Jardim da Sereia

In the centre of Coimbra, close to the old monastery of Santa Cruz, the Jardim da Sereia is a formal garden of box hedges, paths and fountains. Its name comes from the mermaid — the sereia — sculpted in its fountain, and its orderly parterres offer a quiet counterpoint to the busy streets around it.

History and character

The garden was laid out in the eighteenth century, when formal gardens of clipped hedges and water were the fashion across Portugal. It was later extended with trees and shaded walks, and it remains a public garden in daily use by the people of Coimbra, between the city’s markets and its old walls.

What to see

• The box parterres and clipped hedges of the formal garden.
• The fountain of the mermaid, with its sculpted figure.
• The tall old trees and shaded walks of the upper garden.
• The garden benches and quiet corners in the middle of the city.

Best time to visit

Spring and summer show the garden at its greenest, but it is pleasant at any time of year for a short pause in the centre of Coimbra.

Nearby

The garden is a short walk from the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz and the Mercado Municipal D. Pedro V.

Visiting

The garden is in central Coimbra, reached on foot from the old town, and it is open to the public daily, free of charge, with the usual municipal hours.

Information: cm-coimbra.pt.

Image credit: Jardim da Sereia, Coimbra, by Ana Filipa Flores, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.