Piscina Municipal de Ílhavo

Ílhavo is the town just south of Aveiro, and its council runs two indoor pools: this one in the town centre and a matching one at Gafanha da Nazaré. Both are open all year and both host the council’s own swimming school, the Escola Municipal de Atividades Aquáticas.

For families, the draw is price and simplicity. A child’s hour in the water costs €1.60, children up to 5 go in free with a paying adult, and weekday daytime swims are 20% cheaper. There are no slides or play features. It’s a place to swim, splash and learn.

The council gives the pool’s layout as two indoor pools:

• A 25 m by 16.6 m main pool (415 m²) for lane swimming, lessons and clubs.
• A 12.5 m by 8 m learner pool (100 m²), used for children’s lessons and water confidence.

The council hasn’t published the depths online, so ask at reception how deep the learner pool is before you bring a non-swimmer.

The Ílhavo pool also has a hydromassage pool. The price table lists it only at this pool, at €2.60 for 30 minutes. It’s aimed at adults, so check at reception whether children can use it.

The pool is open:

• Monday to Friday: 8:30 to 21:30
• Saturday: 9:30 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00

Swimmers have to be out of the water 30 minutes before closing. The council’s page says public swimming (regime livre) is by appointment, so phone 234 329 607 to book a slot before you go.

From the council’s price table:

Public swim (one hour)	Ages 6 to 16 and 65+	Ages 17 to 64
Single entry	€1.60	€2.10
10 entries	€13	€19
20 entries	€24.50	€37.50
Unlimited monthly pass (9:30 to 16:30)	€15	€20

Children up to 5, inclusive, swim free if an adult with a paid entry comes with them.

The “blue timetable” (horário azul) takes 20% off entries and monthly fees on weekdays from 9:30 to 16:30 and on Saturdays from 15:00 to 18:00. For a home-educating family that swims in the middle of the day, a single child’s swim comes to about €1.28.

Everyone pays a registration fee of €10, which includes insurance and lasts one sports season. Renewing for the next season costs €6. Replacement user or companion cards cost €4, and losing a locker key costs €5. The pool sells swim caps (€2) and padlocks (€5).

The Escola Municipal de Atividades Aquáticas runs lessons at both indoor pools. For 2026/27, classes for babies and for children at levels 0 to 3 started on 15 September 2026.

• Babies (6 to 36 months), water confidence: €19 a month for one class a week, €25.50 for two.
• Children up to 16: €11.50 a month for one class a week, €17.50 for two, €24 for three.
• HidroKids (ages 12 to 16), a water fitness class for teenagers: €15 a month once a week, €20 twice.
• Intensive courses of ten 60-minute lessons: €30 for under-16s.
• Family package: €66 a month covers two to four people from the same family in classes, up to four classes a week each; five to eight people pay €88.

New pupils must take a short placement test so the school can put them in the right class. Children aged 6 to 16 who have never had lessons skip the test and join a level 1 class for their age group. Enrolment runs in phases: first Ílhavo residents, then people who work in the municipality, then everyone else, through an online form on the school’s page. For 2026/27 the open phase ran from 21 to 23 September 2026, so later enrolment depends on places left. Ask the pool about spaces mid-season.

The council’s price table also offers half-price monthly fees if you start after the 15th of the month, and a discount for holders of the council’s family card (Cartão Família).

The council hadn’t published the pool regulations online when checked. The price table shows that swim caps and padlocks for the lockers are sold at the pool, and under-6s only swim free when an adult with a paid entry comes with them. Check the pool’s rules on arrival for anything else, such as swim nappies for babies.

The Piscina Municipal da Gafanha da Nazaré, next to the Gafanha sports complex, has the same layout (25 m pool and 12.5 m learner pool), the same prices and the same hours. Book public swims there on 234 363 080.

The Piscina Municipal de Vale de Ílhavo is a small outdoor pool for summer recreation, with a 16.6 m by 10 m pool and a 12.6 m by 6.6 m pool. It opens seasonally; phone 234 324 819 for dates.

The Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo, with its aquarium of cod and a real fishing trawler, is in the same town. The Farol da Barra, Portugal’s tallest lighthouse, is on the coast nearby, and in Aveiro you can visit the salt pans.

How much is a swim at Ílhavo’s municipal pool?

A one-hour swim costs €1.60 for ages 6 to 16 and €2.10 for adults, 20% less on weekdays between 9:30 and 16:30. Children up to 5 are free with a paying adult. First-time users pay €10 to register.

Do I need to book?

Yes. The council says public swimming is by appointment. Phone 234 329 607 for Ílhavo or 234 363 080 for Gafanha da Nazaré.

Do children need a swim cap?

The pool sells caps for €2. Bring one, and check the rules at reception for anything else required.

From what age are baby swimming classes?

From 6 months. Baby water confidence classes run for ages 6 to 36 months; ask the school whether a parent goes in the water too.

Is there an outdoor pool in Ílhavo?

Yes, the small seasonal pool at Vale de Ílhavo, which opens in summer.