Piscinas de água salgada aquecida (Claridade and Buarcos)

The Atlantic off Figueira da Foz is cold, even in August. Since 2023 the council has set up two open-air pools right on the sand, filled with seawater and heated to 29°C, so that small children can splash in warm, shallow, calm water with the beach all around them.

One pool is on Praia da Claridade, the town beach, opposite the Vila Galé Collection hotel; when it opened in 2023, the council described the spot as in front of the Grande Hotel. The other is on Praia de Buarcos, the beach at the northern end of the bay, between the boardwalk and Avenida do Brasil. The Buarcos pool opened first, on 3 August 2023, and the Claridade pool followed on 11 August 2023. When it opened the first one, the council said the idea was to give children and older people somewhere to enjoy the sea “in a safe and controlled environment”.

The council gave the Buarcos pool’s size as 28 by 20 metres, with a maximum depth of one metre. The Claridade pool was built to the same design. That’s big enough for a proper swim for a child. Toddlers still need an adult holding them or in the water beside them.

The water is seawater, and the council’s 2026 page gives its temperature as 29°C, about the same as a warm indoor learner pool. According to Lisboa Secreta, the heat comes from solar panels and a heat pump. Lifeguards are on duty the whole time the pool is open.

In 2026 both pools opened every day from 10:00 to 19:30, closing for lunch from 13:00 to 14:30. They’re a summer attraction only: the 2026 season ended on 20 September. Opening dates change each year, so check the council’s website in June.

Entry is free and by order of arrival. Each pool holds 50 people at a time, and the 2026 rules guarantee everyone at least 30 minutes in the water. On hot days in July and August that means queues, especially for the Claridade pool, which Lisboa Secreta described as crowded at peak season. Arriving at 10:00 or straight after the lunch break at 14:30 is the simplest way to get in quickly. Groups can arrange special bookings by email with the council.

How the arrangements have changed

The rules have shifted a little each summer, so it’s worth reading the council’s page for the current year. In 2023 each pool held 70 people, opened from 9:30 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 19:30, and limited each visit to 30 minutes. By 2026 capacity was down to 50, the pools opened at 10:00, and the council described 30 minutes as the minimum stay it guaranteed. The lunch closure from 13:00 to 14:30 has stayed the same.

From the council’s 2026 page:

• No pool inflatables, except armbands and baby floats.
• No balls, bats or other games.
• No jumping or diving in.
• No eating, drinking or smoking.

The council’s pages don’t mention swim caps or swim nappies. Check the pool’s rules with the lifeguards before you go in.

There are no changing rooms, lockers or café listed on the council’s pages, since the pools sit on the open beach. Come in swimwear, bring towels, water and sun protection, and keep valuables to a minimum. There’s no shade on the sand unless you bring it.

The time limit and queue mean this is best as part of a beach day, with a warm swim in the middle, rather than a whole day at the pool.

From Buarcos the coast road climbs to Cabo Mondego, where the cliffs hold dinosaur footprints. Coimbra, with Portugal dos Pequenitos and its science museums, is inland along the Mondego.

Is the Figueira da Foz heated pool free?

Yes. Entry to both pools was free in 2026, first come first served.

How deep is it?

No deeper than one metre, according to the council.

How warm is the water?

The council gives it as 29°C.

Can toddlers use it?

Yes, with an adult. Armbands and baby floats are allowed, but bigger inflatables aren’t.

How long can we stay?

In 2026 the council guaranteed at least 30 minutes per visit. In 2023 the rule was a maximum of 30 minutes, so check the current rule when you arrive.

When does it open?

Only in summer. In 2026 it ran daily from 10:00 to 19:30 with a lunch closure, until 20 September.