Parque Infantil do Parque Municipal de Seia

Seia is a small town at the foot of the Serra da Estrela, and its Parque Municipal (town park) is right in the centre. The playground there is one of the newer parts of the Porta da Estrela (“Gateway to the Star”) project, the council’s biggest-ever regeneration of the town centre. The council says the project covers Avenida 1º de Maio, the fairground area and the Parque Municipal, with an investment of more than €4 million co-funded by the EU’s Centro 2020 programme.

Construction of the new playground was under way in the Parque Municipal in July 2023, according to the local paper Seia Digital. The family guide site Portugal With Kids now lists it as a finished, inclusive playground, and it’s free and open to all.

Portugal With Kids describes the equipment in detail:

• tall towers that look like castles
• spiral slides
• several kinds of swing
• secret tunnels
• a zip line (in Portuguese, a “slide”, which confuses English speakers)
• climbing areas
• play panels and games, including a hopscotch grid (jogo da macaca)
• accessible ramps

Climbers can go up the towers and come down the slides, hiders have the tunnels, and the zip line gives bigger children a bit of speed. Portugal With Kids says it was designed for children of different ages and needs. The council hasn’t published age zones, so keep a close eye on toddlers around the taller towers.

The main reason to travel to this one is its inclusive design. According to Portugal With Kids, the park was planned so children with reduced mobility can take part on equal terms, playing alongside their friends, with accessible equipment and ramps up to the play structures. For families with a wheelchair user, that makes it a useful stop on a Serra da Estrela trip.

The council hasn’t published the surface type, fencing or accessible toilet details, so if these matter for your child, check before a long drive.

Next to the playground there’s a basketball court and a small bike track, according to Portugal With Kids, which gives older siblings something to do. The park around it is green and calm, with trees for shade and picnic tables, so it’s a good lunch stop.

The Porta da Estrela works also added a walking, cycling and accessible route from the park to the CISE, the Serra da Estrela interpretation centre, and an underpass to the fairground. In the fairground area, the council’s works page says a set of accessible platforms was being built for an intergenerational fitness park and a skate park. We couldn’t confirm that the skate park has opened, so ask locally if you’re bringing a skateboard.

In the centre, next to the town hall on Avenida 1º de Maio, there’s another playground that Portugal With Kids describes as built for children aged 3 to 12 and designed a bit like a parkour course, with structures to climb, clamber over, slide down and jump from. It’s a quick stop if you’re walking through town.

• Seia is on the western slope of the Serra da Estrela and gets cold and wet in winter. The playground is outdoors, so pick a dry day.
• The council hasn’t published opening hours; it’s a public park.
• Bring your own snacks and water, as no café is mentioned at the playground.

Seia has two good museums for children. The Museu do Pão is all about bread, from grain to oven, and the Museu Natural da Electricidade is in an old hydroelectric power station on the river Alva. Nearby Gouveia is home to CERVAS, the Serra da Estrela’s wild animal hospital. For winter snow days, see What’s on.

Is the Seia playground free?

Yes. It’s in the public town park, with no entry charge.

Is the playground accessible for wheelchair users?

Portugal With Kids describes it as an inclusive playground with accessible equipment and ramps, designed so children with reduced mobility can play alongside others.

Is there a zip line?

Yes. Portugal With Kids lists a zip line among the equipment.

Is there a skate park in Seia?

The council’s Porta da Estrela works page says a skate park was being built in the fairground area next to the Parque Municipal. We couldn’t confirm it has opened, so check locally.