Portimão’s Quinta Pedagógica will reopen to the public on Saturday, October 24 after around a year of maintenance and renovation works aimed at improving safety, sustainability and animal welfare.
The municipal educational farm had been closed to general visitors while urgent work was carried out on several key parts of the site, Portimão Council explained in a press statement.
Among the most significant improvements were the complete replacement of outdated plumbing, renewal of the electrical network, better drainage in animal enclosures and the installation of automatic drinking systems in the animal boxes.
Several enclosures have also been expanded – particularly the area used by the goats – while new shelters have been installed to provide protection from sun and rain.
New fencing, doors, windows and security locks have also been fitted, alongside general painting and maintenance work.
The farm has also gained new infrastructure, including a building for storing straw, a wooden house for rabbits and guinea pigs and another wooden structure to be used for storage.
According to the municipal council, the works took longer than initially expected due to the factors outside of the municipality’s control, from an administrative restructuring of the company responsible for the project, which required additional public procurement procedures, to the harsh winter of 2025, which forced works to be temporarily suspended for safety reasons.
Educational activities continued
Despite being closed to the general public, the farm continued to host controlled educational activities for local schools throughout the year.
The aim was to ensure children could maintain contact with rural life, animals and environmental education while the renovation works were underway.
And the October reopening will not mark the end of improvements.
A second phase of works is already planned, including a new children’s playground, complete renovation of the lake and the replacement and modernisation of the chicken coops.
Special programme for reopening day
The reopening on October 24 will be marked with several activities.
At 11am, storyteller and children’s entertainer Maria Cachucha will lead the free Corre, Corre Cabacinha workshop, recommended in previous editions for children aged three to six. Based on the traditional tale of an elderly woman whose journey to her granddaughter’s wedding leads to an unlikely escape inside a gourd, the session combines storytelling, singing and playful educational activities. Children will also discover more about gourds and their different uses.
Participation in the workshop is free but requires advance registration, available from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm by calling 282 248 595 or emailing [email protected].
The Quinta Pedagógica de Portimão will be open Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, closing on Sundays and public holidays.
Michael Bruxo
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.