Parque Ecológico e Intermodal da Venda do Pinheiro

Venda do Pinheiro is a town in Mafra municipality, north of Lisbon. Its Parque Ecológico e Intermodal was built by Mafra council to do two jobs: give the town a green space for leisure, and organise the bus and car interchange for commuters heading to Lisbon. The council put the total investment at about €4 million, including buying the land, with EU co-funding through the Lisboa 2020 programme.

The “ecological” part of the name comes from the River Lizandro, the most important river in the municipality, whose source is close by. The park has extensive lawns, a lake and a small library that doubles as an interpretive centre about the river. It’s free and open to everyone.

The council’s description of the park lists:

• a children’s play area (espaço infantil de jogo e recreio);
• a skate park;
• a picnic area and wide lawns;
• a lake;
• a fitness and maintenance circuit and a network of footpaths;
• a five-a-side football pitch and 3x3 basketball courts;
• a dog park;
• a café-bar space;
• the library and interpretive centre.

That mix works well for families with children of different ages. A toddler can stay between the playground and the picnic tables while an older sibling rides the skate park or plays on the courts.

According to the skatepark directory Trucks and Fins, the skate park is a concrete flow bowl built in 2018 by Wasteland Skateparks, with ProRide Portugal doing the excavation. In 2023 A-Park added a simpler back-and-forth wooden section next to the bowl, built from skatelite, which gives less experienced riders something easier. The directory also lists quarter pipes, a manual pad, ledges, banks, a handrail and a kicker, plus lights and toilets. Its photos are dated 2025 and 2026.

A flow bowl is a sunken concrete basin with smooth curved walls that riders carve around. It’s a lot of fun once a child can drop in, but not a place for a first go on a skateboard. Beginners should stick to the flat edges and the newer wooden section.

Mafra council’s 2023 regulation for its skate parks sets clear rules:

• Only skateboards, BMX freestyle bikes and inline skates may be used. Scooters aren’t on the list.
• A helmet, knee pads, shin guards, elbow pads, gloves and wrist guards are compulsory.
• Skate parks are sports grounds, not playgrounds, and aren’t recommended for children under 6 unless an adult is with them and supervising.
• Capacity is posted at each park, and hours are shown on a panel on site.

The Biblioteca/Centro Interpretativo focuses on the Lizandro and its source. The family activity site Estrelas & Ouriços lists it as open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, but that listing was last updated in 2023, so check with the council (261 810 100) before planning around it. It’s a quiet stop after the skate park, and a handy hook for a homeschool geography topic on rivers.

The park was designed as a transport interchange, so it has 158 parking spaces (four for people with reduced mobility), three coach spaces and six bus bays with shelters. That makes it easy to reach by car and possible by bus.

There’s a café-bar space in the park, which the council put out to a new concession in 2023, and Trucks and Fins mentions a bar and restaurant nearby. Opening varies, so bring snacks and water, especially in summer. The picnic area is the obvious place for lunch.

Mafra runs a youth skate competition, the Circuito de Skate de Mafra, with stages at its skate parks. In 2026 these included the skate park at the sports park in Mafra town (next to the Mafra outdoor pools) in July and the skate park in the village of Póvoa da Galega in September. For a sea-view concrete park with lessons from age 5, head to the Boardriders skatepark in Ericeira.

For a longer day, the Palácio Nacional de Mafra and the walled royal hunting forest of the Tapada Nacional de Mafra are in Mafra itself, and the Iberian Wolf Recovery Centre is at Gradil.

Is the Parque Ecológico in Venda do Pinheiro free?

Yes. It’s a public council park with free entry.

Can children ride scooters in the Venda do Pinheiro skate park?

Mafra council’s rules for its skate parks allow only skateboards, BMX freestyle bikes and inline skates, so scooters aren’t permitted.

Is there a playground?

Yes. The park has a children’s play area, a picnic area and lawns.

Do you need a helmet at the skate park?

Yes. Mafra council makes a helmet and pads compulsory in its skate parks.

Is there parking?

Yes: 158 spaces, including four for people with reduced mobility, plus bus bays.