Piscinas Municipais de Vila Nova de Famalicão

The Piscinas Municipais de Vila Nova de Famalicão sit in the Complexo Desportivo Municipal on Avenida de França, in the Calendário area near the town’s schools and other sports grounds. The council runs four pools here:

• A 50-metre outdoor pool (piscina descoberta), 21 to 25 metres wide depending on which council page you read.
• A small outdoor children’s pool, 12 by 6 metres.
• A 25-metre indoor pool.
• An indoor learner pool (tanque de aprendizagem), 12 by 6 metres.

The 50-metre pool is used for regional and national championships. For families that means lots of water and room to spread out on a hot afternoon. The small outdoor pool next to it gives toddlers somewhere of their own.

The complex has spectator stands, changing rooms with an accessible cubicle, a multipurpose room, a bar and café, and a car park.

The outdoor pools open from the start of June to 15 September. According to the council’s sports portal:

• June, July and the first half of September: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, weekends and public holidays 10:00 to 19:00
• August: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 19:00
• Every Monday: closed for maintenance

They also close for swimming championships. In July 2026 the outdoor pools shut from 6 to 12 July for a regional championship and the national summer masters. So check the portal before a July visit.

The outdoor pools take up to 700 people. On a hot Sunday in August that’s reachable, so arriving at 10:00 is the safe plan.

Outdoor prices

Prices on the portal when checked in September 2026:

• Up to age 12: €2
• From 13: €2.85
• Over 65: €2.14
• Family ticket (bilhete família), for three or more close relatives: €2.28 each
• Large families (three or more dependent children), Cartão Jovem Municipal and Cartão Sénior Feliz holders: €2

Two adults and two children would pay €9.70 at full price, or €9.12 on the family ticket.

On International Youth Day, 12 August 2026, entry was free for anyone aged 12 to 35.

The indoor pools open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 23:00, Saturday 8:00 to 20:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 13:00. Public swimming, called regime livre, runs in 55-minute periods.

In the big indoor pool there are two lanes for public swimming on weekday mornings (from 8:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10:00 on Monday and Thursday, until 14:00), and five lanes late in the evening from 22:10. At weekends, five lanes are open on Saturday from 16:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday from 9:00 to 13:00.

The learner pool, which suits small children, opens for public swimming on weeknights from 22:10, on Saturday from 16:00 to 20:00 and on Sunday from 9:00 to 13:00. For families, the weekend slots are the ones that work. For home-educating families, the two morning lanes on weekdays suit children who can already swim lengths.

Each lane takes at most seven people.

Indoor prices

From the regime livre price sheet, per 55-minute or 30-minute session:

• Up to age 12: €2.24 (€1.09 for 30 minutes)
• Over 12: €3.20 (€1.55)
• Family ticket, three or more close relatives: €2.56 each (€1.24)
• Large families: €2.24 (€1.09)
• Books of 10: €22.40 for children and €28.80 for adults

The sheet also lists an “Aquafesta” at €3.20. It doesn’t explain what that is, so ask at reception.

Both the outdoor and indoor price lists say children under 10 can only use the pools with an adult. The council’s pages don’t publish the rest of the rules, but most Portuguese public pools require a swim cap for everyone and a shower before swimming, so pack a cap for each person.

The council runs municipal swimming schools (Escolas Municipais de Natação) in its pools around the borough. The schools at Joane, Ribeirão and Oliveira São Mateus were awarded the Portuguese Swimming Federation’s gold quality level (Nível 3) in 2023/24. Enrolment and class times are handled by each pool, so phone the one nearest you.

In July 2026 the council opened renovated outdoor pools in the Parque de Lazer António Sampaio Nogueira in Bairro, the first council outdoor pools outside the town itself. They open from July to September for up to 200 people, at the same prices as the town pools. As in town, under-10s need an adult with them.

The outdoor complex is a sports venue first. There are no slides, and the 50-metre pool is used for training and competitions, which is why it closes for some July dates. Shade depends on what you bring. Monday closures catch visitors out, so plan a different outing that day.

Famalicão has plenty for a rainy day or a morning before the pool opens. The Museu do Automóvel has about a hundred classic cars, mopeds and bicycles, the indoor karting track suits older children, and the INAC circus school runs circus classes. For slides and splash features, the Scorpio pools in Guimarães are about 25 minutes away.

How much is the outdoor pool in Famalicão?

When checked in September 2026, €2 up to age 12 and €2.85 from 13, with a family ticket at €2.28 each for three or more relatives.

Is there a baby pool?

There’s a small outdoor children’s pool, 12 by 6 metres, next to the 50-metre pool, and an indoor learner pool of the same size.

Is the outdoor pool open on Mondays?

No. It closes every Monday for maintenance, and also for some championship days in July.

Can my child go without an adult?

From age 10. Under-10s must be with an adult.

When can we swim indoors as a family?

The learner pool and five lanes of the big pool are open for public swimming on Saturday from 16:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 9:00 to 13:00.