Piscina Municipal de Ar Livre de Abrantes

The Piscina Municipal de Ar Livre is the town’s outdoor summer pool, run by Abrantes council at the Cidade Desportiva, the municipal sports park where the town’s competition pools also stand. It opens in June and closes in early September. The regional newspaper Médio Tejo notes that swimming in Abrantes used to mean the old Hotel Turismo pools, and that local teenagers now come here instead.

For families the draw is simple. There’s water for every age, a big lawn with trees, and tickets that cost €2 or less for most children.

Médio Tejo’s regional pools guide describes the pool as a summer facility in three parts:

• Recreation pool (piscina de recreio): 0.90 m deep at the shallow end and 1.60 m at the deep end. Confident swimmers can use all of it, and school-age children who can’t swim yet will be out of their depth in much of it.
• Paddling pool (piscina infantil or chapinheiro): only 20 to 45 cm deep, so toddlers can sit and splash with a parent kneeling beside them.
• Splash area (zona de repuxos): water jets that children run through, which suits little ones who don’t want to get in a pool at all.

Around the pools there’s a lawn with trees, sunbeds, a café, changing rooms and a first-aid room, and the car park is free.

The pool opened on Sunday 14 June 2026, Abrantes’ municipal holiday, and closed on 6 September. During the season it opens:

• Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 to 19:30, without a lunchtime break
• Morning session: 9:00 to 14:00
• Afternoon session: 14:00 to 19:30
• Monday: closed for maintenance

The sessions matter because a half-day ticket costs less than a full day.

On the 2026 prices published when the pool opened:

Age	Full day	Half day
Under 6	Free	Free
6 to 12	€2.00	€1.33
13 to 17	€2.98	€2.32
18 and over	€3.94	€2.62

Two adults and two children aged 6 to 12 would pay €11.88 for a full day, or €7.90 for an afternoon.

You can pay at the pool or skip the queue by buying online. The council’s ticket site, piscinas-externas.cm-abrantes.pt, needs no registration. The Abrantes360 website and app sell tickets too, after a short registration.

The council’s announcement for 2026 says children under 10 must stay with a responsible adult the whole time they’re at the pool. The full rules are posted at the entrance, and the council asks everyone to follow them. The announcements don’t say whether swim caps are needed, so check the pool’s rules on arrival and bring caps just in case.

Weekend afternoons in July and August are the busiest time at any town pool, so arrive early if you want a spot under the trees. The paddling pool and the splash area make it one of the easier outdoor pools in the region for toddlers. The recreation pool starts at 0.90 m, though, so non-swimmers aged five to eight need an adult in the water or armbands. Médio Tejo’s guide lists shade, but on a July afternoon it’s still worth bringing a sunshade and hats.

The pool closes on Mondays and shuts for the year in early September. In other months, Abrantes’ indoor Complexo Municipal de Piscinas runs swimming lessons, and from September 2026 sign-ups could be made online through Abrantes360.

If you’d rather swim in a lake, the Aldeia do Mato river beach on the Castelo de Bode reservoir has a large floating pool about 15 km away. Downstream at Constância, the river beach where the Zêzere meets the Tagus and the tropical butterfly house make a good pairing. Train fans can carry on to the national railway museum in Entroncamento, and Tomar has its own municipal pools.

Is there a baby or toddler pool at the Abrantes outdoor pool?

Yes. The paddling pool is 20 to 45 cm deep, and there’s a separate splash area with water jets.

How much does it cost for children?

Under-6s are free. Children aged 6 to 12 paid €2.00 for a full day or €1.33 for a half day in 2026.

When is it open?

In 2026, from 14 June to 6 September, Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 19:30. It’s closed on Mondays.

Can children go without a parent?

Under-10s must be with a responsible adult at all times.

Can you buy tickets online?

Yes, through the council’s ticket site or the Abrantes360 website and app.