Parque da Cidade de Guimarães

The Parque da Cidade, which the council calls the Parque de Lazer da Cidade, is the big green space in the middle of Guimarães. It runs along the Alameda Conselho da Europa, a wide tree-lined avenue that crosses the whole park, with footpaths branching off to the different areas. The council puts it at about 20 hectares and the tourist office at 30, in the parishes of Costa and Mesão Frio. Either way, it is large enough for a proper walk and close enough to the centre to fit around sightseeing.

It is well looked after. The park has ISO 14001 environmental certification and won a Green Flag Award, an international award for well-managed parks, in 2023 and 2024. A local guide from 2025 called it the most visited park in the municipality.

The children’s playground sits on one of the park’s main paths, according to Visit Guimarães. The council lists it alongside support facilities, but doesn’t describe the equipment, the age range or the surface, so treat it as a solid town playground to break up a day rather than a destination on its own. With toilets and a café in the same park, it is easy to stay a while.

The skate park opened on 15 August 2018, at a cost of €143,000 plus VAT. It’s a concrete park, and the council promoted it at the time as among the best in the country, so it is a draw for skaters from around the district.

A report in the Jornal de Guimarães in August 2024 described the park from the skaters’ point of view. Regulars complained of concrete joints that had widened, rusty coping (the metal edge along the top of a ramp) and drainage covers that came loose, plus leaves and mud in winter and water that pooled in summer. The council replied that the park was cleaned every day with leaf blowers and water-removal equipment, and that it had planted flowers to stop soil washing on to the concrete. None of this stops children using it, but look over the surface before a young rider sets off, and avoid it after heavy rain.

For beginners on scooters and skateboards, the flatter areas and smaller ramps are the place to start. Expect more older riders after school and at weekends.

The council counts more than 40 plant species, including black poplar, ash and strawberry trees, and a long list of wildlife: woodpeckers, owls and songbirds, dragonflies, butterflies and amphibians. There is a small lake and water features fed by the Ribeira de Couros, a stream that runs through the park. Children who like to look closely can spend as long by the water as others spend on the swings.

A cycle path runs through the park, so children can bring bikes and scooters. There is a maintenance circuit with exercise stations, fitness equipment and a street-workout area for older children and teenagers. The park is also where the pedestrian Biodiversity Route up to Penha begins, for families who fancy a long uphill walk. Everyone else can take the Penha cable car, which climbs to the same hilltop.

Toddlers get the playground, flat paths for a buggy and dragonflies and birds to point at. Children of 4 to 7 can ride the cycle path on bikes or scooters and try the edges of the skate park when it’s quiet. Children of 8 to 12 will head for the skate park and the fitness equipment. Teenagers can skate, use the street-workout bars or set off on the walk towards Penha.

The park is open all year and free. Visit Guimarães lists public toilets, bike parking and a restaurant-bar with outdoor seating, and the council lists drinking fountains, benches, tables and loungers along the paths, plus parking. Dogs are welcome and there are dog-waste bins. The council doesn’t mention a fence around the playground, so keep a close eye on toddlers near the lake and the cycle path.

The park is a good break between the sights. Guimarães’s castle and Ducal Palace are the obvious morning, and the Penha cable car is a fun ride up the hill. On a rainy day, the Scorpio pools have indoor swimming.

Is the Parque da Cidade in Guimarães free?

Yes. It’s a public council park, open all year, with no charge for the playground or the skate park.

Are there toilets and somewhere to eat?

Yes. Visit Guimarães lists public toilets and a restaurant-bar with outdoor seating in the park.

Can you take a buggy?

Yes. The park is crossed by a wide avenue and footpaths, and there’s a cycle path too.

Is the skate park suitable for beginners?

Beginners can use the flatter areas and smaller ramps. Check the surface first, as local skaters have reported widening joints and loose drain covers, and go at quieter times when older riders are fewer.

Can you bring a dog?

Yes. Guimarães’s tourist office lists the park as dog-friendly, with dog-waste bins.