Parque Aquático do Crato

Crato is a small historic town in the Portalegre district, in the north of the Alentejo. On its edge, beside the town’s sports area, the Câmara Municipal do Crato runs the Parque Aquático do Crato, a summer pool complex that covers 12,000 square metres. It has one proper water slide, a diving pool, a learner pool and two paddling pools, at council prices, which is a smaller set-up than the big commercial water parks.

The mix suits a family with a toddler and a ten-year-old particularly well, because both have somewhere to go.

The council describes three main pools and two paddling pools.

• The big central pool is rectangular and split in two. One half is where the 30-metre water slide (tubogã) lands. The other half is for general swimming and play, and has a hydraulic chair that lowers wheelchair users into the water and lifts them out.
• Next to it is a round learner pool (piscina de aprendizagem) for younger swimmers.
• Two separate paddling pools (chapinheiros) are for small children.
• Lower down the site is the diving pool, 14 by 14 metres and 3 metres deep, with three fixed boards and two springboards.

A U-shaped lawn runs around the pool deck for spreading out towels. A family guide also mentions a large LED screen visible from the terrace, the deck and the lawn.

The facilities are better than many small-town pools. There are family changing rooms and six shared changing rooms, which open as the park fills up. There are 38 individual showers, 4 accessible showers and hair dryers, and there are baby-changing tables in both the men’s and the women’s areas. The building also holds the reception, a first-aid room and a bar and restaurant with a terrace looking over the pools.

The park opens for the summer bathing season, from mid June to mid September, every day except Monday. In 2026 it opened on 20 June. A family guide updated in 2025 gives the hours as 10:00 to 19:00, Tuesday to Sunday.

Children under 6 go free. The most recent prices the council has published are from 2022, when single tickets ran from €2 to €3.30 depending on age, and 5- and 10-entry passes cost €6.60 to €20. That summer the passes sold out in August. Loungers (espreguiçadeiras) cost €2.40 and parasols €1.20 in 2022. There are discounts for holders of the Cartão Jovem, the senior card (Cartão do Idoso) and the local Eu Sou Crato card. Prices may have gone up since, so treat these as a guide.

The council’s page does not set out the pool rules. Take swim caps and flip-flops in case they are required, and check the rules at reception. Ask too about age limits for the slide and the diving boards before a small child joins the queue.

There is only one slide, so on a busy afternoon the queue can be the main event. We found no mention of shade structures beyond the parasols for hire, and the Alentejo sun is strong, so hire a parasol or bring your own. The park is closed on Mondays and shuts in mid September. The last published prices are a few years old.

The Crato council also runs smaller village pools. In 2026 the pools at Gáfete and Aldeia da Mata opened on 27 June, while the Vale do Peso pool stayed closed for works. From 1 July the council runs transport to the pools from Flor da Rosa, Monte da Pedra, Vale do Peso and Pisão for residents who sign up with their parish council. Crato also has an indoor pool, which in 2026 ran continuous hours until 31 July and reopened on 1 September.

The Coudelaria de Alter, the royal stud farm at Alter do Chão, is a short drive west and works well as a morning with horses before an afternoon swim. Marvão, a walled village on a hilltop to the north east, holds a chestnut fair every autumn (see What’s on).

Is there a water slide at the Crato water park?

Yes. There’s one 30-metre water slide that lands in its own half of the main pool. There are also three diving boards and two springboards over a 3-metre-deep pool.

Is it good for toddlers?

Yes. There are two paddling pools for small children, a round learner pool, family changing rooms and baby-changing tables, and under-6s go in free.

How much does it cost?

The council’s last published prices, from 2022, were €2 to €3.30 for a single ticket, free for under-6s. Check current prices at the gate.

When is it open?

From mid June to mid September, Tuesday to Sunday. In 2026 it opened on 20 June.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

The main pool has a hydraulic chair for getting wheelchair users in and out of the water, and there are four accessible showers.