One of my favorite things to do in Lisbon is to visit the Oceanário de Lisboa: the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. But aside from its impressive size, it has plenty of other features that make it such a special place to visit.
Opened in 1998, as part of the Expo ’98 project, approximately 1 million people visit it each year and it has an impressive 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor with nearly 40,000 reviews. If you have more than 2 or 3 days in Lisbon, I highly recommend stopping in. And if you have children, it’s a very family-friendly attraction. But what makes it so different from other aquariums in other cities?
The design: it’s divided into four block that fit together almost like a square, and further divided into a top and bottom level. Each of the four blocks represents a different ocean: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic. When you walk around the upper level of the Oceanarium, you’ll experience each ocean from the ground level. When you move to the lower level, you’ll experience each ocean from underwater level, like all the fish. In the middle section is a massive central aquarium filled with large fish, sharks, rays, and 5 million liters of salt water!
The biodiversity: There are animals here for everyone. From hammerhead sharks, to tiny poisonous frogs, and everything in between. The penguins and puffins (both in the ground level Antarctic section), and the otters (Pacific, ground level) are tourist favorites. Admittedly, I could spend a long time in these sections as well…
The tranquility: The tranquility of the ocean is particularly noticeable when you go to the lower, underwater level of the Oceanarium. It’s dark (as you’d expect it to be below surface level) and tranquil. You’ll see a lot of people sit down in front of the central aquarium and just stare at the sea life go by, for long periods of time. It’s the perfect place to enjoy some quiet time, before heading back to the hustle and bustle of the city.
One noteworthy aspect of the Oceanarium is its strong environmental and conservation message. There’s a section for small children to learn about the importance of recycling, and little things they can do at home to protect the environment. The otters, for example, were rescued in Alaska, rehabilitated, but weren’t fit to be returned to the wild. So they found a new home in Lisbon.
The gift shop (which I recommend stopping into after you leave the permanent exhibit) has some really cool gifts with an environmental theme. Many of them are made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton or bamboo, with biodegradable tags.
If you love sea life – or simply want to a cool place to hang out on a hot summer day – the Oceanário de Lisboa should be the first place you think of.
What a fascinating blog Catarina!
We bought a villa in Obidos a year ago, and we are still discovering Portugal.
The aquarium is amazing, as are the cable cars just outside.
We are trying to learn portuguese and found your blog looking for the correct pronunciation of “meia de leite” It seems so variable, from my-a to maya , lait to light and when ordering two some say meias not meia! I now know we should have ordered galao!
You picked a lovely town in which to settle! I’m so glad you like the blog and I think if you love your coffee (with or without milk) you have some good options to choose from in Portugal 🙂