Aquário Vasco da Gama

The Aquário Vasco da Gama opened on 20 May 1898 and has been run by the Portuguese Navy since 1901, which makes it one of the oldest public aquariums in the world. It sits on the riverside road in Dafundo, just past Algés on the edge of Lisbon. The Navy says generations of Lisbon families have visited, and the building itself, with its old-fashioned galleries, is part of what there is to see. It’s small and calm, and far cheaper than the Oceanário de Lisboa, so it suits families who want a gentle hour or two with sea creatures rather than a big day out.

The live exhibition covers fresh, salt and brackish water from both hemispheres, with the sea life of the Portuguese coast given pride of place. The aquarium describes it as intimate, a place for a closer encounter with the animals, and it’s laid out as a sequence of galleries.

The visit starts in the Galeria de Invertebrados, the invertebrate gallery. Its 19 small tanks, about 100 litres each, are arranged in evolutionary order: sponges first, then jellyfish and anemones, worms, crabs and other arthropods, molluscs, starfish and sea urchins, ending with the first animals with a backbone. It’s a neat way to show an older child how scientists sort animals into groups, and younger ones can simply hunt for the strangest creature.

Next come the Portuguese marine galleries: 37 saltwater tanks of 600 to 25,000 litres showing the animals of a coastline where Atlantic and Mediterranean species meet, plus the subtropical waters of Madeira and the Azores. Five smaller tanks hold colourful tropical reef fish and corals, and the freshwater section has tropical river fish grouped by region, fish with unusual shapes or habits, and large tanks that show the riverbank as well as the water.

The museum rooms are the strange and memorable part. King Carlos I, sometimes called the father of Portuguese oceanography, led twelve scientific voyages along the Portuguese coast between 1896 and 1907, studying deep-sea fish, currents and the underwater canyons off Cabo Espichel. When the aquarium opened in 1898 he displayed his first specimens here, and in 1935 his oceanographic collection came back for good.

Fishermen have added to it ever since, so there are molluscs, sea and river fish, water birds, turtles and marine mammals, preserved and on display. Children who like natural-history museums will love it; very sensitive children might find some of the specimens a bit much, so walk through first if you’re unsure. The aquarium has also put many items from its stores online at tesourosdorei.com, which is a good way to prepare.

The old sea lion tank now holds the Janela para o Oceano (window on the ocean). The aquarium decided the space was too small for large marine mammals and no longer keeps them. In their place is a big interactive screen where you can meet species from the Portuguese coast and “dive” into the deep, an interactive floor where children can play with virtual turtles and other animals, and two tables where younger children draw a fish and then watch it come to life and swim across the screens.

Out of sight, the aquarium breeds threatened native freshwater fish such as the ruivaco-do-oeste, a small fish found only in streams of the Oeste region, and releases their young back into the rivers. It runs this with ISPA, the water company Águas do Tejo Atlântico and conservation groups. Schools in the Lisbon area can join a free year-long programme around it; homeschool families could ask the education service whether a small group can take part.

Prices for 2026, set by the Navy’s cultural directorate in January, are €7 for ages 13 to 64, €3.50 for ages 4 to 12 and over-65s, and free for under-4s. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs €18, and each extra child is €3. Entry is free for everyone on 20 May, Navy Day and the aquarium’s birthday, and free for ages 4 to 12 on 1 June, Children’s Day.

If you’re planning several Navy sites, the Passe CulturaMAR gives one entry each to the aquarium, the Museu de Marinha, the frigate D. Fernando II e Glória and the Planetário de Marinha, valid for four months: €54 for a family of two adults and two children, €21 for an adult and €11 for ages 4 to 12. The planetarium doesn’t admit children up to 3.

The aquarium opens every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30.

The Cafetaria Nautilus runs on site. It also hosts birthday parties that start with feeding the fish in the garden tank; when checked, menus cost €11 to €12.50 per child, or €21 to €22.50 including entry and a guided tour.

The aquarium’s website has free printable activity sheets on life in the water, sorted by school stage: an aquatic alphabet for preschoolers, invertebrates, breathing, movement, sharks and sea turtles for primary age, and food chains and coral reefs for older children. There are also self-guided trail sheets for the aquarium and the museum.

At €18 for a family of four it’s far cheaper than the Oceanário, and much smaller, so plan on about an hour to an hour and a half. Families with under-fours pay only for the adults. The aquarium’s pages don’t describe step-free access or baby changing, so ask ahead if you need either.

Dafundo is on the Cascais train line just past Algés, so it’s easy to combine with Belém, a few minutes back towards Lisbon, where the Museu de Marinha and the Planetário de Marinha stand side by side next to the Jerónimos Monastery. For a bigger aquarium day, the Oceanário is across the city in Parque das Nações.

How long does the Aquário Vasco da Gama take?

About an hour to an hour and a half, a little longer if your child spends time drawing fish at the digital tables or you read the museum labels.

Is it good for toddlers?

Yes. It’s small, quiet and cheap, under-4s go free, and the digital ocean room keeps small children busy. The preserved specimens in the museum may unsettle some children.

Is it worth it after the Oceanário?

It’s a different kind of visit: smaller, older and focused on Portuguese sea life and the king’s collection. Children who like natural-history museums often enjoy both.

When is it free?

On 20 May for everyone, and on 1 June for children aged 4 to 12.