Lisbon's Gardens Face Tough Times: A Deep Dive into Maintenance Woes

Complaints about the state of Lisbon's gardens are spreading rapidly. We diagnose four key locations, from Estrela to Graça.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim do Torel

“I vote for whoever takes care of Jardim da Estrela,” declared sociologist António Barreto in a July article for Público, expressing deep dissatisfaction with one of his favorite city spots. During hot months, gardens are a refuge for many Lisbon residents, offering shade and cooler temperatures—up to 10 degrees lower in places like Monsanto Forest Park. But at Estrela, Barreto found burnt grass, dry weeds, wilted and dead flowers, and a historic bandstand awaiting repairs for years.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim da Estrela

Neighbors echo these grievances, citing issues from poor cleaning and insecurity to lack of grass for picnics, unleashed dogs, missing bathrooms, odd lighting choices, and inadequate furniture, spanning from Estrela to Torel, Príncipe Real to Graça.

So-Called 'Green' Spaces

Back at Jardim da Estrela, plastic tapes from Lisbon's Municipal Council (CML) cordon off areas. Near the Basilica entrance, plants appear unkempt, and where lush grass once invited picnics, now lies arid, sterile earth. Nuno Prates, a self-taught gardener behind The Lisboan Gardener page, criticizes the lack of a broader vision, noting compacted, tired soil that can't absorb water, leading to unhealthy ecosystems. He points to insufficient or poor watering and chronic resource shortages in the city's green spaces department as excuses for neglect.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim da Estrela

Increased usage, fueled by immigration and digital nomads, adds pressure. Luís Newton, president of the Estrela Parish Council, acknowledges that intensive use is great but stresses the need for periods of closure for regeneration, citing better civic responsibility in cities like Madrid where heavy fines enforce rules.

Plans for rehabilitating Jardim da Estrela, including the bandstand and lakes, were approved in May, but maintenance remains a constant necessity.

The Long Wait at Necessidades

Not far away, Tapada das Necessidades, an 18th-century royal park classified as public interest in 1983, has been in decay for over 20 years. Public bathrooms are closed, taps don't work, plants are dry everywhere, and pavements are a chessboard of holes, challenging for strollers or those with limited mobility.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Tapada das Necessidades

Management changes and failed agreements have stalled recovery. In February, the Lisbon Municipal Assembly approved €19 million from tourist taxes for a revival by 2028, but what about current maintenance? Luís Newton admits insufficiencies and limitations, emphasizing that infrastructure and path repairs must come before public use.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Tapada das Necessidades

Despite its essence, the park lacks basic upkeep, with headless sculptures and overgrown fountains.

Torel: From 80,000 to 8

At Jardim do Torel, hidden near Avenida da Liberdade, a tourist struggles to find space. Once obscure, it gained fame with the Torel Beach in 2014, but changes followed. The lake, which saw 80,000 swimmers monthly, is now an empty blue egg for kids' football, drained for safety and health reasons due to people jumping in with shoes and clothes on. Police costs of €8,000 monthly led to its end.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim do Torel

An abandoned kiosk, graffitied and overgrown, awaits a new public tender. Nuno Prates diagnoses issues: unleashed dogs creating holes, damaging irrigation, and weak plant dispersion. He advocates for denser planting to strengthen ecosystems and notes the shock plants face moving from nurseries to urban jungles.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim do Torel

Occupation in Graça

At Jardim da Cerca da Graça, on a hill with direct links to Mouraria's drug trafficking, problems intensify. Patchy grass and large holes are compounded by lack of cleaning and public health risks. Reports of syringes in playgrounds and several tents dot the area, with litter accumulation including clothing and burst exercise balls.

Caption: Rita Chantre | Jardim da Cerca da Graça

Neither the São Vicente Parish Council nor CML responded to inquiries. Nuno Prates, with over 10,000 photos documenting Lisbon's gardens, argues that the issue isn't seasonal but a matter of priority and pride. Proper care, regeneration time, and soil preparation could sustain these spaces, but currently, there's a lack of maintenance and brio.

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