Piscinas Municipais de Gouveia

Gouveia is a small town on the western slopes of the Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s highest mountain range. The council runs two pools here. The indoor pools (piscinas cobertas), opened in 2002, are used from September to June. The outdoor pools (piscinas descobertas), which date from the 1980s, open in summer, when the indoor pools close for cleaning.

Neither has slides or play features. The reasons to go with children are warm water in winter, a proper toddler splash pool in summer, and low prices.

The indoor building has two pools:

• The 25 m pool: 25 m by 12 m, 1.80 m deep rising to 2.60 m at the deepest point. It’s used for lane swimming, clubs and official competitions.
• The learner pool (tanque recreativo or de aprendizagem): 12 m by 8 m, 0.85 to 1.40 m deep.

The council publishes its water temperatures, which few pools do. The 25 m pool is kept at 27 °C, the learner pool at 30 to 31 °C, and the air in the pool hall at 32 °C. That matters for babies and small children, who get cold quickly in a standard 27 °C pool.

The changing rooms include accessible changing for people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and mixed changing rooms for parents with young children of the opposite sex, so a dad can take his daughter in without problems. There are stands for about 320 spectators. The local charity ABPG runs the town’s only competitive swimming club here.

Opening: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 21:00. The indoor pools usually close in July and August, and activities move to the outdoor pools.

The council publishes a weekly map of how each pool is used in 2026/27. The learner pool is busy with:

• Preschool swimming (natação pré-escolar) on Thursday mornings.
• Water-confidence classes for children (AMA T1 and T2) on weekday late afternoons, mostly from 16:00 to 18:10.
• Learning-to-swim groups (Aprend. T1 and T2) in the early evening.
• Swimming for primary school classes (natação 1.º ciclo) on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
• Plenty of water aerobics and senior water classes in the mornings.

The map shows the learner pool free of classes from 11:15 to 12:40 on weekdays and from 15:30 to 16:10 most afternoons. The council’s page mentions free swimming (banhos livres) among the activities, but doesn’t list public-swim times or indoor prices, so ring the pool (238 492 626) before going to check when you can swim and what it costs.

The outdoor pools have:

• A 25 m pool: 25 m by 12 m, 1.20 to 2.60 m deep.
• A children’s splash pool (chapinheiro): 10 m by 3 m and 0.5 m deep.

Around them is a lawn for sunbathing, a tennis practice wall and a multi-sports court. Loungers cost €1.40 for the morning and €1.60 for the afternoon.

2026 season: 29 June to 6 September, every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00. The pool closes over lunch, so plan a picnic or a trip into town between sessions.

Prices for 2026:

Age	Morning (10:00 to 13:00)	Afternoon (15:00 to 19:00)	Full day
0 to 5	Free	Free	Free
6 to 13, Monday to Saturday	€0.47	€0.63	€1.10
14 and over, Monday to Saturday	€0.92	€1.23	€2.15
6 to 13, Sundays and holidays	€0.60	€0.80	€1.40
14 and over, Sundays and holidays	€1.22	€1.63	€2.85

A family of two adults and two primary-age children pays about €6.50 for a full weekday. The council asks you to buy tickets online if you can, through its ticket office with a Multibanco payment reference, or at reception.

When the outdoor pools open, the council runs a summer activity programme called Mexe-te com o Verão (“Get moving this summer”). In 2026 it ran from 29 June to 4 September, with children’s swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00. There are also adult swimming classes and water aerobics. You can sign up at any point during the programme by phone or email to the pool.

From the council’s rules for the outdoor pools (the 2024 edition is the one linked):

• Under-10s swimming during public sessions must be with a parent or another responsible adult, or carry written permission from a parent.
• Swimwear and flip-flops are compulsory for everyone, whatever their age.
• Shower before going in the water.
• No food or drink containers near the pools, and no alcohol anywhere.
• No games, running about or acrobatic jumps into the water.
• Don’t bring anything to the poolside that isn’t for swimming or washing.
• No pets, except guide dogs.
• A lifeguard (nadador-salvador) is on duty, and swimmers are called out of the water ten minutes before closing.
• Maximum capacity is 206 people at once.

The rules don’t mention swim caps for the outdoor pool. For the indoor pools, ask when you ring.

• The outdoor season is short: roughly the end of June to the first week of September.
• There’s no lunchtime session outdoors (13:00 to 15:00).
• The indoor pools don’t open at weekends.

Gouveia is a base for the Serra da Estrela. In town, CERVAS, the Serra da Estrela’s wild animal hospital, shows families its work at Casa da Torre. A short drive south in Seia, the Museu do Pão is about bread from field to table, and the Museu Natural da Eletricidade is inside an old hydroelectric power station.

Is the pool in Gouveia heated?

The indoor pools are. The council keeps the learner pool at 30 to 31 °C and the 25 m pool at 27 °C. The outdoor pools open only in summer.

Is there a pool for toddlers?

In summer, yes: the outdoor pools have a 50 cm splash pool. Indoors, the learner pool starts at 85 cm, which is warm but too deep for a toddler to stand.

How much does it cost?

Outdoors in summer 2026, a full weekday cost €1.10 for ages 6 to 13 and €2.15 from 14; under-6s were free. For indoor prices, ask the pool.

Do children need to be with an adult?

At the outdoor pools, under-10s need an adult with them or a written note from a parent.

When are the outdoor pools open?

In 2026, from 29 June to 6 September, daily from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:00.