A description of life in the village of Pruna, nestled in the Andalusian mountains of Seville

Ahh, the swimming pools of Cadiz and Seville, mostly Municipal, owned by the councils and only open during the school holidays (July to August). They are such a bargain, usually 2.50 for adults weekdays, and 3 euros weekends, children always get a reduction, and pensioners often do. If you live by the pool and will go daily it will be worth your while to get a season ticket.

These are some of my local pools, in general my favourites, they make a circle around the epicenter of my Spanish life in Pruna.

All the Municipal pools have lifeguards, and I have never seen a dirty pool. However one of the reasons they are clean is because you have to shower before entering the pool to wash of dust and dirt, and this really helps keep the pools clean.

The google maps url for all the pools mentioned is below this blog

I have not put these pools in any order other than my favourites first, and of course I am bound to have left loads of great pools out so please post your preferred pools in the comments section.

Rio Corbone

​​​​​On the A384 between Olvera and Almargen is a large restaurant with large car park in front. The Rio Corbone, I often stop there because they do the most delicious food. This year they reopened their pool, and they have made it stunning. Unusually there is no toddlers pool, and children have to be accompanied by an adult. This makes for a very tranquil swimming experience.

Open seven days a week, from noon till 8pm. Free, yes that's right, free, of course you have to buy a meal or a few drinks, but there is no entrance fee.

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Piscina Municipal Zahara de la Sierra

On the end of a side road on the drive up into the village of Zahara, this is a gem, a real find. Zahara has two pools, and both need a car to get to, so perhaps this is why it is so free of teenagers and children, (nothing against kids, but they do dive bomb, shriek, run around and have fun, how very dare they!) But this pool is a haven of peace and quiet.

Unusually it opens at 11am, and closes at 8pm weekends, and 7pm weekdays. There is a fantastic restaurant on a terrace so you can enjoy the spectacular views and look at the blue blue pool below.

Limited parking, but to be fair it was not hard to find a place due to the lack of customers.

Piscina Municipal Almargen

This is the pool with the salt in the water, reputed to have health benefits and to relieve arthritis and other aches and pains, and I certainly feel better after a couple of hours of swimming in it. It never gets too busy but there is a noticeable lull between 1p amd 3pm, when there only three or four other people swimming. It is always open on or before the 24 June, and also closes slightly later than the other pools, end of the first week of September usually.

Open seven days a week, from noon till 7pm

Easy parking in the car park by the entrance, or on the land next to it.

Moron de la Frontera

Well what can I say? This pool has it all, an Olympic sized pool, an ordinary sized pool, and two paddling pools, plus plenty of grass and a shaded playground for little ones. The restaurant is friendly and used by locals as well as pool customers. I usually combine with the Wednesday market and make a day of it.  You can get pensioner rates (I found this out realising they had given me a pensioner rate without my asking, the blow of looking elderly was softened by the saving of over one euro!)

Due to the number of pools there is always space to swim lengths or just pootle around.

Loads of parking both on the car park outside and on the waste land next to it.

Pool opens at 1pm, and is closed Mondays.

Algodonales 

On the outskirts of the rather lovely town of Algodonales is a delightful pool, easy parking right by the pool entrance. There is plenty of grass to lie on, and trees for shade. The pool is a decent size and particularly during siesta time (1pm to 3pm) not so busy that you cannot swim lanes. The restaurant is excellent. They appear to chop and change their opening times but in general noon till 7pm is the norm.

Pruna 

When I arrive by public transport for a holiday here I only ever go to the Pruna pool, and it is excellent. Loads of grass and trees for shade, a large clean pool, friendly lifeguards, a friendly restaurant/cafe. Parking is not too bad. The pool has two shallow ends, it dips in the middle! This tends to make both ends busier with children so it is easy to do widths even when the pool is busy. It tends to stay really quiet until about 3pm.

Open noon till 7pm, closed on Mondays

Olvera pool

I feel quite guilty, because I always thought of the Olvera pool as one of the dowdier Piscinas, but it has had a revamp and is now gorgeous. And something I have never seem before, a ramp going into the water so that you can push a wheelchair actually into the pool. There are gazebos up for shade and the Bar Piscina does some lovely food. But because I am from Pruna and Olvera is my neighbouring town, this forces me to have tribalesque enmity towards to everything Olveran, so I have to point out that some few patches of grass are a bit sparse. Go on Olvera, feel the burn.

