Parque Urbano do Vale de Chelas

The Parque Urbano do Vale de Chelas is a 13-hectare park that runs along Avenida Santo Condestável, across the parishes of Marvila and Areeiro in east Lisbon. For decades people farmed this valley informally. The park kept that tradition and gave it proper plots: about 3.3 hectares are now a horticultural park (parque hortícola) with 224 allotments, sheds and irrigation water.

Around the allotments are lawns, paths, a children’s playground and, the reason many families come, one of the biggest skateparks in the city. Time Out included it in its October 2025 round-up of the best places to skate in and around Lisbon. The park has public toilets and a food kiosk, and a footbridge for walkers and cyclists links it to the Parque Urbano do Vale Fundão next door.

The skatepark covers about 2,000 m². It was built with competitions in mind: the Descola listing says it was designed to host national and international events, and when it opened in 2013 it was chosen to host the October final of that year’s DC Skate Challenge, where national champions were crowned in the beginner, amateur and pro categories. Surge Skateboard reported that it cost €120,000 and was paid for under the city’s agreement with the Rock in Rio festival, which used to be held at the nearby Parque da Bela Vista.

What you’ll find:

• Street plazas and bowls, plus a zone set up for competitions, according to Surge Skateboard.
• Ramps for beginners and rails for more advanced skaters, Time Out says.
• Varied obstacles and long continuous lines, NiT says, with a technical feel aimed at experienced riders.

It’s open to skateboards, BMX bikes and inline skates. In NiT’s April 2026 reader poll of Lisbon’s best skateparks it came third, behind Campolide and the joint runners-up, Expo and Monsanto.

• Toddlers: the playground and the open lawns. The skatepark is no place for them unless they’re watching.
• Little kids (4 to 7): the playground, plus the easier ramps if they’re learning to skate and it’s quiet.
• Big kids (8 to 12): the beginner ramps, then the bowls as confidence grows.
• Teens: the full park, including the technical lines NiT describes.

The allotments give children of any age something to look at on the walk through: what’s growing changes with the season.

• Helmets and pads are a good idea for anyone riding, and wrist guards help beginners.
• Big competition parks draw fast, experienced riders. Keep small children at the edge and teach them to look before crossing a line.
• The park is open 24 hours, but none of our sources describe the lighting, so plan skate sessions for daylight.
• Our sources don’t list the playground’s equipment or say whether it’s fenced, so check before you promise a toddler a big climbing frame.
• There are public toilets and a kiosk, which is more than most Lisbon skateparks can offer.

The Quinta Pedagógica dos Olivais, a city farm with cows, donkeys and pigs, is a short drive north-east. Further along towards the river, Parque das Nações has the Expo pump track, the Pavilhão do Conhecimento science centre and the Oceanário. For a covered skatepark on a wet day, try Campolide.

Is the Vale de Chelas skatepark free?

Yes. The whole park is public and free, and the Descola listing says it’s open 24 hours.

Can BMX bikes use the Chelas skatepark?

Yes. It was built for skateboarding, BMX and inline skating.

Is there a playground at Parque Urbano do Vale de Chelas?

Yes. The park has children’s play equipment as well as the skatepark. Our sources don’t describe it in detail.

Are there toilets?

Yes, the park has public toilets and a food kiosk.

How do you get there by metro?

Surge Skateboard reported that the skatepark is reachable from Bela Vista station on the red line. Check the walking route on a map before you set off, as the park is long.