There is a moment, halfway through an August afternoon in Lisbon or Porto, when any cultural itinerary loses out to a very simple idea: water.
That is the moment when hotels with a pool in Lisbon and Porto stop being an extra and become a booking criteria: they make the difference between waiting for the heat to pass in a café and walking down the corridor towards a swim.
The problem is that the usual round-ups of hotels with a pool in Lisbon and Porto list ten names and leave out what matters: is the pool indoor or outdoor? Which months is it open? And can someone who is not staying there get in? This guide answers hotel by hotel, with the official listings as its only source, and it includes the absences: we also say which Pestana hotels in the historic centre have no pool, so you can choose according to what you want.
The best argument comes first: in Lisbon you swim in the gardens of a palace listed as a National Monument, and in Porto in an infinity pool leaning out over the Douro.
The pools at a glance
Lisbon: Pestana Palace (outdoor in the gardens and indoor at 28 degrees) and Pousada Lisboa (heated indoor).
Porto: Pestana Douro Riverside (infinity pool on a panoramic terrace, plus indoor), Pousada Porto (indoor) and Pestana Palácio do Freixo (outdoor from May to September, indoor all year).
No pool: Pestana Vintage Porto, Pestana Porto Brasileira, Pousada Alfama, Pestana Rua Augusta and Pestana CR7 Lisboa.
Hotels with a pool in Lisbon: which to choose?
Pestana Palace: the swim with monument status
Few urban hotels offer what Pestana Palace Lisboa offers: a 19th-century palace, the former Palácio Valle Flôr, listed as a National Monument, with 194 rooms and suites and gardens that are themselves part of the monument. The outdoor pool sits surrounded by those gardens, an unlikely corner minutes from the centre, and the indoor pool, heated, guarantees a swim in any month of the year. If you are visiting the city for the first time, afternoons by the pool go well with our Lisbon in 48 hours: a practical itinerary for a first visit.
Pousada de Lisboa: the discreet pool of Terreiro do Paço
On Praça do Comércio itself, the Pousada Lisboa keeps a heated indoor pool, open from 08:30 to 20:00, hidden in a historic building that was once a ministry headquarters and today belongs to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection. It is the only pool on this list seconds from the river Tejo, and proof that even in the most monumental centre of the capital there is room for a swim.
And in Porto, where do you swim with a view of the Douro?
Pestana Douro Riverside: the river’s infinity pool
On the bank of the Douro, in Valbom, Gondomar, about ten minutes from the centre of Porto, the Pestana Douro Riverside was born out of an old factory of 1888 and made a selling point of one floor: the outdoor infinity pool occupies a panoramic terrace with a pool bar, leaning out over the river. There is also a heated indoor pool for the months when the Douro looks better from inside. We had already devoted a postcard to it: Infinity pools overlooking the Douro River.
Pestana Palácio do Freixo: bathing with a Nasoni signature
Three kilometres from the centre, the Pestana Palácio do Freixo occupies an 18th-century baroque palace designed by Nicolau Nasoni, listed as a National Monument in 1910, with 87 rooms and 10,000 square metres of gardens on the riverbank. The outdoor pool opens between May and September, with the Douro as its backdrop, and the heated indoor pool is available all year. We told the story of the house: Pestana Palácio do Freixo. A monument with Douro view.
And in the Ribeira? The Pestana Vintage Porto, housed in 18 buildings of the World Heritage-listed historic centre, has no pool.
The decision table: pool by pool
| Hotel | City | Outdoor pool | Indoor pool | Note |
| Pestana Palace | Lisbon | Yes, in the gardens | Yes, heated | National Monument palace |
| Pousada Lisboa | Lisbon | No | Yes, heated (08:00-20:00) | Praça do Comércio |
| Pestana CR7 Lisboa | Lisbon | No | No | Baixa; gym until midnight |
| Pestana Douro Riverside | Porto | Infinity, with pool bar | Yes, heated | Former factory of 1888 |
| Pestana Palácio do Freixo | Porto | May to September | Yes, all year | Nasoni palace |
| Pestana Vintage Porto | Porto | No | No | Ribeira, World Heritage |
| Pousada Porto | Porto | No | Yes, heated | Historic Monument |
To choose quickly, consider four practical rules.
- For the photograph and the heat. The infinity pool at the Douro Riverside, with the river stretching out of sight and a pool bar alongside.
- For swimming all year. The heated indoor pools at the Palace, the Pousada Lisboa, the Pousada Porto and the Freixo do not depend on the weather.
- For adding history to the swim. Two National Monuments on this list have a pool: the Pestana Palace in Lisbon and the Pestana Palácio do Freixo in Porto.
- For sleeping inside the postcard. Ribeira and Baixa have no swim, and that is fine: now you know before you book.
Can you use the pool without being a guest?
The pools at these hotels are, as a rule, for guests, but some hotels make access available on a day-use basis. If you want to arrange a day use, contact the hotel directly for the day you have in mind, especially outside high season, when occupancy leaves more room. And if the pool is the centre of your city break, the surest route is still the simple one: book a night and have the swim included.
At the Pestana Douro Riverside, pool access without staying is available on payment of €25 per person, which includes a towel and a sun lounger. Availability, opening hours, capacity and any restrictions must be confirmed directly with the hotel.
The swim is on the way
Between a palace with a pool in its gardens, a pousada with heated water on the noblest square in Lisbon and an infinity pool hanging over the Douro, the city in August stops being a test of endurance. For inspiration, read Top 6: pools with the best views; bookmark Wishlist: indoor pools for cold days; and plan the rest of the visit with Visit Lisboa and Visit Porto.
Frequently asked questions about hotels with a pool in Lisbon and Porto
The Pestana Palace has a heated indoor pool at 28 degrees, as well as the outdoor one in the palace gardens. The Pousada Lisboa, on Praça do Comércio, has a heated indoor pool, open from 08:30 to 20:00.
The Pestana Douro Riverside, in Valbom, Gondomar, about ten minutes from the centre of Porto: the outdoor infinity pool sits on a panoramic terrace with a pool bar over the river, and there is also a heated indoor pool.
No. The hotel on Praça da Ribeira, housed in buildings of the World Heritage historic centre, has no pool; in exchange it offers the location, restaurants and a gym.
Not necessarily. At the Pestana Palácio do Freixo, for example, the outdoor pool is available between May and September, and it is the heated indoor pool that is open all year. Always check the season on the hotel page. At the Pestana Palace the outdoor pool is open all year.
It depends on the hotel. The pools are, as a rule, for guests, and day-use conditions are not published on the official pages. At the Pestana Douro Riverside, it is possible to use the pool without staying there, on payment of €25 per person, which includes a towel and a sun lounger. The safe route is to contact the hotel for the day you want and confirm availability, opening hours and any capacity restrictions.
