Parque da Cidade de Paredes and Skate Park

Paredes, a town in the Vale do Sousa east of Porto, opened its first proper skate park on Saturday 20 June 2026, inside the Parque da Cidade. The opening was part of the celebrations for the 35th anniversary of Paredes becoming a city, and it came with free skate and inline lessons, best-trick competitions, music and food trucks.

The story behind it is a good one to tell children. According to the Jornal de Notícias, four friends who used to skate next to the Pavilhão Multiusos de Paredes knew it wasn’t a safe or suitable place to ride. So they entered the council’s Orçamento Participativo Jovem, a youth participatory budget where young people propose projects and the public votes. Their idea won the 2023 edition, and three years later the park opened.

The council describes the skate park as designed for three disciplines: skateboarding, BMX freestyle and inline skating. The obstacles include:

• ramps
• rails (corrimões)
• walls to ride and slide along

The council says the layout was planned so that new riders can progress while experienced riders still have challenges. The press coverage doesn’t give the size or say whether there is a bowl, so don’t promise one. There’s no published rule on scooters either; the council lists only skateboards, BMX and inline skates, so check on site before bringing a scooter.

The Parque da Cidade is a 2.5-hectare green space for leisure and sport, with the Sentiais stream (ribeira de Sentiais) running along its length.

For younger children there’s a playground on natural grass, with swings and a slide, and tables and benches next to it. It’s a small, traditional playground, useful for a toddler or preschooler while an older sibling rides the skate park.

The park also has a public sand court, the Campo de Areia, where you can play beach football, beach volleyball, beach handball and footvolley. The council asks you to ring in advance if you want to use it at the weekend.

In summer the Parque da Cidade also has an outdoor council pool, the Piscina Verde, on Avenida Granja da Fonseca. It has an eight-lane pool and a separate children’s pool, changing rooms and a bar, with room for up to 400 swimmers. The council’s 2026 hours were 09:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, and 09:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 19:00 at weekends.

Children under 3 go in free with an adult. On weekdays a full day costs €3 for ages 4 to 16 (€1.50 for the afternoon), €4 for adults and €3 for over-65s. You can hire a parasol for the day (€5, or €3 for part of the day) or a lounger and parasol together. The council page doesn’t list the season dates, so check it before you pack swimming things.

Toddlers and preschoolers get the swings, the slide and grass to run on. Keep them away from the skate park itself: riders move fast and a small child in the wrong place is a hazard for everyone.

Children from about 6 who are learning to skate or ride inline skates can use the lower obstacles and the flat. A helmet, knee pads and wrist guards make those first falls on concrete much less painful.

Older children and teenagers on boards, BMX bikes or inline skates are the people the park was built for. The ramps, rails and walls give them enough to work on for months.

The council hasn’t published opening hours, lighting or rules for the skate park, and there’s no information on toilets or a café in the park, so bring water and snacks. Wear helmets and pads whatever the rules say. The park is new, so it’s likely to be busiest on summer evenings and weekends; go earlier in the day for a first try. In summer, bare concrete gets hot and there is little shade over a skate park, so avoid the middle of the day.

If your skater wants a second park, the covered Skatepark de Gondomar, one of the largest in Portugal, has free council lessons from age 6. For a playground day with mini golf, Lipor’s Parque Aventura is on the edge of Valongo and Gondomar.

Is the Paredes skate park free?

Yes. It’s part of the public Parque da Cidade and no entry fee is published.

Can you ride BMX and inline skates at the Paredes skate park?

Yes. The council says it is for skateboards, BMX freestyle and inline skates.

Is there a playground nearby for younger children?

Yes, inside the same park: swings and a slide on grass, with picnic tables and benches.

Are there skate lessons in Paredes?

Free lessons were given on the opening day in June 2026. No regular programme had been announced when we checked, so ask the council.