The closest you’ll get to scuba-diving without a wetsuit, Lisbon’s Oceanário is mind-blowing. No amount of hyperbole, where 8000 species splash in 7 million litres of seawater, does it justice. Huge wraparound tanks make you feel as if you are underwater, as you eyeball zebra sharks, honeycombed rays, gliding mantas and schools of neon fish.
Keep an eye out for oddities such as filigree seadragons, big ocean sunfish, otherworldly jellyfish and frolicsome sea otters. You’ll also want to see the recreated rainforest, Indo-Pacific coral reef and Magellan penguins on ice. The conservation-oriented oceanarium arranges family activities from behind-the-scenes marine tours to sleeping with the sharks.
