I've been to many aquariums, but this was easily one of my favorite experiences. It's not overwhelming in size, but it is incredibly well-designed and spacious, which made the visit feel very relaxed. The standout is definitely the massive central aquarium--it's stunning and keeps the kids completely engaged as you move through the levels. It was also great to see that the animals appear to be in excellent condition and the habitats are pristine. If you are in Lisbon with children, this is a must-see. It's a high-quality, manageable outing that the whole family will actually enjoy! read more

Oceanário de Lisboa is a must if, like me, you want to visit every large-scale aquarium. I went in January and it was not too uncrowded, which made a big difference. There is a certain serenity that massive aquariums bring, a form of hypnotic biophilia that acts directly on your nervous system and reduces stress and anxiety. I have always been wondering why aquariums/deep water have such effects. The slow, continuous movement of fish and water holds attention without demanding it, allowing the brain to shift out of high-alert, task-oriented states. This results in measurable reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived stress, similar to effects observed in natural environments such as forests or coastlines. In large-volume tanks, flow patterns are slower and more laminar, encouraging natural swimming behaviors rather than repetitive or erratic movement. The presence of schooling fish and large pelagic species reinforces predictable motion patterns, which the human visual system and nervous system interprets as calming. This giant central tank of the aquarium is widely cited as one of the largest single aquarium tank in the world. It represents four oceans, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic, in one continuous ecosystem. The layout: you start at the upper level and gradually spiral downward. As you descend, the viewing angles improve and the scale becomes apparent, with large pelagic fish (incl. the massive slow-moving sunfish), sharks, rays, and schooling species sharing the same water column without visual barriers. The central tank holds approximately 5M liters of seawater and relies on controlled lighting, filtration, and circulation systems to maintain multiple habitat zones within a single body of water. Surrounding it are satellite habitats focused on specific ecosystems, including open ocean, coastal waters, polar environments, and temperate reefs. There is also a small kelp forest section, which immediately reminded me of the magnificent kelp exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California (still unmatched; love it!), but this felt like a respectful and well-executed nod. The aquarium sits in Parque das Nações, the former Expo '98 site, which adds a lot to the experience and activities. Before or after the visit, you can use the Telecabine Lisboa (cable cars). It operates along the waterfront and provides a continuous overhead view of the Tagus estuary, surrounding Expo-era structures, and the Vasco da Gama Bridge (the second longest bridge in Europe). In January, it closes at 6 PM, and the ticket allows round trips. (Ticket cost for aquarium and cable car is less than 40 euros/person. 10-15 min from the Humberto Delgado Airport. Street parking is tough; garage parking is approx. 15 euros/24h.) read more

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It was funny since some taxi drivers we encountered said this place is a tourist trap and not worth the time. But since we finished the zoo in a relatively quick way, we had extra time so we ended up coming here anyway. I'm glad we did make our way here as it does live up to its reputation as a premier oceanarium. It was good enough that I enjoyed it as much as visiting the elite aquariums in Osaka and Baltimore. It's got a pretty simple layout, big tank different sections and you traverse around it. It's not something that's going to take up more than 2 hours or so of your day but the quality of the exhibitions are good and they keep this place very well maintained and cleaned. There's also a decent food court and souvenir shop on the premises as well. It's also close to other local attractions and a very good gondola experience as well. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has some extra time in Lisbon and wants to see more than just historic sights or shopping areas. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Of the aquariums I've visited in my travels, I would place Oceanário de Lisboa in the Top Five - pricey, but still pleasurable. I walked approximately four miles to get there and it was certainly worth the visit. There were many families and strollers, tons of photo opps, and one main tank you can view from multiple floors, which contained all manner of wildlife including the biggest stingray I have ever seen. Other wildlife abounds representing the different seas and, c'mon, who doesn't love to see a couple of adorable sea otters. read more

