Zoomarine

Zoomarine sits on the EN125 at Guia, about 10 km from Albufeira. It mixes three kinds of day out: animal presentations and habitats, fairground rides, and a water area with a wave beach, pools and slides. Your ticket covers all of it, including the shows, the 4D cinema, the aquarium, the rides and the water attractions, during their opening times. Zoomarine itself recommends at least a whole day.

The park is seasonal. In 2026 its ticket season ran from 12 March to 28 November, and some water attractions only open from 1 June to 30 September.

Presentations happen in stadiums with set times each day, which you find on the Zoomarine app, at each stadium entrance and near the park entrance. Stadiums open 30 minutes before a show and close their doors when full, so arrive early for the ones you care about. If you sit near the front at the water shows, you will get splashed.

• Sonho e Fantasia is the dolphin presentation, with Zoomarine’s bottlenose dolphins. It covers how they live and the threats wild dolphins face from pollution. One fact children like: dolphins never fully sleep, because they rest one half of the brain at a time so they can keep surfacing to breathe.
• Sea Adventures, with seals and sea lions, teaches how to tell the two apart and where they live around the world. It ends with a challenge: every time you go to the beach, pick up your own rubbish plus three more bits of litter.
• Wings of the World flies birds from eagle-owls to sun conures, macaws, herons, seriemas, trumpeter hornbills and cranes. Everyone stays seated throughout.
• Magic Rainbow is a free-flight show of macaws, including the hyacinth macaw, the world’s largest, and the blue-throated macaw, of which only about 300 are thought to survive in the wild.
• UpBeat is a music and light show, and Baía dos Piratas an acrobatic pirate show with comedy.

The Oceanus aquarium shows more than 20 ecosystems, from seahorses from the Ria Formosa to clownfish, with sharks sharing the central tank with rays and other fish. At the end there’s a touch pool where you can join a ray-feeding session if you book at the time posted on site.

Other habitats: Américas, an immersive area with macaws, parakeets, burrowing owls, ibises, a two-toed sloth and a three-banded armadillo (and green iguanas in the warmer months); Mississippiensis, home to an American alligator called Brutas, with about 208 teeth; a tortoise area; and the Butterfly Garden, a walk-through butterfly house of more than 300 square metres with over 70 plant species, where you can see the whole butterfly life cycle.

Zoomarine also runs Porto d’Abrigo, set up in 2002 as Portugal’s first rescue and rehabilitation centre for marine animals. Working with the nature conservation institute (ICNF), it rescues, treats and releases stranded animals such as sea turtles.

Height rules matter here. Children are measured with their shoes on.

• Nautilus, the roller coaster new in 2026: from 95 cm, and under 1.20 m only with an adult.
• Jurassic River, a rapids ride of nearly 500 metres past model dinosaurs: from 1 m, and under 1.30 m with an adult.
• Harakiri, an 18-metre-high double slide ridden on a two-person mat: from 1.05 m, and under 1.20 m only with an adult in the front seats.
• Zoomarine Beach, a wave pool with white sand: no minimum height, but children must be watched by an adult at all times, no jumping or diving, and armbands or swim vests are allowed while inflatables aren’t.
• Ilha do Tesouro, a pirate-themed water playground for small children (June to September): the open slide from 90 cm and the enclosed slide from 1.05 m.
• Praça da Conservação playground, new in 2026: for ages 3 to 12 only, with adults not allowed on it.

There are also gentler rides such as the Ferris wheel, the Zoomarine Express, a pirate ship and a ferry, plus a 4D cinema showing a film called “The Bear and the Squirrel”. Wild Explorer, a virtual reality ride on a motion platform with dinosaur, shark, manta, whale and gorilla films, costs extra.

Children under 1 metre get in free, so toddlers cost nothing; the wave beach, Ilha do Tesouro and the shows are what they’ll remember. Children of about 4 to 10 can do most of the park once they pass 1 metre, and the dolphin and sea lion shows hold their attention. Older children and teens head for Harakiri, Nautilus and Jurassic River, and some save up for a Dolphin Emotions programme: Encounter (60 minutes, from age 6) or Premium (90 minutes, from age 8), which include park entry and need booking at least 24 hours ahead.

