Monday 12 July 2010

Cooling off in Barcelona’s Pools

As summer temperatures rise, every one is looking for a place to cool off. Barcelona’s municipal pools offer an alternative to the beach, where you can swim like an Olympic champion or splash around in the shallows of a converted quarry.

Piscinas Bernat Picornell, Avinguda de l'Estadi 30-38 - This is where the swimming events for the 1992 Olympic Games took place. A sleek 50-metre outdoor pool awaits you high up on the verdant hill of Montjuïc, where the air is generally a few degrees cooler than the steamy city below. There is also a smaller indoor pool that is taken over by the local nudist club on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons!

Piscinas Municipal Montjuïc, Avinguda Miramar, 31 - Located almost opposite the Piscinas Bernat Picornell, this was another Olympic-venue pool. It was used for the diving events and affords sweeping views of the city below. These days its mainly frequented by children and families and has a bar area where adults can chill.

Club Natació de la Barceloneta, Plaça del Mar s/n - Located right on the shore at Barceloneta, this pool has a beach vibe and Mediterranean vistas! There are three pools: a 25-metre outdoor pool and children’s pool (both surrounded by a terrace dotted with sunbeds) and an indoor pool with large glass windows overlooking the sea.

Parc de la Creueta del Coll, Pg. Mare de Déu del Coll, 77 - This is probably the most unusual pool you will ever come to. It is located inside the Parc de la Creueta del Coll, a public park that occupies a former quarry. In between two cliff-like walls hangs a massive claw-like sculpture by the prolific Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. But the biggest attraction is a large a splash pool which is hugely popular with local children in the summer months.