Environment

A walk in the park!

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Miguel Nogueira

It looked like there was little time for the big little things when the Christmas frenzy was upon us! But now, keep calm as things have entered a different speed: now you have time to ponder what to expect from the months ahead and what better way to do it than taking a walk in the park.

In case you didn't know, Porto is well equipped when it comes to green spaces: parks and woodlands that provide a multitude of benefits to human urban populations, by improving physical fitness and reducing depression.

We invite you to stroll in some of the best green spaces in Porto, either with family and friends, walking your dog, practice physical exercise or just relaxing and enjoying the fresh air.

The Serralves Foundation Gardens, ranked amongst the best gardens in the world, and displaying the best landscape setting up of the twentieth century. The gardens also offer a walk to an agricultural field and a woodland; and then, there are the Art Deco House, the Contemporary Museum Art to add to the visit.

This is a good idea anytime of year.

Another equally great idea are a visit to the Gardens of Palácio de Cristal, which are everyone's delight, especially after the rehabilitation works carried out by Porto City Hall: The Municipality of Porto invested circa 2.8 million euros in the refurbishment of the Palácio de Cristal green areas, the Émile David gardens and of the Palácio de Cristal enveloping areas as well, namely the gardeners' building, the renovation of the playground, the maintenance of the Alameda das Tílias [Linden Avenue] and the consolidation of the escarpment and the walls.

The landscaped garden was rehabilitated with the utmost care and rigour and by regenerating the appearance of the Fonts d'Art at Palácio de Cristal, the City Hall is preserving the cultural heritage and the transmission of skills and expertise to future generations.

Stroll through the garden or just admire the magnificent views facing the river Douro. Visitors are also greeted by the unique botanical species, the Carlos Alberto Chapel and the numerous peacocks that weave their way through the gardens.

Do not forget to visit the Porto Municipal Gallery, always offering great contemporary art exhibitions.

Next, as a roadmap to feel the green spaces in town, pay a visit to the gardens and the woodland of Quinta Nova Sintra, which reopened to the public in March 2018. Renovation works included maintenance and recovery of the flora, paving, irrigation systems and landscaping lighting. Also, a number of existing fountains and greenhouses have been refurbished and the gardens have been equipped with new urban furniture: banks of rest, paper basket, among others elements of architectural line.

A major option is also the largest urban park in the country- which is also famous for hosting the Primavera Sound festival.

Did you know that the City Park of Porto is the largest city park in Portugal? The Park is the authorship of landscape architect Sidónio Pardal. Porto City Park occupies 83 hectares of privileged natural land, and it is the ideal place for a happy getaway with family and friends. The Park's privileged location by the sea is a balm to the hustle and bustle that sometimes hits town, as holiday time approaches.

There's plenty to do at a park and this one provides a magnificent ocean view: ride a bike, go for a stroll, roller skating or riding a scooter; also, the park offers loads of green as green symbolises life, renewal, nature, and energy. Green is associated with growth, harmony, freshness, and safety. Besides, it is a fun way to enjoy your free time.

There you can find different bird species, namely herons, seagulls and swans, chickens and ducklings, or even frogs, toads and varied fish fauna.

The City park hosts a very rich and diverse flora with 74 tree species, 42 brushy species, 15 species of fruit trees and 10 aquatic species, in a total of tens of thousands specimens.

Porto City Park is also home to the Water Pavilion, which has been recently renovated. This was one of the pavilions from the Expo 98. It is worth mentioning that Porto City park made it to the World top 5 favourite Green Flag Award parks have been announced and Porto City Parks is one of them. The People's Choice voted the City Park of Porto as a major Green Flag park, over 45,000 votes cast at world level.

The Park is open every day, from 7am till midnight.

The garden of Arca d'Água is one of the most beautiful and also one of the least known green spaces in Porto.

There you can find a kids' playground, a lake and ducklings, a café, and a unique bandstand, reminiscent of old time traditions.

The Porto Oriental Park, inaugurated in June 2010, was designed by landscape architect Sidónio Pardal. It has approximately 10 hectares of green spaces.

Also worthwhile is the Garden of Cordoaria, a name inherited by the sellers of strings for musical instruments, since 1924. There you can find tree species considered to be of public interest, and the sculpture by Spanish artist Juan Muñoz, themed "Treze a rir uns dos outros", ["Thirteen laughing at each other", free translation]. The work was inaugurated in 2001, on the occasion of Porto being considered European City of Culture.

A most uncommon garden is the "Jardim do Passeio das Virtudes", a terraced garden facing south. The highlights are the old house and the river view.

The Garden of Passeio Alegre, in Foz is also a must-visit garden in Porto; it is one of the oldest gardens in the Invicta, but it offers a fun minigolf pitch, a chalet and an esplanade.

It is worth visiting its toilets - yes, your read correctly - as its tiles or azulejos are from the Arte Nova period; besides, there lays the river Douro, with all its grandeur, an impressive promenade of imperial palm trees, the historical Fort of São João Baptista and the old houses of Foz Velha.

The Park of S. Roque, in Campanha is perfect for a romantic getaway or to stroll with your family. It offers a lake and a drinking fountain, a viewpoint to the magnificent scenario and a bush maze. There is also a kid's playground.

The garden of S. Lázaro, one of the oldest of Porto, offers several statues by Soares dos Reis and Henrique Moreira, as well as several tulips that burst in beauty in springtime.

Pasteleira Park was recently renovated and offers a bicycle path and children's playgrounds.

The Botanical Garden displays well preserved bushes and, of course, admirable plants and trees.

The Canine Park of Porto is the first of its kind in town. It is located at Avenues Fernão de Magalhães. You can take your dog and exercise with ramps, bars, and even a box of sand to lay. There is also a dog waste treatment system.

Do enjoy a walk in any of these parks in Porto!