Zoomarine Algarve: Tickets, Shows and Tips

Zoomarine is the Algarve’s biggest family day out: part marine park, part theme park, with animal shows, an aquarium, rides, a wave beach and pools on one ticket. It’s in Guia, just inland from Albufeira, and most families stay all day. Here are the 2026 dates, hours, prices and tips.

Quick answer: Zoomarine is on the N125 at Guia, about 10km from Albufeira, with free parking. The 2026 season runs from 12 March to 28 November, opening at 10am and closing between 5pm and 7pm depending on the month. Adults pay from €28.90 online in low season and from €34.90 from June to September. Children under 1 metre go free. Dolphin programmes and VR cost extra.

Where it is

Zoomarine sits beside the N125 at Guia, in the Albufeira municipality. Albufeira is about 10km away, Faro airport about 40km and Albufeira-Ferreiras station about 7km. Guia is famous for piri-piri chicken, so dinner on the way home is easy. For a base, see the best hotels in Albufeira.

2026 season and opening hours

The park opened its 35th season on 12 March 2026, and the last day is Saturday 28 November 2026. Gates open at 10am, but closing time and open days change:

• Mid to late March: until 5pm, Thursday to Saturday only.
• Late March to June, and September: until 6pm on most days, with some Mondays and Tuesdays closed.
• July and August: until 7pm, every day.
• October: until 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
• November: until 5pm, Thursday to Saturday.

Halloween runs from 20 to 31 October 2026, with a kids’ costume contest, plus a spooky 4D film and a dark maze for over-14s. The 2027 dates aren’t out yet, but the park usually reopens in March, so check the official calendar.

Ticket prices 2026

Low season is 12 March to 31 May and 1 October to 28 November; high season is June to September. The junior rate covers children from 1 metre tall up to age 10. Under 1 metre is free, but add them to the booking.

One-day ticket	Low season	High season
Adult (11 to 64)	from €28.90 online, €32 at the gate	from €34.90 online, €41 at the gate
Junior (1m and over, up to 10) or senior (65+)	from €18.90 online, €22 at the gate	from €26.90 online, €31 at the gate
Under 1 metre	free	free

Online tickets are for a fixed date. An adult two-day ticket costs from €39.90 online in low season (€45.90 in high season); the second visit must be within 10 days, and you validate it inside the park on day one. The gate only sells one-day tickets for the same day.

Book ahead: buying before the day saves money and skips the ticket queue in summer. The official Zoomarine website is often the cheapest place for a plain park ticket, so compare it with reseller prices before you pay. Compare Zoomarine tickets.

What’s included

Shows

Show times change daily and are listed in the Zoomarine app and at each stadium.

• Dream and Fantasy: the bottlenose dolphin presentation.
• Sea Adventures: seals and sea lions.
• Wings of the World: birds of prey, macaws and cranes.
• Magic Rainbow: macaws in free flight.
• Pirate Bay and UpBeat: acrobatics and a musical show.

Rides

New for 2026 is Nautilus, a spinning family rollercoaster about 4.5 metres high. Riders must be at least 0.95m tall, and under-1.20m children ride with an adult. There’s also the Jurassic River rafting ride, the Iguaçu water ride, a big wheel, a pirate ship, a drop tower, the 18-metre Harakiri slide and a 4D cinema.

Aquarium and animals

The Oceanus aquarium covers more than 20 ecosystems, from Ria Formosa seahorses to a big central tank with sharks and rays, and ends with a touch pool. There’s also a butterfly garden, a tropical habitat with macaws and a sloth, an alligator, turtles, and Porto d’Abrigo, which explains the park’s marine animal rescue work.

Beach, pools and slides

Bring swimwear. Zoomarine Beach is a wave pool with white sand, and the pools have a small water play area. From June to September more opens, including the 178-metre Quetzal slide, the slow Coconut River and two kids’ water playgrounds. The only floats allowed are armbands, life vests and swim belts.

Extras that cost more

Dolphin Emotions

Three in-water dolphin programmes include park entry, a certificate and photos. Bring ID to prove age.

• Encounter: about 60 minutes, with around 20 minutes in shallow water, from age 6. From €126.90 online in low season, €146.90 in high season.
• Premium: about 90 minutes, with around 35 minutes in deeper water, from age 8, swimmers only. From €161.90 online in low season, €181.90 in high season.
• Exclusive: a private session for two, from age 8, at €1,152.

Buying at the park costs about €20 more. Zoomarine presents the programmes as conservation education, while views on keeping dolphins in parks differ, so read up and decide what suits your family. To see dolphins at sea, see the best Algarve boat trips.

Other extras

Wild Explorer VR, a motion-platform virtual-reality ride, is paid separately. You can also hire huts and cabanas with two sun loungers by the beach and pools (book online by 11:59pm the day before), lockers, pushchairs and mobility scooters.

Food

The main places to eat are Acqua (grills, pizzas and burgers), Bamboo (an all-you-can-eat buffet and grill), Captain’s Kitchen (lighter options and snacks) and Splash Burger, plus kiosks. Picnics aren’t allowed in the restaurant areas, and you can’t eat or drink in the water areas.

Getting there

• By car: the easiest option. Take the toll-free A22 (exit Guia or Algoz) or the N125. Parking is free, and it’s usually about 15 minutes from Albufeira.
• By bus: Vamus Algarve buses stop at ‘Zoomarine’, about 300m from the entrance. Line 51 between Albufeira and Lagos calls there, but there are only a handful of buses a day, fewer at weekends, so check the timetable.
• By train: Albufeira-Ferreiras station is about 7km away, then take a taxi.
• Taxi, Uber or Bolt: simple from Albufeira and nearby resorts. See getting around the Algarve.

Tips

• Arrive at 10am and do the busiest rides first, before queues build.
• Plan around the shows: stadiums open 30 minutes before each show and close when full, so arrive early in summer.
• Front rows get wet at the dolphin show, so bag your phone.
• Sun: bring high-factor sunscreen, hats and water.
• Lockers: rent one for phones and keys while you swim.

FAQ

How much does Zoomarine cost in 2026?

Adults pay from €28.90 online in low season and from €34.90 from June to September (€32 and €41 at the gate). Juniors and seniors pay from €18.90 online, and under-1-metre children go free.

When does Zoomarine close for the season?

The 2026 season ends on 28 November. In October it opens Tuesday to Saturday, and in November Thursday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm. It usually reopens in March.

Can you swim with dolphins at Zoomarine?

Yes, on the paid Dolphin Emotions programmes: Encounter in shallow water from age 6, or Premium in deeper water from age 8, for swimmers. Prices start at €126.90 and include park entry.

How do you get to Zoomarine without a car?

Take a taxi, Uber or Bolt from Albufeira, about 10km away, or a Vamus Algarve bus to the ‘Zoomarine’ stop. Buses are infrequent, so check return times too.

More: Algarve water parks, the Algarve with kids and things to do in Albufeira.

See also: Algarve family resorts, Portugal with kids and kid-friendly Algarve beaches.

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