Skate Park de Tomar

Tomar’s council skate park is a street park on a strip of land between the CP railway station and the bus station, next to the Várzea Grande. It opened to the public on 15 August 2024 and was officially inaugurated on 20 August 2024.

The park was designed by Francisco Lopez, an architect and skater who designs skate parks with Gaspar, and built by Gaspar under its Skatelopez brand, for about €150,000. The land belongs to Infraestruturas de Portugal, the national rail and road company, and the council signed a contract to use it on the day of the inauguration. It’s a free public space, and the council says it’s for skateboards, BMX freestyle and inline skates.

Skatelopez describes a park built mainly for street skating, with obstacles set out so riders can link tricks into lines and build up skills steadily. It lists:

• rails (metal bars for grinding)
• ledges (raised concrete edges)
• flat planes and banks (sloping surfaces)
• a section with transitions and curved ramps, which adds variety for riders who prefer flowing up and down to jumping on and off obstacles

The builders say the park was designed so it could be extended later if more people take up skating in the town. The skating news site Site Nacional de Skate calls it a small street park, so think of it as a place for an hour’s session rather than a whole day.

A street plaza is built around rails and ledges, which suit children who can already ride confidently. A younger child on a scooter or a first skateboard can still use the flat ground and the gentler banks to practise pushing, turning and rolling down small slopes. The curved-ramp section is the next step once they can ride up a slope and come back down facing forwards.

Soon after it opened, the Associação de Skaters de Tomar (Tomar’s skaters’ association) and the Skate Plaza shop ran a morning of free lessons and demonstrations there, according to a September 2024 report. It’s worth asking the association whether it runs more beginner sessions.

• Helmets and pads are sensible, especially for beginners. No published rules on protective gear were found.
• The park is between two transport hubs. Agree with older children where they’ll wait if you’re separated, and keep younger ones well away from the roads around the stations.
• Take turns on each rail or ledge, and don’t stand in the landing zone.
• No opening hours or lighting details are published, so plan daylight sessions until you’ve seen it for yourself.
• Summers in the Ribatejo are hot and the concrete holds heat, so early morning or evening is best.

The skate park is between the railway station and the Rodoviária (bus station), so you can walk there straight off a train or a bus. Skatelopez points out that this easy access makes it a meeting point for skaters from the surrounding area. The historic centre and the river Nabão are a short walk away.

In summer, Tomar’s municipal pools are a good cool-down: see Piscinas Municipais de Tomar, which also mentions the council’s Os Nabantitos playground in the sports area. Just outside town, the Pegões aqueduct is a giant stone water channel children can walk beside. Train-loving children can ride on to the Museu Nacional Ferroviário in Entroncamento, and for lunch in town there’s the medieval-themed Taverna Antiqua. Tomar’s Festa dos Tabuleiros is on What’s on.

Is the Tomar skate park free?

Yes. It’s a public council facility with no charge.

Where exactly is it?

Between Tomar’s railway station and the bus station, next to the Várzea Grande.

Can children ride BMX or scooters?

The council’s announcement lists skateboards, BMX freestyle and inline skates. Scooters aren’t mentioned, so follow any signs and give way to skaters.

Is it good for beginners?

It’s mainly a street park, which suits confident riders, but beginners can use the flat areas and gentle banks, and the curved ramps are a good next step.