Playita Zahara

If I were going to a pool with a lot of people, and wanted to have a picnic, and make a family day of it then this would be top of my list. It is an artificial lagoon fed by river water before it enters lake Zahara lagoon. Loads of lifeguards, and not too much deep water. The setting is stunning. There is a restaurant seemingly run on Eastern European catering standards of the 1950s. Set menu, queue, and be served by what looks suspiciously like my old dinner ladies. I could not fathom out how to pay, or where to pay, so decided that an ice cream was what I really wanted.

The water is river water, so it has a murkiness and the odd bit of vegetation floating through,but this does not stop the children and their families from enjoying themselves. They do close it occasionally to clean,

Huge car parks, but I would advise getting there early in order to be in a car park near the entrance. It is open seven days a week from 11am till 7pm

El Gastor pool

This is the furthest pool from Pruna, nice size, a bit frantic with children in the late afternoon. The three times I have visited the times had randomly altered so I advise assuming that it is open from 1pm, because hanging around waiting for a pool to open on a hot day is hell (first world problems, yes, I know, but really life is too short to bake while being able to see a clear blue pool)

Camping El Penon, Algamitas.

Up high in the mountains this is the swimming pool for the campsite that they let visitors use for a fee. It costs four euros and you have leave photo ID with the receptionist. The pool is round and had a 'slice' of it shallow for toddlers. There is a really nice cafe, but the restaurant is out of this world. It is a rotunda with the jaw dropping views from the balcony and a very reasonably priced menu that is really eclectic (I had never had smoked cod before).

This is a private pool and tends to open early June till late September.

Easy parking, I have been there at 11 am and it was open, so probably from 10am till late . Seven days a week.

Piscina Municipal Algamitas

I truly do hate to be rude, but this pool is only for locals, or for when you are driving through and just have to have a quick dip or you will die. Even the opening times are weird, sometimes it only opens at 4pm. To be fair this is probably because Camping El Penon is very much nicer and not too far away.

Set in the centre of town it is not too easy to find parking by the entrance, but you would not have to travel to far to park. (I have added this so that the whole article does not gush on about lovely views and clear water, it gives a bit of balance).

https://www.google.es/maps/search/piscina+el+gastor/@36.8584392,-5.3219307,17z/data=!3m1!4b1

Zahara playita

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Municipal+Recreation+Area+Playita/@36.8153933,-5.3772597,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d14cfffffffff:0x8ac3fc037c030956!8m2!3d36.8153933!4d-5.375071

Camping el Penon Algamitas

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Camping+El+Penon/@37.018775,-5.1776853,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d4e030283e135:0xf9f20fc5bbe4f79e!8m2!3d37.018775!4d-5.1754966

Google map url for Zahara Piscina Municipal: 

https://www.google.es/search?q=piscina%20municipal%20zahara&oq=piscina+municipal+zahara&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j69i60l3j0.7077j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=36860102,-5397222,2568&tbm=lcl&rldimm=2687165940086041764&ved=0ahUKEwiQhJvok43cAhVKsqQKHfTcBkoQvS4IOjAA&rldoc=1&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2#rlfi=hd:;si:2687165940086041764;mv:!1m3!1d25072.571673876697!2d-5.35908175!3d36.86010255!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i517!2i377!4f13.1;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

Google map url for Piscina Municipal Algodonales

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Piscina+Municipal+de+Algodonales/@36.882869,-5.4001589,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d6a79848dc01f:0xf44d7b701327ba06!8m2!3d36.882869!4d-5.3957815

Google map url for Almargen swimming pool

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Piscina+Municipal+Francisco+Morillo+Gonz%C3%A1lez/@37.007902,-5.0242039,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd72b28895186045:0x373bd044818c945a!8m2!3d37.007902!4d-5.0220152

Google map for the Moron de la Frontera swimming pool

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Piscina+Municipal+Mor%C3%B3n+de+la+Frontera/@37.1199441,-5.4682342,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d61705b808a91:0xafc6e2ec5dc79397!8m2!3d37.1199441!4d-5.4660455

Google map for the Pruna swimming pool 

https://www.google.es/maps/search/pruna+municipal+piscina/@36.9731751,-5.2259322,17z/data=!3m1!4b1

Google map for the Olvera swimming pool

https://www.google.es/search?q=bar+piscina+olvera+piscina+pool&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=36933022,-5257604,20&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwjkytHzho3cAhXHPBQKHVs2CosQtgMIKw&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d166.10495698517613!2d-5.25760495!3d36.93302285!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i8!2i10!4f13.1

