Our search for more dog-friendly green spaces in Porto took us to Parque do Covelo a couple of Saturdays ago. The park is spread across eight hectares, only about half of which are officially dog-friendly, as we found out — the hard way — from a security guard. As it stands, the fantastic Children’s Playground is off-limits to beasts, as is the picnic area by Quinta de Paranhos. So actually, the park is not terribly dog-friendly as a whole, but the part we were allowed into was highly enjoyed by all the dogs around — including ours.
I mentioned how fantastic the Children’s Playground is (you’ll just have to take my word for it since I have no pictures, for obvious reasons), but I should also mention that this playground is the most ethnically diverse gathering place in Porto I’ve ever seen. It’s as if all the visible minorities in the city were handed a memo to take their kids there and wear them out. I’ve been to the playground on a weekday while waiting for Paulo to donate blood and platelets at the nearby clinic, and even then it’s nearly as busy and just as mixed.
Parque do Covelo is named after merchant José do Covelo who bought it in the 20th century, and it is now owned by the City of Porto. The quinta was restored in 1987/88, and the playground inaugurated in 2009. My photos are by no means comprehensive since we kept to a limited area of the park, but you can see by the size of the trees and their thick canopy that it is a fine place to seek shelter and shade on a hot day. It also looks like the park is empty, but that’s an illusion — everyone’s at the playground.
For opening hours and location, see Visit Porto.
{ More photos in the album. }
April 30, 2016
Album: Portugal [Spring 2016]
