Piscinas da Física de Torres Vedras

In Torres Vedras, the indoor pools used for children’s swimming lessons belong to Física, the town’s long-established sports association (Associação de Educação Física e Desportiva de Torres Vedras). Física says it has more than 10,000 members and over 400 competing athletes, across sports from basketball and roller hockey to fencing and gymnastics. The council’s sports portal lists the pools (Piscinas da Física) as an indoor facility on Praceta Calouste Gulbenkian, in the parish of Santa Maria, São Pedro e Matacães.

Física mentions two pools: a sports pool (piscina desportiva), used for lessons, aqua-gym and training, and a physiotherapy pool used for gentler, therapeutic aqua classes. This is a club and teaching pool, so plan on signing up for lessons rather than turning up for a family splash.

Baby swimming (natação para bebés) is for babies from 12 to 48 months, and parents go in the water with them. Física describes the classes as building the basic skills of being comfortable in water through games and play, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. The group is called the Lapinhas.

On the published timetable, classes for 12 to 24 months ran on some weekday mornings, and classes for 24 to 48 months at 18:40 or 19:20 on some weekday evenings and late on Saturday mornings.

Física’s learn-to-swim classes follow children as they grow:

• Estrelas do Mar (Starfish), ages 4 to 6: the first steps in the water without a parent.
• Pinguins (Penguins), ages 7 to 11: learning to swim for school-age beginners.
• Oceanos, from 11 and for adults: starting to swim later, or keeping fit at your own level.
• Formação Técnica (technical training), ages 7 to 11 and over 11, in two groups: Golfinhos (Dolphins, elementary level) and Tubarões (Sharks, advanced level).

The timetable shows classes on weekdays at 17:20, 18:00, 18:40 and 19:20, so there is a slot after school on every weekday, and on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to about 12:40.

Children who show promise can move into a pre-competition group, which races in non-federation events, and then into Física’s competition squad, which swims in Portuguese Swimming Federation competitions.

Física’s free swimming (regime livre) is for swimmers over 14 who are good enough to join the technical-training levels and want to swim at times that suit them. There is no family free-swim session on Física’s pages, so younger children swim in classes.

If a parent wants to be in the water while a child has a lesson, Física also runs aqua-gym (hidroginástica) in the sports pool for adults and teenagers from 15, set to music, and a therapeutic aqua class in the physiotherapy pool.

Física publishes its classes and timetable online but not its prices or pool rules. Before your first lesson, ask reception:

• whether you need to become a Física member (the website advertises member discounts) and what registration and monthly fees are;
• what swimwear, cap and footwear rules apply;
• whether a parent can stay to watch lessons.

Torres Vedras’s Carnival in February is on our What’s on page. Pastelaria Havaneza is a local pastry shop for an after-swim treat. For a day out, Dino Parque Lourinhã is in the neighbouring municipality.

From what age can babies swim at Física?

From 12 months, with a parent in the water, up to 48 months.

When are children’s swimming lessons in Torres Vedras?

On Física’s timetable, on weekdays from 17:20 to about 20:00 and on Saturday mornings.

Can my child go for a free swim?

Free swimming is for over-14s who swim well enough for the technical-training classes.

How much does it cost?

Física doesn’t publish its fees online. Ask at reception.