The Best Places to Go Swimming in Madrid
Whether you want to swim great lengths or splash around and cool down during Madrid’s hot summer months, we count down some of the best pools you should check out in the Spanish capital.
Indoor Pools
Centro Deportivo Municipal Escuelas de San Antón
This public pool is located in the central neighbourhood of Chueca, just off the Gran Vía. You can buy a season ticket or pay per visit. The 25 metre (82 ft) pool is split into six lanes so it is ideal for serious swimmers.
Escuelas de San Anton, Calle Farmacia, 13, Madrid, Spain +34 918 28 90 06
Mon-Fri 7am-11pm, Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 9am-7pm, €4.50 ($5.51)
Centro de Natación Mundial 86
Madrid hosted the 1986 World Aquatics Championships and built a new swimming centre for the occasion. It is home to two Olympic-sized swimming pools as well as a diving pool, gym and sauna.
Mon-Fri 8.30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 9am-1pm, €43.15 a month ($53)
Go fit Vallehermoso
Just north of the centre in the Chamberí neighbourhood of Madrid is this Vallehermoso sports centre, home to a 25 metre (82 ft) pool as well as a thermal zone with a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.
Go fit Vallehermoso, Av. de Filipinas, 7, Madrid, Spain +34 917 58 96 15
Mon-Fri 6am-midnight, Sat-Sun 9am-10pm, €4.50 ($5.51)
Outdoor Pools
Centro Deportivo Municipal Casa de Campo
Better known as Lago Pool, it has a 50m (164 ft) pool, a 33m (108 ft) leisure pool and a children’s pool and is a popular summer spot for families and groups of friends. You can easily make a day of it here, but prepare to queue to get in on weekends when it gets very busy.
11am-8.30pm (summer), indoor pool open Mon-Fri 8.30am-9pm, €6 ($7.35) weekends
Centro Deportivo Municipal Vicente del Bosque
Have a cooling dip with the cinematic backdrop of Madrid’s Cuatro Torres (Four Towers) skyscrapers at this popular pool complex. There are two 50-metre (164 ft) pools and a children’s pool that attract many groups of friends and families throughout the summer.
Centro Deportivo Municipal Vicente del Bosque, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 13, Madrid, Spain +34 913 14 79 43
11am-9pm, €4.50 ($5.51)
Centro Deportivo Municipal Peñuelas
Close to Embajadores in the Lavapiés neighbourhood of Madrid, this outdoor pool and the large, grassy space in the surrounding area is a popular spot during Madrid’s scorching summers. There are also plenty of picnic tables available, so take a packed lunch and spend the day there.
11am-9pm (summer only), €5 ($6) weekdays, €6 ($7.35) weekends
Rooftop Pools
If you’re looking for somewhere that is more of a glamorous relaxation spot, you should check out one of Madrid’s rooftop pools. Several hotels in the centre, such as Room Mate Oscar and Hotel Santo Domingo, have rooftop pools. Gymage, a gym in Malasaña, just north of Gran Vía, has a cool rooftop area with a bar and pool that, best of all, is free.
