Escala 25

Escala 25 is an outdoor climbing centre in Alcântara, built at the foot of pillar 7 of the 25 de Abril bridge, the red suspension bridge over the Tagus. It opened in June 2022 and describes itself as Lisbon’s first monitored outdoor sport-climbing complex. The walls are 12 metres high, there’s a full climbing arch, and a separate bouldering area for climbing without ropes over mats.

The setting is a large part of the appeal. Children climb with the bridge deck and its traffic high above them and the riverside a short walk away. The address is shared with Pilar 7 Bridge Experience, where you can go inside the pillar itself and up to a viewpoint, which makes an easy pairing for a morning.

Escala 25 has two kinds of climbing:

• Roped routes up the 12-metre walls and the arch, where the climber wears a harness and is held on a rope from below. This is what sets Escala 25 apart from a bouldering-only gym.
• Bouldering problems on lower walls, climbed without ropes over padded flooring.

The centre says its routes and problems are set professionally.

For a child who’s never climbed, the simplest starting point is the Introduction to Climbing experience. When checked in September 2026 it cost €25 for kids (and students and over-65s) and €30 for adults. The pricing page doesn’t give the length of the session or a minimum age, so check both when you book.

Families who already know how to climb safely can buy a day pass instead: €11.50 for kids, €13.50 for adults, or €24 for a Buddy Pass for two. Equipment is hired separately: climbing shoes €5, harness €4 and helmet €3. Monthly equipment hire is €35.

Escala 25 runs weekly climbing classes that it describes as non-competitive, teaching technique through games, exercises and explanations. When checked, the timetable was:

• Kids: Thursdays 17:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays 10:00 to 11:00
• Teens (adolescentes): Tuesdays 17:00 to 18:00

Each class is an hour. Prices were €25 for a single lesson, €65 a month for one class a week and €85 a month for two. Register by phone on +351 939 939 688 or by email at contact@escala25.com. The page doesn’t say whether parents stay during the class.

In the summer holidays Escala 25 runs a weekday climbing camp from 10:00 to 16:00. The 2026 camp ran from 30 June to 29 August. The day mixes guided climbing sessions with creative and educational games, and the children are supervised throughout.

It cost €180 for five days or €320 for ten when checked. Lunch was optional at €7.50: a panini, crisps, drinks and fruit, plus a morning snack. Bringing a friend or relative gave a 10% discount. To book, you pay by bank transfer, then send the proof of payment with your child’s name and age to contact@escala25.com or phone +351 910 916 739. The camp page doesn’t state an age range, so ask whether it suits your child.

• Monday: 14:00 to 22:00
• Tuesday to Thursday: 10:00 to 22:00
• Friday: 10:00 to 21:00
• Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00

The on-site café, Base Camp Café, sells healthy snacks and drinks, including fresh fruit, protein bars and regional products from local suppliers. Non-climbers can use it too, and it follows roughly the same hours as the centre.

Escala 25 is at Avenida da Índia 52, under the bridge in Alcântara. There’s free parking at the centre, but space is extremely limited, and the website maps other car parks within a 10-minute walk. The centre also points out that it’s reachable by public transport from central Lisbon, Cascais and the surrounding area, and by bike, including the city’s Gira bike-share. Its how-to-get-here page has an interactive map with the details.

Escala 25 also runs birthday parties, team-building sessions for groups, guided climbing tours elsewhere in Portugal and therapeutic climbing. Ask the centre for details and prices.

This is an outdoor centre, so it’s exposed to the weather, and the pages don’t say what happens on a rainy day. Twelve-metre walls are properly high; a child who is nervous of heights may be happier starting on the bouldering walls or at an indoor gym such as Climb UP in Carnaxide. The bridge overhead carries road and rail traffic, so it isn’t a quiet spot.

Go inside the bridge at Pilar 7 Bridge Experience next door. Along the river towards Belém, the Museu de Marinha has royal barges and a seaplane, and the Museu da Carris tram museum is in Alcântara too.

Can children climb at Escala 25 in Lisbon?

Yes. There’s a kids’ day-pass price, an Introduction to Climbing session at a children’s rate, weekly kids’ and teens’ classes and a summer camp. The website doesn’t give a minimum age, so ask when you book.

How much does it cost for kids?

When checked in September 2026, a kids’ day pass was €11.50 and the Introduction to Climbing experience was €25. Kit hire is extra.

Is the climbing indoors?

No. It’s an outdoor climbing complex built around the bridge pillar, with a bouldering area as well as the roped walls.

Is there parking?

A little. Free spaces at the centre are very limited, and the website suggests car parks within a 10-minute walk.

When are the kids’ climbing classes?

Kids’ classes were on Thursdays 17:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays 10:00 to 11:00, and the teens’ class on Tuesdays 17:00 to 18:00, when checked.