Piscinas Municipais de Gondomar (São Cosme)

Gondomar, the borough just east of Porto along the Douro, runs seven indoor municipal pools: São Cosme (in the town of Gondomar itself), Baguim do Monte, Fânzeres, Medas, Rio Tinto, São Pedro da Cova and Valbom. They share one price list and one set of rules, and a child’s swim costs €1.40.

This page covers the São Cosme pool, the one in Gondomar town, on Rua Pevidal. If you live nearer one of the others, the same prices and lessons apply there; each has its own timetable on the council’s pools page.

The council’s regulations describe its pools as covered pools that can include children’s, sports, learner and leisure pools. The council doesn’t list which pools São Cosme has, so ask at reception whether there’s a learner pool shallow enough for your child.

The council gives these hours for São Cosme:

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 7:50 to 21:30
• Tuesday and Thursday: 7:50 to 22:00

The class timetable also shows lessons on Saturday mornings and afternoons, so the pool is open then too. No Sunday classes are listed. Hours between 1 August and 15 September, and any summer closure, are decided each year and posted at the pool.

All Gondomar council pools close on 1 January, 25 April, 1 May, 15 August and 25 December, and can close for competitions, festivals or maintenance. Lessons don’t run on public holidays.

Free swimming (utilização livre) means swimming on your own, without a class. You need a user card (registration €3.70) with credit on it, and each visit is timed from when you swipe in to when you swipe out: up to 1 hour 15 minutes, meaning 45 minutes in the water and 30 minutes for changing and showering. Each extra 15 minutes costs 55 cents.

2026 prices per visit:

• Children up to 12: €1.40
• Teenagers 13 to 17: €1.85
• Adults: €2.15

Load ten or more visits at once and you get 10% off. Free swimming uses the lanes and spaces set aside for it, and entry stops when those are full.

The regulations leave minimum ages for each activity to be posted at the pool, so check the sign at reception for the age at which a child can swim without an adult.

Gondomar’s swimming school groups children by age. At São Cosme the 2026 timetable has:

• Babies 6 to 36 months: Saturday classes of 30 minutes, late morning and one in the afternoon
• Children 3 to 5: 40-minute classes on weekday afternoons from 17:00 and on Saturday mornings and afternoons
• Children 6 to 12: 40-minute classes on weekday afternoons and evenings from 17:00, and on Saturdays
• Teenagers 13 to 17: early mornings from 8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, evenings, and Saturdays
• Pre-competition swimming for 4 to 12-year-olds: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 18:00 to 20:00

Monthly fees in 2026:

• Babies 6 to 36 months: €16.45 for one class a week
• Children 3 to 12: €10.10 for one class a week, €15.80 for two, €19.45 for three
• Teenagers 13 to 17: €11.30 for one class a week, €18.25 for two
• Registration: €13.85 for under-18s, renewal €9.05

A single class without enrolling costs €2.95 for under-13s. Families with four or more members in lessons or the gym get 20% off each person’s fee. Adapted swimming for children with disabilities is also offered, from €14.60 a month for under-13s.

From the council’s pool regulations:

• A parent can go into the changing room only with children aged 6 or under (or a child with a disability who needs help), then waits in the public area. In justified cases a parent may go to the poolside, wearing flip-flops.
• No food or drink in the changing and pool areas, and no animals.
• Personal things go in a locker; you collect the key at reception.

The regulations don’t mention swim caps, so ask at reception and pack one for everyone to be safe.

These are working community pools with lessons running most afternoons and evenings. For a relaxed family swim, ask at reception for the free-swim times with the most space.

The fee list also mentions an inflatable Aquatrack course for individual use and birthday parties. Ask at the pool whether it runs at São Cosme and when.

Across the Douro, the Parque Biológico de Gaia has walking trails and native animals. In Porto, the Planetário do Porto runs shows for children on rainy days.

How much is a swim at Gondomar’s pools?

In 2026, €1.40 for children up to 12, €1.85 for 13 to 17-year-olds and €2.15 for adults, plus a one-off €3.70 registration.

How long can you stay?

Up to 1 hour 15 minutes per visit, including 45 minutes in the water. Extra time costs 55 cents per 15 minutes.

From what age are swimming lessons?

From 6 months, with Saturday baby classes. Children’s classes start at age 3.

Are all Gondomar pools the same price?

Yes. All seven council pools use the same 2026 fee list.

Can I go into the changing room with my child?

Yes, if your child is 6 or under.