Piscinas Recreativas Municipais de Montemor-o-Novo

Montemor-o-Novo is a castle town in the Évora district, on the main road between Lisbon and Évora. Its council-run outdoor pools, the Piscinas Recreativas Municipais, opened on 7 July 2001 and still run every summer. They make an easy stop for families driving across the Alentejo in the heat, or a regular summer haunt if you live nearby.

The complex has three pools, and the council gives their sizes.

• The children’s pool (piscina infantil) has 140 square metres of water, for toddlers and young children.
• The main pool is large and irregular, 1,184 square metres in total, part of it for play and part a 25 by 21 metre sports area with eight lanes. Children who can swim spend most of their time here.
• The diving tank (piscina de saltos) is separate, with 221 square metres of water.

The council does not publish depths or say what boards the diving tank has, so check with the lifeguards before a child jumps.

For 2026 the council planned to open on 23 June and close on 5 September. In 2025 the season ran from 24 June to 13 September, so the dates shift a little each year.

Public opening hours are 11:00 to 19:30 from Tuesday to Friday, and 10:00 to 19:30 on Saturdays and public holidays. In September the pools close at 19:00. The council lists no public hours for Sundays and Mondays, so plan on those days being closed and call ahead if you need to be sure.

There is no advance booking and there are no group prices. You just turn up.

Montemor’s prices vary more than most council pools, so it pays to read the table. For visitors in 2026:

• Under 4: free (the 2025 table lists children up to 3 as free).
• Ages 4 to 9: €3.30 on weekdays, €5.45 on Saturdays and holidays.
• Ages 10 to 17: €4.57 on weekdays, €9.85 on Saturdays and holidays. With a Cartão Jovem (youth card): €3.40 and €7.40.
• Adults 18 to 64: €6.40 on weekdays, €13 on Saturdays and holidays.
• Family ticket (a couple and two children under 18): €12.75 on weekdays, €26 on Saturdays and holidays.
• After 17:00 on weekdays, everyone pays a single €1.80.
• An adult who comes only to watch a child under 6, and doesn’t swim, pays €1.80.

People with disabilities get 50% off the normal price. There are also 5- and 10-entry cards.

The cheapest plan for a visiting family is a weekday after 17:00, when two adults and two children pay €7.20 and still get two and a half hours of swimming. A Saturday visit can cost more than three times as much.

People born in or living in the municipality can get a Mor-Lazer user card, issued at the pools. You need an ID card or residence permit, a signed application form and proof of address. With it, prices drop by up to 64% on weekdays and up to 76% on Saturdays and holidays: a child aged 4 to 9 pays €1.20 on a weekday and €1.30 on a Saturday. The card is personal and a replacement costs €5. The council also mentions discounts for pupils of its swimming school.

The council lists a set of operating rules (Normas de Funcionamento) on its page. We couldn’t open them, so take swim caps and flip-flops and check the rules at the entrance, including whether children need an adult with them and any rules for the diving tank.

Weekend prices for visitors are high for a council pool: a family of four without a resident card pays €26 on a Saturday. The pools appear to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. The season is short, from late June to early September. We found no published information on shade, food or parking.

Montemor-o-Novo also has a Piscina Coberta Municipal on Rua António Gedeão, opened on 10 March 2007. It has a 25-metre, six-lane competition pool and a separate learner pool used for water aerobics and similar classes, plus a gym. The tourism site describes it but does not publish public-swim times, so contact the council for the school-year timetable and children’s lessons.

Évora is further east along the same road. There, the Évora municipal pools are a cheaper summer option, and the Chapel of Bones and the Almendres Cromlech, a field of standing stones, are good for a morning.

How much are the Montemor-o-Novo pools?

In 2026 a visiting adult paid €6.40 on a weekday and €13 on a Saturday; children aged 4 to 9 paid €3.30 and €5.45. After 17:00 on weekdays everyone paid €1.80.

Is there a children’s pool?

Yes, a separate children’s pool with 140 square metres of water.

Is there a family ticket?

Yes. Two adults and two children cost €12.75 on a weekday and €26 on a Saturday or holiday in 2026.

Do you need to book?

No. There’s no advance booking at the Montemor pools.

When are the pools open?

In summer only. In 2026 the planned season was 23 June to 5 September, Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 and Saturdays and holidays from 10:00, until 19:30.