Centro Ciência Viva do Alviela – Carsoscópio

Our Story

The children have been very enthusiastic about the animal world lately, so I was looking for a different experience for them. Then I remembered that some time ago we’d learnt about bats, but it had all been very theoretical.

Eventually I found this Ciência Viva Centre which is located in a privileged space for bats, housing a maternity colony with thousands of bats from various species found in Portugal. Around this, they have an interactive exhibition to learn more about these fantastic creatures.

From here on, there were only pleasant surprises:

The Bat-Dedicated Area

Here we can explore various facets of bats: their diet, echolocation, how they live in colonies, their anatomy, their habits, etc. For each of these areas, there are one or several different activities for visitors of all ages to learn in an intuitive and enjoyable way.

The children loved it, and so did we.

Area Dedicated to Local Geology

It’s in the name, but I hadn’t connected with that aspect. Alviela sits next to a spring that’s part of an impressive cave system due to the limestone terrain. The amount of water it harbours and then distributes is absolutely impressive and serves as an important water supplier not only for the entire region but also for Lisbon.

To learn about this topic, we have a 3D video. The content is clearly more suited for adults, but with the 3D format, dark glasses and cinematic effect, the children love it. Whilst they try to catch rain, we try to catch the words.

Possibly the star of the centre, we have the Geodrome, a simulator that shows the geological evolution of the Estremenho Limestone Massif – the most important in the country – from the age of dinosaurs (175 million years ago) to the present day. To use this simulator we sit in rows and then the platform where we’re seated rotates, shakes, accelerates and brakes to give the sensation that we’re immersed in the image projected in front of us.

I found it a bit rough but spectacular, my husband also enjoyed it very much but came out feeling like he’d been on a carousel, and the children couldn’t stop asking for more. An absolute success.

Water-Dedicated Area

The last exhibition room is dedicated to water and is quite interactive: we call clouds, make it rain, and cause a road accident to provoke a spill into the aquifers. Anything goes to learn how the whole system works and how water reaches us.

All of this, however, wouldn’t make sense without the precious dedication and wisdom of Mr Luís, the guide who explained the entire cycle in this room as well as all the others. His experience was evident and extremely useful in ensuring that all the families present had great fun, including some initially reluctant teenagers.

Setting – Fantastic Nature, Including River Beach

The Ciência Viva Centre is set within a fantastic green space, with walking trails for marvellous hikes.

Additionally, they have a playing field, children’s playground, restaurant and food trucks selling food, drinks and ice creams.

Finally, next to the spring we can find a beach, with sand, surrounded by trees, which is simply wonderful. Also along the river, several spaces have been created that function as beaches, despite not having sand, where various people were having picnics and relaxing. On the water, we even saw Stand Up Paddle boarding, before the small waterfall. A spectacle.

Practical Information

Ticket cost:

• Children up to 5 years: free
• Students: €3
• Adults: €5
• Other information: https://alviela.cienciaviva.pt/28/bilheteira

Accessibility: There’s a car park (a bit far from the entrance). With ramps and accessibility features.

Best time to visit: Any time of year.

Surroundings: Nature, walking trails, river beach, places to eat, dining facilities.

Special tip: This would be a perfect location for a group visit with other families from our meetups – there’s space for everyone and activities for different ages!

Learning Continues

At home we’re continuing with:

• Exploring the difference between birds and mammals
• Building two bat houses, and their importance for our regeneration project at Alo Land
• Reading the book “Vida de Morcego” (Bat Life), promoted by Centro Ciência Viva: https://academia.cienciaviva.pt/recursos/recurso.php?id_recurso=712