Google map for the El Gastor pool

https://www.google.es/maps/search/piscina+el+gastor/@36.8584392,-5.3219307,17z/data=!3m1!4b1

Google map for the Zahara playita

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Municipal+Recreation+Area+Playita/@36.8153933,-5.3772597,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d14cfffffffff:0x8ac3fc037c030956!8m2!3d36.8153933!4d-5.375071

Google map for the Algamitas Municipal pool

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Ayuntamiento+de+Algamitas/@37.0156409,-5.1517038,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d51fc31636f17:0xe58dff6a768a0df3!8m2!3d37.0156409!4d-5.1495151

Google map for Camping el Penon Algamitas swimming pool

https://www.google.es/maps/place/Camping+El+Penon/@37.018775,-5.1776853,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0xd0d4e030283e135:0xf9f20fc5bbe4f79e!8m2!3d37.018775!4d-5.1754966

Every summer there is the usual scramble to the open air swimming pool (every village has one, open during the school holidays, Pruna has an excellent one!), but there are other options, and these are open all year round, and are free,: wild swimming in the many Andalucian lakes. I am using wild swimming to mean a place where you can swim but that will have no facilities such as changing rooms or lifeguards, so always be careful.

Close to Pruna are some of the best wild swimming lakes in all of Spain. Here are my favourites:

Cueva del Gato

Just a short drive from Ronda this pool and cave river has clear cool water and is set in a beautiful mountain setting, ideal for picnics. It is easy to access and reportedly can be popular on the weekends, but we have always had the place to ourselves on our week day visits. Leaving Ronda take the road to Seville, and turn off at the Benaojan-Montejaque signpost, four miles later you will see a sign for the Hotel Cueva del Gato, follow the sign and park there (I have never seen the hotel open), then cross the river on the wooden bridge and enjoy. A comment left below has made me check, and in fact there is now a charge of two euros to cross this bridge.

Embalsa de Zahara de la Sierra

A lake so blue that you would swear someone had photoshopped it! I tend to park at the Mogote sports center, at the beginning ot the bridge (or end if you are coming from Ronda) and have a drink and snack at the restaurant, then I walk down the slipway into the water. The water is warm and clear, sometimes you can see the fossilised trees from years ago before the reservoir was made.

Friends prefer the swimming from a point marked by a KM 8 sign further along the road, and walk down the footpath to the lake.

Lake Zahara also offers full moon kayacking! A fabulous night out! 956137072 / 653214666 / 603613468
descubre@discoveryaventura.com

The Malaga Embalses

there are three different reservoirs that offer excellent swimming in Malaga,  Embalse de Gaitanej; Embalse del Conde de Guadalhorce and the  Embalse del Gualdalteba-Guadalhorce. But my favourite is the biggest of the three, the Gualdateba Guadalhorce. The lake is mostly surrounded by pine trees which gives it a very Swiss look, surreal! the lake is calm, warm, and at the many entry spots is easy to get into the water. There are a couple of good and surprisingly cheap restaurants and this makes a wonderful day out.

Right by the town of Ardales, signposted as Embalses de Guadalhorce. Difficult to get parking weekends, but relatively quiet during the week.

Lakes further afield

I cannot write this piece without mentioning the Cascades de Hueznar, the waterfalls were made a national Monument in the year 2000. As the water falls it creates a number of small pools. All of them swimmable. The water is clear but icy, but all waterfalls cause currents, so keep small children away and be careful.

You can walk up to the top of the waterfall by using the steps, a long long trek upwards, not for the faint hearted.

A long way from Pruna, but worth the drive, Cascades de Hueznar is in the Sierra Norte, by the village of San Nicolas. Interestingly you can access it through the Sirra Nort Greenway, the old railway line that has been refurbished for walkers and cyclists. 

Embalse de los Bermejales

This is a huge reservoir and there are several places that you can stop at and swim from. Surrounded by trees with low mountains as the backdrop. The water is clear and clean and warm. Only the area around the beach restaurant and bar is busy, and has a small pier that children love to jump from, the rest of the lake is generally tranquil.

The nearest village is Alhama de Granada. Three roads take you there, the A334, GR4303 and the GR3307

The joy of wild swimming is that all these places are open all year round, the Spanish think anything less that 28C is too cold for swimming but we hardy northern Europeans can swim if the sun is out. Nothing is colder than the North Sea!

Any more places for wild swimming that you have found, that I have nor mentioned, please please put in the comments below.