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The Lisbon Oceanarium houses approximately 500 species from four oceans--the temperate Pacific, the Antarctic, the tropical Indian, and the North Atlantic. The grand aquarium contains about 5 million liters of saltwater. Tickets may be purchased for the oceanarium, a nearby cable car, or a guided tour. My husband and I bought tickets in-person for only the oceanarium. The cost was 31 euros per person, which came out to $76 USD total. As we walked around the building, we saw fish (e.g., sharks, sunfish, clownfish, pufferfish, sea dragon, barracuda, seahorse, garden eel, wedge fish, ratfish, rays, mackerel, triggerfish, sea dragon, and wrasse), invertebrates (e.g., coral, starfish, jellyfish, and anemone), mammals (e.g., sea otters), and birds (e.g., puffins and penguins) Interestingly, I read on the website that the sharks do not eat the smaller fish, because the trainers feed dead foods to the sharks in specific locations at specific times. This oceanarium also has a gift shop and restaurant, where we browsed but did not buy anything. Overall, my husband and I liked this oceanarium, but we had expected a larger area and more animals and activities. read more

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A unique aquarium located on the waterfront. Moreover, it is located "above the water". What makes the aquarium unique is on the inside the exhibits are centered around one humongous aquarium that can be accessed/viewed from several points on all levels...it is THE main attraction. The tank holds 5 million liters of seawater with a few different habitats. There are several smaller tanks and/or windowed areas with different critters and sea life for viewing. There are also different temporary exhibits as well. The main reason we went was to see the penguins, however, the exhibit is now closed and we unfortunately didn't know this information until we got there, so be sure to check their website for updates if there is something specific you want to see. It was nice to see Manta Rays and Sunfish. Plus, there is this really unique orange puffer fish that is pretty cute that we've never seen before. You can opt to buy a combo ticket with the Telecabine, which is a great deal if you are interested. There is not any parking there per se, however, there are parking garages and lots nearby with a short walking distance. There is the Sea the Future Restaurant on the first floor that is open to the public and admission is not necessary to the aquarium. There is a fantastic gift shop on the first floor as well that can be accessed at any time and admission to the Oceanário de Lisboa is also not necessary. This is helpful, especially if you have someone in your group who wishes to hang out and not go to the aquarium portion. The Oceanário de Lisboa offers photo opportunities at the beginning of your visit and near the end for purchase. We are such tourists that we normally always buy them without thinking. It surprised us that they do not have a digital option, but bought the photos anyway. We "assumed" they had a cool logo on them for the Oceanário de Lisboa and that is why we buy the pictures...to have that touristy memento. To our surprise, once we looked at them when we got back to our room we realized they were just like any other photo, but in a special paper frame. So, you are basically paying the big bucks for the paper frame...not good. I highly suggest to take a hard pass on the photos and don't waste your money like we did if you do the same. If you choose to buy a combo ticket with the Oceanário de Lisboa, it is conveniently located on the backside of the building. Plus, it does not have to be used on the same day and can be used within 30 days of purchase. Overall, I think it's a nice aquarium, the outside of the building and the huge tank on the inside upon entry both have the wow factor when you first lay eyes on them. But after you realize that tank is the main event, it loses the wow factor as you move around it looking for that special something because that was "it" basically in addition to a few side items. I'm sad the penguins were gone, but happy we went so we knew what it was about since we like to visit aquariums all over the world. If you are an aquarium person like us, looking for something to do on a rainy day, or have an extra day to kill, go for it! Otherwise, if you are short on time and trying to choose between this and something else...pick the something else. read more

A really nice activity in Lisbon near the airport, the aquarium is quite large! I was surprised when walking through to keep entering new rooms with new aquatic animals to see. There are different exhibits to see with a beautiful Japanese-inspired exhibit and a short visual exhibit, "One". The price is a bit high, but I don't think it was unreasonable compared to other aquariums across the world. Definitely a great indoor activity and great for families and kids. read more

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Great interaction between the aquatic displays and the different rooms that allow you to experience the climate changes for the pinguins, otters and artic birds. We bought the combo pass which allowed us round trip on the air tram ride at the park abd the visit to the aquarium at €30 per person. read more

