Piscinas Municipais de Tomar

Tomar, the Templar town on the River Nabão, has two municipal pools run by the council’s sports department. The Complexo Desportivo Municipal de Tomar is the indoor one, open from September to July. The Piscina Municipal Vasco Jacob is an outdoor pool in the green sports area near the stadium and the Mouchão park, open only in summer. Between them, families can swim in Tomar for most of the year, for less than €3 a visit.

The Complexo Desportivo opened in March 2003, after an investment of more than five million euros, in a building designed by the architect Sousa Mendes. The council says it gets about 9,000 visits a month across all its services. On the ground floor are three indoor pools:

• Tank 1, the competition pool: 25 m by 21 m and 2 m deep, with 10 lanes. At least one lane is always kept for public swimming.
• Tank 2, the learner pool (tanque de aprendizagem): 16 m by 10 m and 0.9 to 1.3 m deep.
• Tank 3, the splash pool (chapinheiro): 16 m by 8 m and only 0.4 to 0.6 m deep.

That third pool is the reason to choose Tomar with small children. At 40 to 60 cm, a toddler can sit or stand in it and splash. Many council pools only have a learner pool around a metre deep, where a two-year-old can’t touch the bottom.

When the learner and splash pools are open for public swimming depends on the class timetable. The council says to check its leaflet for times, and the leaflet was being updated when checked, so phone reception (249 310 320) before you go if you want the shallow pools.

Upstairs there are spectator stands for 600 people and a bar-restaurant. Downstairs there’s a small gym, squash and tennis courts, and a spa with a Turkish bath and sauna.

From September to June the complex opens:

• Monday: 12:00 to 22:00
• Tuesday to Friday: 8:15 to 22:00
• Saturday: 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 17:30
• Sundays and public holidays: closed

In July it opens on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 16:00 to 22:00, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:15 to 22:00 and Saturday mornings. In August the pools close; only the tennis, squash and spa stay open. The complex is also closed on 24 and 31 December.

A public swim (regime livre) lets you use the pool for up to three hours. On the council’s price table:

• Children up to 5: free, when with an adult who has paid
• Ages 6 to 17 and over-60s: €2.65
• Ages 18 to 59: €2.85
• Packs of 10 swims: 25% off

The regulations say public swimmers must register first, filling in a form (signed by a parent for under-18s). Registration costs €8.65 the first year, including a user card, and €4.10 to renew. If you’re only visiting, a one-month registration with insurance costs €1.05. Cartão Jovem (youth card) holders get 25% off.

From the council’s sports facility regulations:

• Swim caps and flip-flops are compulsory. Swimwear means a swimsuit or proper swimming shorts.
• Shower before you go in.
• No outdoor shoes on the poolside.
• No running or diving about carelessly.
• Food only in the areas set aside for it, and no animals except guide dogs.

The swimming school is run by the council with the Sociedade Filarmónica Gualdim Pais (SFGP), a local association. The 2026/27 year runs from 1 September 2026 to 17 July 2027, with breaks at Christmas, New Year, Carnival (9 February 2027) and Easter, and no classes on Sundays or public holidays.

• Baby swimming (natação para bebés) from 9 months to 3 years.
• Children’s swimming from 4 years.
• Hidrocinésio, a therapeutic water class; the council also mentions hydrotherapy with a physiotherapist.

Classes last 45 minutes and run on weekdays from 17:00 to 20:15 and on Saturdays from 9:50 to 12:15. New pupils do a short practical check so they’re placed at the right level.

Monthly fees for 2026/27:

• Children: €26.50 for one weekday class, €28.50 for one Saturday class, €34 for two a week, €41 for three
• Babies: €28.50 for one weekday class, €30.50 on Saturdays, €36 for two a week

At enrolment you pay half of July’s fee in advance. Families with two or more children get 10% off the cheaper fee, and a parent who takes an adult class at the same time as their child gets 50% off their own fee. Teachers keep five minutes between classes to talk to parents, and the school works with families to include children with special educational needs. You can enrol at the Complexo Desportivo, at the Pavilhão Municipal or at the SFGP.

The Vasco Jacob pool sits in the sports area by the Estádio Municipal, surrounded by green space and close to the Mouchão park and its water wheel, one of Tomar’s symbols. There are two outdoor pools: one for children and one for adults. Inside the fence there’s a lawn to sit on, and outside it a picnic area with tables and chairs in the shade.

In 2026 it opened from 13 June to 13 September, every day from 10:00 to 19:00, with everyone out of the water by 18:30. Some swimming clubs use it for classes in the mornings. The regulations set its maximum capacity at 456 people at once.

Prices (unchanged from previous years, according to local news in June 2026):

• Under-6s: free
• Ages 6 to 17 and over-60s: €2.50, or €1.85 after 15:30; 10 entries €18.75
• Ages 18 to 59: €3.50, or €2.60 after 15:30; 10 entries €26.25
• Two loungers and a parasol: €4

Each July the council gives every school pupil in the municipality a voucher for a free entry.

Rules at Vasco Jacob (from the regulations):

• Armbands and rubber rings are allowed in the children’s pool. In the adult pool, only children with an adult can use them, and only in the marked area up to 1.30 m deep.
• You can’t bring your own loungers, chairs or parasols.
• No ball games.
• Full meals only at the picnic tables; inside the fence, light snacks such as sandwiches and fruit only.
• Shower before swimming, and wear a swimsuit or bikini.
• The diving boards (pranchas) open for 15 minutes each hour when conditions are safe.

• The indoor pools close in August and the outdoor pool closes in mid-September, so the second half of September can have gaps; check dates each year.
• Public swimming in the indoor pools shares space with clubs and classes, especially on weekday evenings. Children’s classes run from 17:00, so a Tuesday to Friday morning visit avoids them, which suits home-educating families.
• The outdoor pool gets about 19,000 visits a season according to the council, so hot weekends are busy.
• The Complexo Desportivo is in the Estrada do Barreiro area, where the council also runs a children’s playground (Os Nabantitos) and a fitness park.

The Mouchão park and its water wheel are a short walk from the Vasco Jacob pool, and there are children’s playgrounds in the same sports area. Skaters and BMX riders can head to the Skate Park de Tomar, opened in 2024 beside the railway and bus stations. Out of town, the Pegões aqueduct is a short drive away. On a rainy day, pair a swim with the national railway museum in Entroncamento, or the tropical butterfly house in Constância.

Is there a toddler pool in Tomar?

Yes. The indoor complex has a splash pool (chapinheiro) 40 to 60 cm deep, and the outdoor Vasco Jacob pool has a separate children’s pool. Check the indoor public-swim times for the splash pool with reception.

How much is a swim at Tomar’s municipal pool?

Indoors, €2.65 for ages 6 to 17 and €2.85 for adults for up to three hours, plus a small registration fee. Outdoors at Vasco Jacob, €2.50 for children and €3.50 for adults. Under-6s are free at both.

Do children need a swim cap?

In the indoor pools, yes: swim caps and flip-flops are compulsory for everyone. The regulations for the outdoor pool don’t list a swim cap, but they do require swimwear and a shower first.

Can my child use armbands?

At Vasco Jacob, yes in the children’s pool, and in the adult pool only in the marked shallow area with an adult. For the indoor pools, ask at reception.

When is the outdoor pool open?

Only in summer. In 2026 it opened from 13 June to 13 September, daily from 10:00 to 19:00.