Zoomarine is one of the few big Algarve attractions with full-day drop-off. Its holiday camps have run for more than a decade, are licensed by the Portuguese youth institute (IPDJ), and take children aged 6 to 15 depending on the programme.

The main one, Clube do Sam, takes children aged 6 to 13 for a week, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:45, in groups of 36 split into three, each looked after by the park’s education team. Days mix pool time, rides, traditional games, guided visits, presentations and environmental education. Lunch and two snacks are included, along with insurance and a certificate. In 2026 it ran from 6 July to 4 September at €170 a week, or €285 with an optional Friday Dolphin Emotions session for ages 8 to 13. Children bring a hat, light clothes, sun cream and a refillable water bottle. Every week sold out in 2026, and bookings opened on 10 February, so set a reminder.

Zoomarine sells fixed-date one-day tickets, two-day tickets (the second day within 10 days), and flexible tickets. The junior price covers children from 1 metre tall up to age 10, and the same price applies to over-65s. When checked in September 2026:

• Low season (12 March to 31 May, 1 October to 28 November): online from €28.90 (ages 11 to 64) and €18.90 (junior or senior); at the gate €32 and €22.
• High season (1 June to 30 September): online from €34.90 and €26.90; at the gate €41 and €31.
• Flexible one-day ticket: €41 and €31.
• Visitors with a declared disability of 33% or more pay €22 at the gate, and pregnant women €27, with documents.

Online tickets can be bought until 15:00 on the day. Families with the large-family association card (APFN) get a discount at the gate. Birthday parties for children up to 14 cost €24 per guest in low season and €31 in high season, with entry and a snack, for a minimum of 10 paying children.

Swimwear is compulsory for everyone in the water areas, babies included, and a T-shirt is recommended on the rides and in the 4D cinema. Expect a hot day with lots of walking; bring sun cream and water. You can hire single and double children’s trolleys, but buggies can’t be parked in the stadium aisles.

The park says it’s accessible for people with reduced mobility, with reserved seats at the shows, though some rides have their own restrictions. Picnic tables exist in some areas, but they are limited and can’t be reserved, and you can’t eat your own food in the restaurants: Acqua (grill, pizza and burgers), Bamboo (all-you-can-eat self-service), Captain’s Kitchen (lighter snacks) and Splash Burger.

From 20 to 31 October 2026, Zoomarine runs a Halloween event with decorations, street performers, face painting and a children’s costume contest on 28 and 31 October. The scarier parts, a maze and a 4D film, are for over-14s only.

Some families are uneasy about dolphins and other marine mammals taking part in shows. If that matters to you, read Zoomarine’s pages on animal care and conservation before you decide.

Praia dos Pescadores in Albufeira old town and Praia da Falésia are the closest big beaches. If your children are more interested in slides than animals, Slide & Splash and Aqualand are nearby water parks. For a smaller, calmer animal day in the west, try Zoo de Lagos.

How long do you need at Zoomarine?

Zoomarine recommends at least a full day. To see every show and still have pool time, some families buy the two-day ticket.

Do toddlers go free at Zoomarine?

Children under 1 metre tall get in free; you just add them to the booking. They’re measured with shoes on at the entrance.

Can you bring your own food to Zoomarine?

Yes, to the limited picnic tables in some areas, which can’t be reserved. You can’t picnic inside the restaurants, and glass is not allowed.

Do you need swimwear at Zoomarine?

Yes, if you want to use the wave beach, pools or slides. Proper swimwear is compulsory in the water areas for everyone, babies included.

Can you take a buggy?

Yes, and you can also hire single or double children’s trolleys inside. Buggies can’t be left in the stadium aisles during shows.

Is Zoomarine open all year?

No. In 2026 it opened from 12 March to 28 November. Check the park calendar for daily hours before you go.