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Lisbon aquarium Always wanted to come here so I did! Lovely aquarium and a great reason to escape the downpour that is Lisbon in the winter. It was a weekend and I arrived at opening time. Kids everywhere cause it is the weekend ( silly me ) Was advised to start at upper level and work my way down. Beautiful, moments of peace and quiet. The music goes well with the experience on the upper level / forests under water, it was a walk down memory lane to see some of the fish I had as a kid again! ( gouramis) Lots of seating available throughout the property. My faves were: Jellyfish, sea otters ( big size boys) penguins, vibrant sea anemones & pineapple fish ! * Wish they had baby carriage check in- you trip and bump into so many of them in the dark. read more

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Popped back into the Oceanária de Lisboa on Christmas Day to celebrate our 22nd anniversary! Little did we know a million other folks were also thinking of spending Christmas Day there, as well...!!! (Lol!!!) First time here (on a private tour), we missed the "Florestas Submersas" exhibition and the "One" immersive, double-screened movie. SO glad we returned, as both exhibitions (along with everything else) was well-worth every penny!!! This being one of Europe's (and the World's!) largest aquatic exhibitions, everything about this place is awesome!!! We even got to see a feeding in the large tank, complete with two diving Santas...! :D What a Merry way to spend Christmas in this beautiful City...!!! :D (It's a pity I'm not able to post videos because I took some awesome ones!) read more

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This place was a great place to see while in Lisbon. Especially if you have kids. They had different kinds of snails and seahorses (leafy seadragon!) I had never seen before. The sea otters and penguins were so cute and people love the big shark tank! Pineapple fish, snowflake moray, zebra Moray, ringed pipefish, and some weird razorfish were all unique to this aquarium I feel like. These I don't believe I have seen in the aquarium's in the states. If you are in Lisbon this is a must see! read more

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So thrilled to be in the biggest aquarium in all of Europe. My family spent the entire Sunday here. The main tank in the middle of the aquarium is enormous! There are so many varieties of fish we can't manage to remember all their names. read more

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Highlights: amazing central tank, with at least 10 different window in which to watch the sea life. Totally worth a visit! read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Located a short drive outside Lisbon proper, Oceanário is arguably the city's premier destination. Opened in 1998, the Oceanário was the centerpiece of a World Fair and remains committed to conservation above all. Less "cute" than many modern aquariums, the focus on education over cartoons admirable, much of the space wraps around an enormous central tank featuring countless fish both common and novel. From Sun Fish to Sharks the space then expands to artistic aquascaping and theaters that outpace most. read more

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We decided at the last minute to visit the aquarium and were glad we did. The area it is in is very nice, along the waterfront with huge courtyards, gardens, and fountains. We did the combo ticket which gets you entrance into the aquarium with unlimited rides on the cable car, 28 euro per person which seems about reasonable for aquarium admission. The aquarium is fairly good sized- a bit smaller than some others I've been to but still plenty to keep you occupied. I believe it's partially under sea level and is an engineering wonder. There's a central tank that the building revolves around, along with some side areas and tanks. It was ultra cool getting different views of the big tank. Some of my favorites were the cute otters and puffins, though I do kinda wish there was a way to view them swimming underwater too. The sea dragons were spectacular and so neat to look at. There was also an octopus. There are plenty of photo ops scattered throughout, and interactive areas for kiddos. This aquarium appeals to adults and kids alike. Thes staff was so nice and helpful. There was a restaurant and gift shop, which we walked through (all looked nice) but didn't buy from. Overall not a bad place to spend some time in Lisbon. For sure pop in if you're in the area! read more

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Great oceanarium. The main ocean tank has 360' views. They have mola mola; three of them. I have never seen this before at any oceanarium. They also have a variety of sharks in the tank, as well. Some of my other interests were leafy sea dragons, otters, amphibians. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. read more

I enjoy visiting aquariums. The oceanarium in Lisbon is one of the best aquariums that I've visited so far. It consists of a large central tank, surrounded by four smaller tanks that house different habitats. They have sharks, manta rays, sunfish, otters, penguins, jellyfish, and various other marine life. The tanks extend from floor to ceiling, so you can view it from the top floor or the bottom floor. The flow of the oceanarium takes you through all of the exhibits and all of the floors. It's extremely well-planned. When I visited, there were tons of school children, so it wasn't as good of an experience. Also, buying entrance tickets was slow. You can purchase tickets online. However, I've heard about issues with online ticket purchases if you don't purchase 24 hours ahead of time. read more

