Monthly notes

Activity in Porto

Piscina das Marés

Álvaro Siza's 1966 seawater pools carved into the rocks at Leça da Palmeira: a National Monument you can swim in, open in the bathing season only (normally June–September; exact dates vary).

Address
Avenida da Liberdade, 4450-716 Leça da Palmeira, Matosinhos
Open in Google Mapsmatosinhosport.pt

Great with kids

Seawater pools protected from the open sea; supervision arrangements and depths not checked, so keep children within reach. Check the season dates and prices. Research.

The notes

What the sources say (research)

  • A set of pools on the beach at Leça da Palmeira, open only in the bathing season (normally June to September, opening and closing dates vary); closed for public swimming outside it. [Matosinhos Sport]
  • Designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, built in the 1960s and opened in 1966; a National Monument since 2011. Reopened in June 2021 after a €1.3 million restoration of pumps, filtration and water treatment. [Matosinhos Sport]
  • Prices for 2026 were not on the official pages we read; check matosinhosport.pt before you go.
  • The beach next to it, Leça da Palmeira, is on the 2026 Blue Flag list. [ABAE 2026]

The beaches around it compared: Porto’s best beaches.

Open questions

Where the places are

From Piscina das Marés: SEA LIFE Porto (3 km), Jardim do Passeio Alegre (6 km), Planetário do Porto (7 km), World of Discoveries (9 km), Parque Biológico de Gaia (16 km), Zoo Santo Inácio (18 km). Straight-line distances from the centre point, not driving times.

Activity

Jardim do Passeio Alegre

Riverside garden in Foz at the end of tram line 1, with mini golf, a café and Art Nouveau public toilets from 1910, per the city; free, open around the clock (research).

  • Great with kids
Researched

last checked

Activity€

Parque Biológico de Gaia

Gaia city council's nature park in Avintes: a nature discovery trail of about 3 km, €1 for ages 7–17 and €7.50 for a family (research).

  • Great with kids
Researched

last checked

Activity€

Planetário do Porto

University of Porto planetarium near the river: cheap dome shows for a wet afternoon; family ticket €15.40 for two adults and their children up to 17.

  • Great with kids
Researched

last checked

Activity€€

SEA LIFE Porto

Aquarium by the sea at Castelo do Queijo, next to Parque da Cidade: a reliable rainy-day hour or two with children; online €19 adult, €14 child 2–14.

  • Great with kids
Researched

last checked