Madrid’s winter pool costs more than its summer one. Casual entry to a municipal indoor pool costs 2.50 € and buys a session of one hour at most, while an adult session at the summer pools costs 2.25 €. Winter casual swimming runs Monday to Friday from 9am to 8.30pm, and under-fives get in free.
What do Madrid’s indoor pools cost and when do they open? Casual entry is 2.50 € for a session of up to one hour. Winter opening runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 8.30pm. Under-fives swim free, the child rate carries a 40 per cent discount and the youth rate 20 per cent. Under-14s must be accompanied.
Madrid’s indoor pools sit inside the municipal sports centres and are paid for by casual entry, on a price and a time cap different from the summer season’s. That the covered option costs more and comes limited to an hour is the reverse of what most people assume. The child rate carries a 40 per cent discount, the youth rate 20 per cent, and the summer season runs 15 May to 6 September across 25 sites.
Who pays less, and who does not pay
Discounts run by age and apply to the casual entry price.
Under-fives enter the indoor pool service free. The child rate carries a 40 per cent discount and the youth rate 20 per cent. There is also a condition that is about access rather than price: under-14s must be accompanied by an adult holding a valid ticket to the pool service, so the accompanying adult pays an entry too.
The two municipal pools, compared
This is the comparison that organises the year, because their calendars barely overlap.
| Indoor | Summer | |
|---|---|---|
| Facilities | Municipal sports centres | 25 open-air sites |
| Reference hours | 9am to 8.30pm | By session |
| Season | Winter, Monday to Friday | 15 May to 6 September |
| Duration | Session of up to 1 hour | Fixed-hour session |
| Adult price | 2.50 € | 2.25 € |
The summer one is cheaper and not capped at an hour, but it only exists for four months of the year, in Madrid’s summer pools.
Why to check the individual centre
The general timetable is not enough, and this is the part that ruins an afternoon.
Each facility divides its lanes between casual use, classes and clubs, so the real casual-swimming window can be shorter than the centre’s opening hours. It is worth confirming at the specific centre before setting off, especially late in the day.
Where it fits into a winter plan
It is one of the few indoor activities priced like a coffee, which makes it useful on bad days.
At 2.50 € it competes with the eight state museums at 3 €, which close anywhere between 3pm and 8.30pm depending which, in Madrid state museums at 3 € and Madrid on a rainy day. The month when it matters most is in the best time to visit Madrid.
The summer alternatives
When the outdoor season opens the sums change, inside and outside the city.
The summer pools run 15 May to 6 September across 25 sites, and the region’s bathing zones 15 May to 15 September, in where you can swim in the Madrid region and San Juan reservoir swimming.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid’s indoor pools
Can a child go to the pool alone?
No. Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult holding a valid pool access ticket. It is not enough for the adult to wait outside, since the requirement is to be accompanied inside the facility itself.
What does a municipal indoor pool cost in Madrid?
Casual entry costs 2.50 € and covers a session of up to one hour. That is slightly more than the summer pools, at 2.25 € for an adult session, and it also comes with a time limit the outdoor ones do not have.
What are the winter opening hours?
Casual swimming runs Monday to Friday from 9am to 8.30pm. It is worth checking the individual centre, because each one divides its lanes between casual use, classes and clubs, which shortens the windows actually available.
Do children swim free?
Under-fives have free access to the indoor pool service. Above that age there are discounts, 40 per cent on the child rate and 20 per cent on the youth rate, applied to the price of casual entry.
Which is cheaper, the summer pool or the indoor one?
The summer pool, at 2.25 € an adult session against 2.50 € for casual indoor entry. Summer pools run 15 May to 6 September across 25 open-air sites, so the two barely overlap in the calendar anyway.
The pool that runs all year costs more than the one that runs four months, and gives you an hour.