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I really enjoyed Lisboa's oceanarium. The animals were well taken care of, their mission was conservation, and I felt like I learned a lot! There were large crowds and lots of schoolchildren, but it was not difficult to navigate. I also appreciate that everything is included in the cost of admission, something you don't see often in the US! read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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It's beautiful. The animals are well cared for and the exhibits are great. My six year old noted it's quite small and I agreed. Having gone to the Monterey bay aquarium a number of times, it's just a much smaller facility. There is a HUGE gift store and cafe. We really enjoyed it but it was over quick. Buy tickets online and avoid waiting in lines. It's worth checking out, especially if you like marine life or have kids. It is stroller friendly. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Very well done aquarium in the built up area of Lisbon along the water. There are two areas: the temporary and permanent exhibitions. Roughly 16€ to get in, you can purchase your tix ahead of time online. For some reason, they would only accept Paypal at the time, go figure. Different displays of various oceans, the penguin exhibit was definitely a highlight. You can get very close to them, which surprised me. The place has a definite flow to it with arrows leading you throughout. Unlike the Academy of Sciences in SF and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the crowds were minimal. Maybe it's because I was here on a weekday? The cafeteria-style cafe was reasonably priced. A small salad combo was only 5€. Not very well signed if you're taking public transport. Two ways to get here: the metro stop Oriente and walk about ten minutes or take bus 278 from Santa Apolonia station. If you're in the area for a music festival or want to check out the casino, then it's worth a visit. Good for kids, but if you have limited time in Lisbon you should spend your time in Alfama instead. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - I think this guy was alive??! Hard to tell... - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Right on the harbor - A Fun aquarium to visit, smaller than some the winding path through the facility made it seem much larger. We went at feeding time and it was very active. Great for the family or just for fun. We had a snack at the gift shop withe some wine - it was nice. We also took the cable car out and back - we had it to our selves as the sun was going down - very romantic! Nice walk afterwards along the restaurant strip. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Large tank - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

It was beautiful inside and out. But a few things: I went mid morning on a weekday, it was beyond packed. I couldn't see much at all. There were a lot of cool animals and they seemed to be well taken care of. The main part of the aquarium is awesome you can follow it downwards. Smaller than I'd hope and not too much information on the animals just basics. Would have loved to know a bit more! read more

I should start out by stating that all aquariums have a critical flaw, in my opinion. And that is this: you have huge crowds in a necessarily enclosed space all trying to look through the equivalent of a window. It is almost certain to result in pushing, crowding, and a miserable experience (for me at least). The Lisbon aquarium is no different. Rather than focusing on how stuffy, overcrowded, and potentially germ-ridden (hello tons of grabby children) the place was, I'll try to keep this positive and focus on the good things. First off, the aquarium is very well curated. The central, very large exhibit is wonderful. I'd never seen a sunfish and I'd never seen a tank large enough to result in fish schooling. It was magical. I felt like I was watching a scene from "Finding Nemo." I loved that part. The directional flow of guests is also very cleverly done. I like starting at the top of the facility and being directed circularly down to the lower level while moving through different "environments." So, on those fronts, this aquarium is certainly above average. The temporary exhibit while I was visiting was the "Submerged Forest." I found it very nice. I like how, at first, it looked like there was no life, but upon closer inspection, the vegetation was alive with small fish. The addition of seating and music created a lovely experience. Overall, if you're prepared to be sweaty, touched by a lot of children, and forced to squeeze next to strangers to oogle at the windows, I would recommend it. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Great art made from litter (plastic bottles) - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Came to spend a morning in the Oceanario and it was very large. We bought tickets online which helped slip part of the entrance line and went into the aquarium. There are 2 parts to the aquarium and the main part has lots of animals, birds and fish. The other part has the cafeteria and a small exhibit. The main building has 4 exhibits but is made to look like 1 huge exhibit. It's pretty cool to check out and you can spend as much or as little time as you like walking around. Sharks are definitely a big draw but the oceanarium shows such biodiversity that you are amazed by the world we love in and how much we don't know about the water and creatures that make up most of our planet. The only thing that would make it 5 stars would be to make the 2nd area better (it seemed like an afterthought to me). Free Wifi is always a plus when visiting outside of your country! read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Penguins - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Sometimes it gets busy with school children, but it's never overwhelming. Lots to see and view, the main tank is something you can stare at for hours, even better if the staff are in there with the fish. Don't forget that the surrounding area contains many good places to eat and drink. It's hard to imagine how it was (around 20 years ago) when the entire area was an oil refinery. read more

