Parque das Águas (Águas e Energia do Porto)

The Parque das Águas (Park of the Waters) is an open-air museum of the fountains that once supplied Porto. It sits in the grounds of the headquarters of Águas e Energia do Porto, the municipal company that runs the city’s water, at Nova Sintra in eastern Porto.

The collection has 15 fountains, chafarizes (ornamental fountains with basins) and water tanks from the 16th to the 19th century. Each was taken down from its original street and rebuilt here, from all over the city: Lordelo do Ouro, Massarelos, Cedofeita, Miragaia, Sé, Santo Ildefonso, Bonfim and Campanhã. The park covers 68,500 square metres of green space, much of it wooded.

It is a quiet place, far from the crowds of the Ribeira, and for a child it works like a treasure hunt: every few steps there is another carved stone fountain to find among the trees.

The company’s map of the park lists what is there. Among the pieces children tend to notice:

• the Chafariz dos Passarinhos, the “little birds” fountain
• the Chafariz do Convento de São Bento de Avé Maria, from a convent that once stood where São Bento railway station is now
• a drinking trough (bebedouro) put up by the Sociedade Protetora dos Animais, the animal protection society, so that animals could drink too
• two arcas de água, stone water chests that stored and shared out water, from Santo Isidro and from the old Mercado do Anjo
• the tower of the Arca da Viúva do Cunha
• street fountains from Rua Garrett, Campo Alegre, Seixal and the Feira dos Carneiros, the old sheep market
• two carved coats of arms from fountains on Rua Dom Pedro V and at São Domingos
• two modern artworks, “Self-Portrait as a Fountain” and “Universo (4+3)”

The guided visit lasts about an hour and a half. It follows the wooded part of the park, stopping at the fountains to explain what they were for, how water was shared out around the city, and the history of the estate.

The grounds have their own story. In the 17th century they were part of the Quinta do Prado do Bispo, a bishop’s estate. In the 1800s the land became the Quinta das Oliveiras, also called the Quinta dos Ingleses (the “English estate”), and was planted with exotic trees in the Romantic style. In 1927 the city took it over for the new municipal water services. In 1929 the city developed its first big new water sources, including reservoirs at Nova Sintra and intakes on the Douro, and from 1930 old fountains that had been switched off or knocked down were brought here instead of being lost. The museum circuit opened to the public in 1987.

The company’s “Linha d’Água” timeline turns 900 years of history into 15 steps, which is useful for a homeschool lesson before or after the visit. A few that children like:

• In 1120 a royal letter from Dona Teresa mentions the water of Paranhos, one of the city’s first water sources.
• In 1392 the city council was already arguing about dirty water at the public fountains.
• From 1619 people drank water from the Virtudes spring because they believed it cured illness.
• In 1763 part of the polluted Rio de Vila stream was covered over and hidden underground, and Rua de São João was built on top.
• In 1882 the city signed a contract with a French company for its first system of piping water into homes, and by 1887 steam engines were pumping it.
• In 1897 an English firm from London began building the first proper sewers.

The second free guided visit leaves the park behind. The Roteiro pelas Fontes Históricas do Porto (Historic Fountains Route) is a two-hour walk from Praça da Trindade down to Rua de Miragaia, stopping at the city’s historic fountains and water sites. It takes up to 30 people. Porto’s old centre is steep, and much of the route is downhill on cobbles, so it suits children who are happy walking for two hours.

Both visits are free, but they are not drop-in. You request a visit by email to parquedasaguas@aguasdoporto.pt, and the company assesses each request against the size and make-up of the group and the conditions in the park before confirming. The park visit meets at the park entrance at Rua do Barão de Nova Sintra 225. The fountains walk meets at Praça da Trindade.

This makes it well suited to a homeschool group or a few families together. A single family can ask too, but give plenty of notice and say how many children and what ages.

Visits are cancelled for safety in wind or rain and moved to another date. The visits page gives no opening hours for casual visitors, so do not turn up without a confirmed booking.

Calm children who like stories, carvings and finding things will enjoy the park visit most. Energetic children get room to walk in the woods between stops.

The company says neither visit is recommended for people with reduced mobility. The park has uneven ground in the wooded area, and the city walk crosses Porto’s hills. That also rules out most buggies, so bring a carrier for a toddler. There are no toilets or cafés mentioned on the visits page. Very young children may find a 90-minute guided talk long, and the booking pages are in Portuguese, so ask about languages when you write.

Águas e Energia do Porto also lists the Lavadouros das Fontainhas, old public wash-houses on the Alameda das Fontainhas above the Douro, as part of the city’s water heritage. A community project, Cultivar a Proximidade, has been bringing them back to life with theatre, workshops and a fado night at which the tanks were scrubbed and scented with soap. In February 2026 the planned repairs to lighting, drainage, floors and access had still not started, so check the project’s events before making a special trip.

The Pavilhão da Água, also run by Águas e Energia do Porto, is the hands-on half of the same story, with exhibits on how the city’s tap water is cleaned. The gardens at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are close to the end of the fountains walk at Miragaia. For another bit of water engineering, a Douro cruise through the Carrapatelo lock lifts the boat 35 metres.

Is Parque das Águas free?

Yes. Both guided visits, the park tour and the historic fountains walk, were free when we checked in September 2026.

Can you just turn up?

No. Visits are booked by email to parquedasaguas@aguasdoporto.pt and confirmed by the water company, which assesses each request.

How long does the visit take?

The park visit takes about an hour and a half. The historic fountains walk through the old city takes about two hours.

Can you take a buggy?

The company does not recommend either visit for people with reduced mobility because of uneven ground in the woods and the hills in the city. A carrier works better.

What happens if it rains?

Visits are cancelled in rain or strong wind for safety and rescheduled for another day.