Borboletário Tropical

The Borboletário Tropical (tropical butterfly house) sits inside the Parque Ambiental de Santa Margarida, a council-run environmental park in the parish of Santa Margarida da Coutada, part of the Constância municipality. It opened on 5 June 2013. Inside, the air is kept warm and humid all year so that tropical butterflies can live and breed among the plants, some of them, in the council’s words, “of considerable size”.

It is small, cheap and calm. Every visit is guided, and each entry takes no more than 12 people, so you never share the glasshouse with a crowd. For a young child who likes animals but is overwhelmed by a big zoo, that makes it an easy first step.

The butterflies fly loose. Children walk along the path through the planting while butterflies land on leaves, flowers and sometimes on visitors. Because the house is warm all year, you can see them flying in January as well as in June.

A guide stays with the group the whole time, so children can ask questions as they go. The centre was set up to teach the biology and ecology of butterflies, so expect to hear about how they feed, how they grow and how they fit into the forests they come from. Scientists, students, teachers and families all use it.

A few things are worth pointing out to children before you go in, so they know what to look for:

• Feeding: A butterfly drinks through a long tube called a proboscis, which it keeps coiled up like a spring under its head. Watch one on a flower or a piece of fruit and you may see it unroll.
• Wings: Butterfly wings are covered in tiny overlapping scales. That is where the colours come from, and why you should never touch a wing.
• Warmth: Butterflies can’t make their own body heat. They need the sun, or a heated room like this one, to fly. It’s the reason the house is kept so warm.

Toddlers mostly want to watch things move, and a butterfly landing nearby is a big event. The visit is short and the group small, which suits little legs and short attention spans. Carry a very small child if they are likely to grab.

Children of four to eight get the most out of it. They can follow the guide, ask questions and hunt for butterflies hiding on leaves. It fits neatly with the life-cycle topic many of them meet at school or at home.

Older children can be pushed further: ask them to compare wing shapes, count how many different species they can spot, or think about why tropical butterflies need a glasshouse in Portugal while native ones don’t. On its own it’s short for teenagers, so pair it with something bigger nearby.

The butterfly house is one part of a six-hectare park that opened in April 2002. Outside there are picnic areas, a children’s playground, a sports field, an outdoor gym, an observation tower, a garden of aromatic and medicinal plants, an open-air amphitheatre and teaching modules about the environment. There are signed interpretation trails, and the aromatic garden can also be visited with a guide.

The park’s Ecoteca building has an environmental documentation centre, a small library, exhibitions, a laboratory, an auditorium, a shop and internet access. The park also runs activities for school groups, which a home-education group could ask about.

That combination is what makes the trip worthwhile: a 45-minute guided visit, then a picnic, a run on the playground and a climb up the observation tower.

Booking is compulsory. There are three entries a day, at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00, from Tuesday to Sunday. The butterfly house is closed on Mondays, on 1 January and on 24, 25 and 31 December. Call 249 736 929 to book, and collect your tickets 15 minutes before your entry time.

When we checked in September 2026 the prices were:

• Ages 3 to 5: €1.50
• Ages 6 to 11: €2
• Ages 12 to 65: €2.50
• Over 65: €1.50

The council page doesn’t list a price for under-threes; ask when you book. The surrounding park is open from 8:30 every day except 1 January and 25 December, closing at 20:00 from April to September, 19:00 in February, March and October, and 18:00 from November to January.

• Mornings only: All three butterfly entries are before lunch. Plan to arrive by mid-morning, then spend the afternoon in the park or in Constância.
• Heat and humidity: The glasshouse is warm and damp by design. Dress children in layers you can peel off, and expect glasses to steam up on a cold day.
• Small groups fill up: With twelve places per entry, a weekend slot can go quickly. Book a few days ahead, especially with a larger family or group.
• Bring a picnic: The park has picnic areas. The council pages list a shop in the Ecoteca but no café, so take food and water.
• Getting there: The park is on the Estrada Municipal 592 at Vale de Mestre, in the countryside outside Constância town. You will need a car. Its GPS coordinates are 39° 26’ 45.585” N, 8° 19’ 9.010” W.

Constância is a small riverside town where the Zêzere meets the Tagus, and it has more for families than you might expect.

• Centro Ciência Viva de Constância: is an astronomy-based science centre with telescopes, a planetarium, outdoor models of the solar system, a holography lab, a decommissioned military aircraft and water devices around the Lago Arquimedes. It opens Tuesday to Friday during the day, and on Saturday afternoons and evenings for sky watching. Check prices with the centre.
• Praia Fluvial de Constância: is a river beach on the Zêzere with showers, a playground, picnic area, free parking and toilets. In the bathing season it runs a programme called Praia com Animação with workshops, boat trips, games and a beach library.
• Entroncamento: is the next town along, and its Museu Nacional Ferroviário is a big indoor railway museum, useful if the weather turns.
• For more animals on the same trip, the Falcoaria Real in Salvaterra de Magos flies falcons and hawks further down the Tagus valley. Near Lisbon, the free Borboletário de Cascais breeds native butterflies rather than tropical ones, which makes a good comparison.

Do you need to book the Constância butterfly house?

Yes. Booking is compulsory, each entry takes a maximum of 12 people, and you must collect your tickets 15 minutes before your time. Phone 249 736 929.

How long does the visit take?

The guided visit lasts up to 45 minutes. Add an hour or two if you want to use the playground, picnic areas and trails in the park around it.

Is it good for toddlers?

Yes, if they can walk calmly and keep their hands to themselves. The visit is short, the group is small and there’s a playground outside. The warm, damp air can make some small children grumpy after a while.

Is it open in winter?

The butterfly house is heated all year, so the butterflies fly in winter too. It closes on Mondays and on 1 January and 24, 25 and 31 December.

How much does it cost?

From €1.50 for ages 3 to 5 when checked in September 2026, €2 for ages 6 to 11 and €2.50 for ages 12 to 65. Ask about under-threes when you book.