Vasco da Gama Aquarium

The Vasco da Gama Aquarium sits in Belém, on the western edge of Lisbon, close to the banks of the Tagus estuary where the great Age of Discovery voyages once departed. Named after the Portuguese explorer who pioneered the sea route to India, the aquarium holds one of Europe's oldest and most historically significant marine collections. Its tanks and displays bring together species from the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and beyond, reflecting the same oceanic curiosity that drove Portuguese navigators across the world's seas.

The collection was originally assembled to accompany the 1898 celebrations marking the fourth centenary of Vasco da Gama's voyage, giving the institution a heritage that stretches back well over a century. Today visitors can explore a wide range of marine life, from coastal Atlantic species to creatures of deeper and more distant waters. The aquarium remains a place where the scientific legacy of Portuguese maritime exploration is kept alive through living exhibits rather than artefacts alone.