At times, it can be a bit difficult to find a place to distract ourselves from the day-to-day rush without, for this reason, we have to travel. More to the truth, cities are getting greener and we have more and more spaces that we provide or contact with so much clam with nature. The greenest cities in Portugal have many quality parks and gardens, most of them built in recent years.
Concerns with ecology and the environment have taken up the agenda and, happily, there are more and more green spaces existing in Portuguese cities. In most cases, these parks and gardens are used to walk with the family, practice sports and attend concerts. But in many of them it is also possible to do many cultural and sports activities.
Starting from two data extracted from Open Street Maps, and considering the 50 main Portuguese cities, we define this list, based on the ratio of “green” square meters per 1000 inhabitants. These are the greenest cities in Portugal.
1. Porto
It had 0.57m2 of parks and gardens per 1000 inhabitants, being the greenest city in Portugal. The Parque da Cidade is the largest and most popular, it has 80 hectares of land, which every year attracts numerous visitors, who lose 10km of existing roads. It is also the perfect place to have a snack or practice physical activity.
2. Maia
It is in second place, with 0.40m2 of “green” per 1000 inhabitants. One of the two most famous parks is Parque de Avioso, where you can sit and enjoy the calm and harmony that you find here, and appreciate the typical trees of a spontaneous forest and a magnificent surrounding landscape.
3. Vila do Conde
The entire podium is Vila do Conde, with 0.38m2 of parks and gardens per 1000 inhabitants. Between the Cais das Lavandeiras and get on the Ave you will find Praça da República, where you will find a beautiful garden flanked by houses from two eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, along the river. O Parque de Jogos Municipal, for its time, is perfect for the practice of physical exercise, such as basketball and tennis.
4. Panty
They have 0.35m2 per 1000 inhabitants, and we cannot fail to mention the Jardins do Santuário do Bom Jesus when we go to the city. Around here you will find statues, baroque fountains and a mantle of vegetation much sought after and visited, with a highlight also for the magnificent view that you will have from Miradouro.
5. Portimao
Já no sul, Portimão has 0.35m2 of vegetation for every 1000 inhabitants. We highlight the Parque da Juventude, perfect for a walk or to practice sports, made up of a passadiço for walks next to the trees, a track for remote-controlled cars, a BMX track and various kiosks to rest.
6. Oeiras
Oeiras have 0.30m2 of green spaces per 1000 inhabitants, and one of the two most famous parks is the Parque dos Poetas, an authentic “museu ao ar livre” that combines poetry, sculptural art and nature in a single space, where homage is paid to our culture. Estende-se de Paço de Arcos até Oeiras and represents 60 poets from different literary periods.
7. Lisbon
The capital of Portugal has 0.29m2 of parks for every 1000 inhabitants. We highlight or Edward VII Park, or largest green space in the center of the city, which occupies 25 hectares, mostly two quais with wooded areas. Here you can also find the Carlos Lopes pavilion, the Estufa Fria, the Amália Rodrigues garden and the Miradouro do Parque Eduardo VII, with an incredible view over the city.
8. Viseu
It has 0.29m2 of gardens for every 1000 inhabitants, and here you will find the Parque do Fontelo, a green area enriched by secular trees and which also has swimming pools, tennis courts and soccer fields. Or care with the preservation of the environment by the municipality of deu-lhe or “Prémio Quercus 1993 – Autarchic Initiative”.
9. Loule
We also have 0.29m2 of green spaces for every 1000 inhabitants and it is an area of great beauty. Not inside this municipality, you will find Fonte de Benémola, which has more than 300 species of plants and where, along the riverbank, you can see fish, salamanders and toads. Try to find a 4.5km pedestrian route to find out better or locally.
10. Almada
It has 0.27m2 of green spaces per 1000 inhabitants and occupies the last place on this list, but this does not mean that there are no places of great beauty here. Highlight for the Parque da Paz, with 114 species of trees and shrubs, and with a lake with swans and royal ducks. It is a perfect space to rest or to do sports in nature.