each attraction.

Discounted entrance with Lisboa Card

In addition, if you purchase the Lisboa Card, you will get a discount on the entrance ticket to the Lisbon Oceanarium, as well as all the benefits of the discount card, such as unlimited transportation and free or discounted entry to the main attractions and activities in Lisbon.

Opening hours

The Lisbon Oceanarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last entry is at 7 p.m.
The following holidays have different hours:

• december 24 from 10am to 7pm, last entry at 6pm
• december 25 from 11am to 8pm, last admission at 7pm
• december 31 from 10am to 7pm, last admission at 6pm
• january 1 from 11am to 8pm, last admission at 7pm

Did you know…

• Lisbon aquarium has costed 60 million dollars. The building was designed by the American architect Peter Chermayeff
• The tanks are filled with about 7 millions liters of water. The water comes from the city aqueduct and has some added salt from the Red Sea
• It took 55 thousand tiles to decorate the front yard
• The Oceanarium was the first European aquarium to achieve the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme)
• The Corals used to decorate the tanks at the Indian Ocean section are artificial. Removing such a big quantity of corals would have brought terrible consequences for the ecosystem
• Watch the otters! They are curious and playful animals that love stealing all the objects that tourists drop in the tanks

Getting to the Oceanarium

The Lisbon Aquarium is located at Doca dos Olivais, at the Park of the Nations. The area is connected by several public buses.

The fastest and easiest way is to take the metro and get off at Oriente station.

If you have rented a car, the GPS coordinates to reach the Oceanarium are: N 38º 45′ 48,61” W 9º 5′ 37,62”. The Oceanarium features a parking area with more than 200 spots, and other parking areas are available nearby.