Pools in Buenos Aires

With temperatures soaring, one question that I’m getting asked a lot at the moment is if Buenos Aires has anywhere to swim. For a city which, on a map at least, has a coastline this is not as easy to answer as you might expect. The coastline is a river, not the sea and whilst it might be fine for sailing or windsurfing, swimming is not recommended.

Given this it may be a little surprising to find that there is a relative scarcity of outdoor pools, your main options are the following:

Parque Norte (Buses 160 or 37 from Plaza Italia): A huge sporting complex near the Aeroparque internal airport, Parque Norte offers a huge choice for outdoor activity from football and hockey pitches to tennis and basketball courts. On top of this it has the largest pool complex in South America, consisting of 3 pools of 4,500m² each. The pool is very much for entertainment purposes rather than serious swimming and on a summer’s day it’ll be as crowded and noisy as the beach at Mar del Plata. Entry costs $35 Mon-Fri and $50 Sat/Sun.

Magic Club (Bus 64 or 3 blocks from Palermo Subte): A private sports club in Palermo, Magic Club has a smallish pool but a nice area to sun yourself. Quieter than Parque Norte, this might be place to try if you want to avoid the screaming hordes. Entry costs $35 Mon-Fri and $50 Sat/Sun.

San Lorenzo (Bus 101): Further out in the south of Buenos Aires, this sports club is affiliated to the San Lorenzo Football Club has a camp site, parilla area, 3 pools and play areas for a taste of the campo in the city. Entry costs $45 Tue-Fri and $60 Sat/Sun.

Thanks to Eterna Buenos Aires for the inspiration for this post! (in Spanish).