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.

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.

Centro de Natacion Mundial 86, Calle de José Martinez de Velasco, 3, Madrid, Spain +34 914 09 53 51

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)

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.

Centro Deportivo Municipal Casa de Campo, Paseo Puerta del Ángel, 7, Madrid, Spain +34 914 63 00 50

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.

Centro Deportivo Municipal Penuelas, Calle de Arganda, 25, Madrid, Spain +34 914 73 24 91

11am-9pm (summer only), €5 ($6) weekdays, €6 ($7.35) weekends

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.