Piscina Municipal de Palmela

The Piscina Municipal de Palmela opened in October 1993 on Praceta da Liberdade, in the Quinta da Cerca area of Palmela’s town centre. It was the first large covered sports building the council put up, and Palmela Desporto, the municipal sports company, still runs it alongside the bigger Piscina Municipal de Pinhal Novo.

It’s a compact pool: one 25-metre pool, no separate toddler pool and no café listed. What makes it worth knowing about for families is the Espaço Família (“family space”), a set of weekly sessions where part of the pool becomes a recreational area suited to children.

The pool is 25 metres by 12.5 metres, with five or six lanes. The regulations cap the number of swimmers at 156, and there’s a first-aid room, two main changing rooms and a 324-seat stand. Palmela Desporto says it’s suitable only for regional youth swimming competitions. Outside, there’s a small car park with 22 spaces.

Palmela Desporto’s 2026/27 timetable describes Espaço Família as a recreational water space suited to children. The sessions are:

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:45 to 12:00
• Tuesday and Thursday: 13:15 to 15:00
• Saturday: 16:00 to 18:15

The same age rules apply as for free swimming (below), so a parent stays with young children. A footnote on the timetable ties the Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning sessions to the school holidays, so check at the office before planning around them in term time. The Tuesday and Thursday early-afternoon slots suit home-educating families.

The 2026/27 free-swim hours are:

• Weekdays: 7:30 to 12:00, 12:30 to 16:30 and 20:15 to 21:00
• Saturday: 12:00 to 12:45 and 16:00 to 18:15
• Sunday: 10:30 to 11:15 only

Children under 12 must swim with an adult, and anyone under 18 needs a signed consent form from a parent. The timetable warns that times and the water available can change during the season.

Palmela and Pinhal Novo share one price list. For free swimming:

• Up to 6 years: free (the regulations say free swimming is only charged from age 7)
• 7 to 17 years: €2.34 with a user card, €3.51 without
• 18 and over: €3.51 with a card, €4.68 without
• User card €22.23, plus €10.53 compulsory annual insurance; renewal is free
• Buy 10 swims and you get one extra free

For lessons, Palmela residents pay €37.44 to register plus €10.53 insurance, then from €21.64 a month for one 45-minute class a week (ages 4 to 13), €33.70 for two or €38.61 for three. Baby classes are €33.70 a month for one weekend class. Families with three members enrolled get 25% off the cheapest monthly fee.

The Palmela pool’s activity list for 2026/27 includes:

• Water confidence for babies up to 2 and a separate class for 3-year-olds
• Water confidence for ages 4 to 6 and 7 to 13
• Learning (aprendizagem) for ages 5 to 13, then improvement (aperfeiçoamento) for 6 to 13
• Adapted swimming for children with disabilities, ages 4 to 13
• Pre-competition and competition squads
• The municipal Aprender a Nadar (“learn to swim”) programme for primary school classes in Palmela, and a programme for nurseries and playgroups from age 3

Palmela Desporto’s description of the baby sessions (6 to 36 months) is half an hour of playful tasks led by a technician, with a parent in the water throughout.

In the school holidays, the Férias Desportivas camps for ages 6 to 14 use this pool among other bases, with supervised drop-off from 8:30; the Pinhal Novo page has the details and prices.

For children up to 13 (minimum 8), an hour of games in part of the pool with a coach costs €46.80 for up to 16 children, plus €5.85 if you want the outdoor space. Parties at Palmela last one hour at most; the Pinhal Novo pool has longer packages with a party room.

From Annex I of Palmela Desporto’s regulations:

• A swim cap of latex, lycra or silicone is compulsory.
• Children up to 3 must wear a swim nappy.
• Flip-flops are compulsory in the changing rooms and around the pool.
• Shower and go through the footbath before stepping onto the pool deck.
• No creams or oils, and no swimsuits that run.
• Only water to drink on the pool deck and in the changing rooms.
• Children up to 7 may be accompanied in the changing room by one adult, and under-7s may use the opposite-sex changing room with that adult. For a child aged 7 to 10 who needs help changing, ask the pool director for permission.
• Lockers are for use during your session only.

The pool is in the town centre, below the Castelo de Palmela, so a swim pairs well with a walk up to the walls. In early September, the Festa das Vindimas grape-harvest festival fills the town.

Is there a toddler pool?

No. There’s one 25-metre pool. The Espaço Família sessions set part of it up for children; for a separate shallow pool, try Pinhal Novo.

Do babies need swim nappies?

Yes. The regulations make a swim nappy compulsory for children up to 3.

How much is it for a 5-year-old?

Free. Free swimming is charged only from age 7, though the child must be with a paying adult.

Is it open on Sunday?

Only briefly for free swimming, from 10:30 to 11:15 on the 2026/27 timetable.