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Great place to spend day with kids. So nice and perfect for a day out. So much to see and learn. Absolutely loved it!

We came here on a weekend and the place was very crowded. Very cool looking designed Oceanário with many displays. I am always attracted to Sea anemones which has so many different colors. Great place to visit when you are in Lisbon. read more

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It was a rainy Sunday in Lisbon and we took the recommendation to see the Oceanário. So glad that we did. We have seen other aquariums, but this one did a wonderful job and took our breath away a number of times. My favorite is probably the temporary exhibit on the rain forest because it was so relaxing. Security nd had to be a tie between the otters and penguins because of their playfulness. read more

Wow!! This place is incredible! First off, the floor to ceiling tanks are huge and impressive. Second, the whole flow of this place really works. It emphasizes the connectedness of all the ecosystems in the world and it truly was impactful. The ticket price is cheap compared to other aquariums/oceanariums around the world! read more

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Such a fun place to go during the day. We saw so many water animals. I saw my first shark, seahorse, sea dragon, and a plethora of other creatures that I did not know existed. I was wowed the entire time. We even went to the special exhibit which was Florestas Sumbersas (forests underwater) by Takashi Amano which was incredible. So many metallic and rainbow colored fish! My fave parts were the sea otters and penguins because they were so cute and cuddly looking! read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Someone is shedding! Still so cute! - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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I have been to some pretty awesome aquariums in my life, Monterey Bay Aquarium being the finest, so I was excited about visiting Oceanário de Lisboa. Hubby and I had a couple of extra hours during our time in Lisbon to spend on an unplanned activity and the aquarium was the perfect option. It was on the path of the hop-on,-hop off Yellowbus, of which we had a three day pass, plus we visited right after lunch and needed the exercise:) The aquarium is in the modern area of Lisbon in Parque das Nações, which is close to a nice shopping mall, full on grocery market, bus routes galore, the subway and a bunch of restaurants. Hubby is a tech geek and found it cool to discover a Microsoft office and Vodafone HQ in the area. We visited during the off-season in October and paid about 16 euros each for entry. You can buy tickets at the office ticket office or the kiosk around the corner. The aquarium is beautiful! The best part is the giant fish tank that is located in the center of the space. it provides a panoramic view of the fish on all floors so you get a chance to see the animals from various angles. They have several species of rays, shark and bony fish. My favorite was the giant sunfish. It is an awesome display. There is a really crazy bird exhibit that is coupled with the penguin area that allows the birds to fly around freely. We were surprised by this - especially since we did not have to sign a waiver before entering :) I don't really like birds flying overhead so I didn't spend much time in this space. It took us about one hour to get through the entire aquarium. If you like to linger and read every exhibit description then you may need 2 hours max. It's a small space and if you are a fan of aquariums you have probably seen most of the animals already. I'm giving this aquarium 3 stars because it's no match for Monterey Bay Aquarium or The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, but it's worth a visit. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Love this guy! - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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Fun aquarium! Great activity rain or shine, and for all ages haha. I like how they organized the flow. Easy to understand which was to go, and to see the whole aquarium. It's similar to the kyoto aquarium where it is a big tank in the middle, and then each floor spirals the center. Here however, they created many nooks/corners where theres a seating bench to just hang back and stare into the water - SO COOL and relaxing! There is also a cafeteria here. Would recommend as a nice place to sit and take a break. We just got a coffee, soda, and a egg tart. We saw other families buy sandwiches and other hot foods. The interior is beautiful - all white, and lots of natural light. read more

