Piscinas Municipais de Cantanhede

The Piscinas Municipais de Cantanhede are the council’s indoor pools, on Rua Luís de Camões in Cantanhede, a Bairrada town between Coimbra and the coast. It’s a bigger complex than most small-town pools. Alongside the swimming pools there’s a cardio and weights gym and a squash court, and the council’s swimming school teaches babies, adults, older people and swimmers with disabilities.

For families it has two useful things going for it. Public swimming (regime livre, swimming on your own without a teacher) runs for most of the opening hours every day, including Sunday mornings. And children under 6 swim free with a paying adult.

When the complex reopened after its summer break in September 2023, the council described three pools:

• A 25 m by 16.67 m pool
• A second 25 m by 12.5 m pool
• A learner pool (tanque de aprendizagem) of 12.5 m by 6 m

There’s seating for 370 spectators, which is why the pools also host official swimming competitions. The council also lists changing rooms, showers, toilets, a first-aid room and public social areas. It doesn’t publish the depths, so ask at reception which pool a small child can stand in. The learner pool is the one to aim for with toddlers.

The opening hours for 2026/27 are:

• Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 21:00
• Tuesday and Friday: 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 21:00
• Saturday: 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00
• Sunday: 9:00 to 13:00

The 2026/27 leaflet’s grid marks public swimming as available in nearly every hour the pool is open, including Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. Swims are charged by the hour. The council doesn’t publish how many lanes are free at each time, so on busy class evenings the water may be shared with lessons.

The pool is closed on public holidays and for the whole of August. For 2026/27 the council has also announced closures from 24 to 27 December, on 31 December and 1 January, on Carnival Tuesday (9 February 2027) and from 26 to 29 March 2027 for Easter. It warns that competitions and council events may close it on other days too.

From the 2026/27 fee table:

• Under 6: free with an adult who has paid
• Ages 4 to 17: €2.11 an hour, or €16.90 for ten hours
• Adults 18 to 59: €2.82 an hour, or €22.54 for ten hours
• User card: €6.40

The table lists the child rate from age 4, overlapping with the free under-6 entry. In practice under-6s go free when an adult pays. A parent with two children aged 7 and 9 would pay €7.04 for an hour.

The council’s swimming school (Escola Municipal de Natação) runs baby classes (natação para bebés) in two age groups on the 2026/27 timetable:

• 6 to 24 months: Wednesday afternoons from 17:15 to 19:30, Saturday mornings from 9:15 to 11:30, and a few Monday and Thursday slots at 17:15
• 24 to 48 months: Wednesday afternoons from 17:15 and Saturday mornings from 9:15

Baby classes cost €28.17 a month for one a week and €35.20 for two, plus an €8.45 yearly registration fee.

The fee table also prices swimming classes for ages 4 to 17: €21.13 a month for one class a week and €28.17 for two, or less (€17.59 and €21.13) for classes in the quieter “green hours” on weekday mornings. The 2026/27 timetable leaflet doesn’t list the children’s class times, so ask at reception which groups have places.

There are also water classes for pregnant women and adapted swimming classes (natação adaptada) for swimmers with disabilities.

To register you need ID (Cartão de Cidadão, birth certificate or passport), your tax number (NIF), a photo and a signed responsibility form. Anyone under 18 also needs a declaration from a parent. Every user gets a card, which costs €6.40.

The leaflet doesn’t list the pool’s swimwear or cap rules, so check the pool’s rules at reception and pack a swim cap in case.

Sunday opening is mornings only, and the pool closes for lunch every day, between 13:00 or 14:00 and 15:00. Squash courts and the gym are for older children and adults. The whole complex closes in August, so it’s not a summer-holiday option.

Cantanhede’s coast is at Praia da Tocha, a quiet beach village of restored wooden fishermen’s huts with boardwalks over the sand. In Mealhada, the Parque da Cidade has a play area, courts and giant stone sculptures. In Coimbra, the Piscinas Municipais Rui Abreu are another council pool, and Portugal dos Pequenitos is a miniature village of Portuguese houses and monuments.

How much is a swim at Cantanhede pool for children?

Under-6s are free with a paying adult. Ages 4 to 17 pay €2.11 an hour, or €16.90 for ten, on the 2026/27 fee table. You also need a €6.40 user card.

Is Cantanhede pool open on Sundays?

Yes, from 9:00 to 13:00, with public swimming available.

Is there a pool for small children?

Yes. There’s a 12.5-metre learner pool alongside the two 25-metre pools. The council doesn’t publish its depth, so ask at reception.

From what age are there baby swimming classes?

From 6 months, in classes for 6 to 24 months and 24 to 48 months on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Is it open in August?

No. The pools close for the whole of August.