Jardim das Artes

The Jardim das Artes (Garden of the Arts) opened in October 2017 in an expanding part of Covilhã, next to Rua Centro de Artes. The council built it on sloping ground, so the park is laid out on three terraces separated by grassy banks, each about five metres higher than the last. An 840-metre footpath winds through it, past a sculpture garden, and three spiral metal pieces tie the terraces together visually when you look up from the main entrance.

When the council announced the works, it described the project as including the largest playground in the municipality, a kiosk with a terrace, an outdoor fitness area for adults, a skate park, a water feature and a seating area for 400 people for cultural events. It’s free and open ground.

The landscape architects, ACB Paisagem, put the difference in height across the whole site at 15.5 metres. Instead of building retaining walls, they used terraces and oblique paths up the banks, with several entrances. For families that means sloping paths between the levels, so a buggy will be pushed uphill at some point.

Play Planet, the company that designed and built the playground, chose traditional equipment in treated, unpainted wood for a more natural look that fits the planting around it. It hasn’t published a full list of the pieces or the age zones, so we can’t say exactly which slides, swings or climbing frames are there today.

What the designers did publish is the thinking behind the shade. ACB Paisagem planted trees densely to shade the paths, the café terrace, the playground and the benches placed at the best viewpoints over the Cova da Beira, the valley below Covilhã. Around the café and playground terrace they chose tulip trees and alders for shade. In 2026 the council moved its Children’s Day party here from its previous venue, saying the garden has more shaded areas and makes it easier to keep an eye on children, which counts for a lot on a summer afternoon.

The same company built the skate park, and its equipment list is precise. Most elements are 1.22 metres high:

• a roll-in with a platform (a sloping start ramp)
• a roller (a small hump)
• a street spine (two ramps back to back)
• a grind rail, 2.4 metres long
• stairs
• a funbox (a box with ramps on both ends)
• a mini box
• a flat wedge (a short straight ramp)
• a handrail box
• a quarter pipe
• a “piano” (a ledge for grinds and slides)

These are prefabricated modules of a modest height rather than a deep concrete bowl. Children aged about six and up on scooters or skateboards can practise rolling up the wedge and over the roller, and more confident riders can link the funbox, spine and rails into lines. The council doesn’t publish rules or hours for the skate park. Bring a helmet and pads, and expect it to be busier after school and at weekends.

On 4 June 2026, a public holiday, the council held its Children’s Day party (Dia da Criança) in the garden from 10:00 to 20:00, free for all. There were bouncy castles, music, games, animals, a “professions” area, with partners including the GNR and PSP police and the Covilhã volunteer firefighters, performances by student music groups (tunas), and a 17:00 show by the children’s entertainer O Tio Óscar. Check the council’s news page each spring for the next one.

• Covilhã sits on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela and can be cold and windy outside summer. Bring layers.
• The garden is built on a hillside. Expect some uphill pushing with a buggy.
• The council’s page for the park doesn’t give toilet or parking information, and the kiosk’s opening hours aren’t published, so bring water and snacks.
• The skate park and the playground are close to each other, so it’s possible to keep an eye on both, but agree ground rules with older children.

Covilhã’s lifts and funicular are a fun, free way to get around the steep town centre. In summer the Piscina Praia da Covilhã is the place to swim, and on a wet day the Panasqueira mining museum is an indoor option in the hills. Serious skaters can drive south to the much bigger Castelo Branco skate park. In winter, see What’s on for the Serra da Estrela snow season.

Is the Jardim das Artes free?

Yes. It’s a public council garden with no entry charge.

Is there a skate park in Covilhã?

Yes. The Jardim das Artes has a modular skate park with a roll-in, spine, funbox, rails, stairs and a quarter pipe, built alongside the playground.

Is it good for toddlers?

The playground is the largest in the municipality, but the council hasn’t published age zones or a list of equipment. Look it over when you arrive and choose the parts that suit your child.

Is there shade?

The garden was planted densely with trees to shade the paths, the café terrace and the playground, and the council chose it for its 2026 Children’s Day party partly because it has more shade.

Can you take a buggy?

Yes, but the park is on a hillside with sloping paths between the terraces, so expect some pushing uphill.