For a cultural and fun weekend outing in Portugal, visit the World of Discoveries museum and theme park in Porto.
Portugal played an immense role in the conquest of the world and the great discoveries of the Middle Ages. From Henry the Navigator to Magellan and Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorers braved the seas and oceans to discover new maritime routes. As a result, they colonized many parts of the world while discovering new peoples and cultures.
World of Discoveries is a museum and theme park retracing their history. Visiting World of Discoveries in Porto is a fun way to discover this major part of Portugal’s history.
History of the World of Discoveries in Porto
The World of Discovery museum and theme park in Porto opened to the public on April 25, 2014. Born of a desire to introduce the national and international public to the great Portuguese discoveries, it traces the history of the great Lusitanian explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries. Porto is the birthplace of Henry the Navigator, and is the ideal place to pay tribute to the adventurers who set out to conquer a largely unknown world. Covering an area of 5,000 square metres, it offers a visit divided into two parts: a museum and a theme park. The various rooms of the museum welcome you and give you details of the expeditions and discoveries of the great Portuguese era, then you embark on a small boat and relive the journey of the explorers, to the delight of young and old alike.
What to see and do at the World of Discoveries in Porto?
World of Discoveries Museum
The tour takes you from the informative museum rooms to the more spectacular theme park area.
You’ll first enter the « On board » area, where an introductory video features Infante Dom Henrique, explaining Henry the navigator’s role in the great discoveries and the opening up of new sea routes.
The second room, entitled « Trials and Inventions », features models of the ships used by the Portuguese. You’ll discover, among others, the famous caravels. You’ll also find navigational instruments such as compasses, sextants, astrolabes…
The third room, « From Worlds to Worlds », is resolutely interactive. Through large screens and touch screens, you’ll understand how sea routes developed. A scene between two navigators studying a maritime chart plunges you into life on a ship at the time.
You naturally arrive in the next room, « The Ship’s Deck ». Here, you’re inside a real, full-size ship. Take on the role of a sailor and explore the cargo area. Imagine what life was like on board, with period tools, goods and furnishings. Discover the spices transported, the riches and objects of covetousness. And let’s not forget the armaments that were available on every ship.
The « Shipyard » then welcomes you, with a reproduction of a shipbuilding area. We explain the materials used, the tools and the various techniques.
World of Discoveries theme park
This area marks the transition to the theme park area, where you board a small boat and set off to discover the world, just like the real Portuguese explorers. The route takes you first to Lisbon, the first stop on the road to Africa.
After passing the southern coast of Portugal, you’ll discover North Africa. You’ll be immersed in a battle between Portuguese knights and Moorish warriors. Henry the Navigator led an expedition to retake the port of Ceuta and control of this strategic area for trade with Africa.
You’ll then sail through the terrible Sea of Darkness, past the Cape of Torment and into Black Africa. Sound and light effects accompany you throughout the visit for an even more immersive experience. Children will be fascinated by the scenery, and can imagine what life was like for adventurers in the Middle Ages.
You’ll then discover the different cultures and peoples encountered by the Portuguese, as well as the cultural and commercial exchanges that took place at the time. Statues represent certain scenes, while actors play others. You’ll move from the backdrops of desert Africa to tropical forests, then admire India and its palaces, Macao, mystical Japan and finally Brazil. All these countries have been visited, and some were colonized by the Portuguese, so the visit sheds light on the world as we know it today.
To round off the trip, the Sphera Mundi boutique offers all kinds of objects related to travel and discovery. A great way to bring home a souvenir of your visit, or a gift for your friends.
How do I get to the World of Discoveries in Porto?
The World of Discovery park in Porto is located along the Douro River. The exact address is Rua de Miragaia, 106, 4050 – 387, Porto. It is served by streetcar and bus. The nearest public transport stop is Alfândega, a two-minute walk from Porto’s World of Discoveries park. Tramway line 1 stops at Alfândega, as do buses 1M, 500 and ZM.
From the São Bento train station, where you can easily visit Porto’s must-see Clerks’ Tower, take the 500 bus to the Alfândaga stop for World of Discovery.
From Porto-Francisco Sá-Carneiro airport, you can take one of the following routes:
- Take the 601 bus to the Hosp. Sto. António stop, a 7-minute walk from the park.
- Take metro line E to Casa de Música, then bus 507 to Hosp. Sto. António.
World of Discoveries Porto opening times and prices
Opening hours
- The museum is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays and from 10am to 7pm on weekends and public holidays.
- The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum closes.
- The museum is closed on December 25 and January 1.
Rates
- Children under three: free.
- Children aged 4 to 12: 8 euros at the museum ticket office, 6.80 euros at the online ticket office.
- Adults: 14 euros at the museum box office, 11.90 euros online.
- Seniors (over 65): 11 euros at the museum box office, 11 euros at the online ticket office.
- Students (on presentation of student card): 11 euros at the museum box office, 11 euros online.
- Schools: 6 euros.
Good to know
- To visit World of Discoveries in Porto, allow between an hour and an hour and a half. The visit is interactive and particularly suitable for children in its theme park section.
- Guided tours are available in several languages.
- There are no changing rooms or lockers available.
- Photos are permitted in the park, but flash photography is prohibited.
- All content is available during the museum visit in different languages: Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, German and Italian.
- Free audio guides are available for the boat trip.
- A bus parking area is provided opposite theEdificio da Alfândega do Porto, allowing passengers to alight close to the park entrance.
- The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and also offers sensory and cognitive content for people with special educational needs.
- The World of Discoveries park in Porto also offers 200 square meters of conference and seminar space for groups of up to 200 people.
- The Mundo de Sabores restaurant, on the museum’s top floor, offers world cuisine, with specialties from the countries visited by explorers during the great Portuguese expeditions.
- A souvenir store, Sphera Mundi, is located inside the museum. Here you’ll find all kinds of decorative objects and gifts related to the world of travel and exploration.