Jardim Público de Vila Nova de Milfontes

On a holiday in Vila Nova de Milfontes, most days revolve around the beaches and the river Mira. The Jardim Público is where to go when children need a change: a free town garden with a playground, water to splash in and a big lawn to run on.

It opened on 29 October 2015 and covers 7,120 m². The Câmara Municipal de Odemira, which runs it, built it to give the town more green space and more places for children to play outdoors. It sits beside the ground and clubhouse of Clube Desportivo Praia de Milfontes, the local football club.

The garden has a contemporary design: one winding path crosses a grid of straight lines, and each section has a different use.

The playground has a pergola and seating areas around it, so parents have somewhere to sit while children play. The water features are in their own area next to a multi-purpose space. The local guide vnmilfontes.info calls them jogos de água, water play, and on a hot day that’s a big draw for small children. The council has not published when the water runs, so check before promising anyone a splash.

In the middle is the lawn, a grass clearing ringed by the path and rows of trees, with room for running, ball games and a picnic blanket.

There’s also a café terrace, benches and planted beds, and a space for small events.

Shade is the thing to think about in summer. When the garden opened, the council wrote that it would become a shady place once the trees had grown. More than ten years on, the local guide describes shaded rest areas, and the playground has its pergola, but the sources we found don’t say how much of the lawn and paths are shaded. In July and August go in the morning or after about 17:00, bring hats and water, and test slides and paving with your hand before small children sit on them.

• The garden is free and open to everyone.
• About 70 parking spaces were built alongside it, and a new road improves access.
• The ground was shaped so the whole garden can be reached without steps, which makes it easy with a buggy or a wheelchair.
• The garden has lighting, both for safety and for effect after dark.
• The café terrace is the place for a drink or an ice cream. We could not confirm public toilets from the sources we checked.

Pair the garden with a morning at Praia das Furnas, the lifeguarded river beach across the Mira, and lunch at A Choupana. For children who skate, the small skateparks at Odemira and Cercal do Alentejo are inland, and a Milfontes-based skate school teaches at both.

Is there a playground in Vila Nova de Milfontes?

Yes. The Jardim Público has a playground with a pergola and seating, along with water features and a big lawn.

Is the Jardim Público in Milfontes free?

Yes. It’s a public garden run by the Câmara Municipal de Odemira.

Is there water play for children?

The garden has water features in their own area, which the local guide describes as water play. The council does not publish when they’re switched on, so check on the day.

Is there shade?

Some. The playground has a pergola and the local guide mentions shaded seating, but plan for sun elsewhere. Avoid the middle of the day in summer.

Can we bring a buggy or wheelchair?

Yes. The garden was designed so that every part can be reached without steps.