This facility is pretty amazing with many interesting displays. The temp exhibit of the under water forests was particularly impressive. I'm not going to go into great detail about the exhibits but it's worth going. That being said, do some planning and investigate when the slow periods are because it was packed. We went about 11am on a Tuesday thinking that kids are in school, people will be working, etc. Nope, packed to the gills! The amphibian exhibit was particularly difficult to navigate and was very warm. I wanted to stomp on some strollers since it seemed parents couldn't be bothered to fold them up even though the kid wasn't in it the whole visit. Then there is the guy that did a five minute recording of fish going by and decides to just stand right there in front of the tank and watch the damn thing while people are trying to so the live show. Don't forget the girl that thinks she's in a photo shoot so sits in front of each view of the tank to get her picture taken. In short, get rid of the people and it would really be amazing. Oh, watch the video in the theater, they do a lot to help conserve the oceans and all that live in it. read more

I've never really seen the appeal of aquariums to be honest, maybe because I'd never been to one. My sis and my pop go to every aquarium when thy travel so they encouraged me to pay a visit here. As I was alone in Lisbon for work, I thought I'd give it a bash. Once in the door, I immediately got it. Aquariums are beautiful because they are quiet. This place was so peaceful, I could have stayed here for hours and just relaxed looking at all the beautiful fish. It's divided up into oceans and the text is presented in Portuguese and English. When you come out, relax and have a coffee in the bars below looking out on to Ponte Vasco de Gama. read more

Oceanário de Lisboa - Aquariums Near Me - Lisbon, 11

I've been to aquariums all over the world (it's my thing). This was one of my favorites. This aquarium is well organized and has an easy flow and layout. There is a wide variety of mammals, reptiles and aquatic life on view. My favorite exhibit was the otters, who we happened to catch during feeding time. I also enjoyed the puffins and penguins, huge tanks of fish, colorful frogs.....and I spent perhaps an abnormal amount of time in front of the tiny eel worms (they disappear into the sand and then make "pop up" appearances). read more

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This is a MUST in Lisbon, not only for kids but also for adults. There are penguins, sea otters, corals and small aquariums with all different kinds of fish. BUT: in the middle, there is a huge (and huge might just be a minimalistic word) aquarium with rays, sharks, mantas and others... impressing. Also, the aquarium addresses ecological issues in a good way, suitable for children. Go There! read more

Great acquarium! The layout is so well-done and the entire experience emphasizes conservation and wonderment about the oceans. We went there for the sea otters and were pleasantly surprised by the extremely well-laid out floor plan, clean design in the cafe/gift shop area, and the overall feel of it all. The sea otters did not disappoint - there's a top level viewing area where you can see them as they are bobbing on the surface and later on there is a downstairs portion where you can watch their shenanigans in the water. Awesome way to spend a couple of hours if you love acquariums. read more

This is about the only aquarium I've seen that boasted these gigantic two-story floor-to-cieling viewing windows, and there were several of them. Similar in style to the Boston Aquarium, the whole exhibit revolved in a spiral around this gigantic central tank, with side exhibits at the periphery. Traffic flow was all one-way. This was innovative. read more

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Perfect place if you love ocean echosystems. The concept is now a bit old but still Nice And attractive. 2 hours of visit max. read more

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You don't have to be a kid a heart to enjoy this aquarium!! Hubby and I spent about two hours checking out all the exhibits and the oh so fascinating big tank. The current temporary exhibit: Forests Underwater by Takashi Amano is not to be missed. Make sure you watch the video at the end of the exhibit on how it was built. The aquarium's huge center tank is the big attraction and you make your way down a gentle spiral stopping along the way to watch the sea life at different levels. They also have a great tropical rain forest/ sea tank that almost melts into the large tank so you also can enjoy colorful fish at many levels as well. This aquarium is located in the Parque das Nacoes which was a bit quiet when we were there (weekday in October), but I can see that during the summer it would be full of families. read more

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