laying on the beach or taking a swim in the pool of the hotel; during a sunny holiday a refreshing afternoon is a must among most of the tourists. you could say nothing beats watching the sunset over cocktails on a pool terrace and take a dip to cool of your body. every year hotels are investing more to make their swimming pools more exclusive, but there is a lot more behind the beauty of knockout design, superb service and mattresses fit for a maharajah. it depends on the traveller where the body seeks to, but for the ones who never heard of the beauty of natural swimming pools, have a look at the following.
sometimes, mother nature does it best. scenic pools and swimming holes around the world are as natural as they are beautiful. most of the natural swimming pools have a surrounding you have never seen before while lying in the water. you can decide for yourself but here are a few recommendable pools in spain.
gandesa, catalonia
the pools of gandesa are one of the oldest secrets of catalonia. located between the mountains of sierra pándols and sierra cavalls, the thermal pools of gandesa are one of the most visited thermal centres in the mid nineteenth century. the name comes from the warm water hot spring located in the canaletes river, just where the river narrows from a canyon. you will find a serie of natural pools that look like carved into the rock with a natural hot spring water.
it is hidden within a small valley and making it perfect when looking for good ‘days out’ from barcelona.
sierra norte, madrid
unfortunately, the beach in madrid is just too far away for a weekend, but is very easy to head to the sierra for a few days or even a day trip. the natural swimming pools contains three natural pools which are filled with water from the lozoya river. free and open to the public, this is an excellent place to spend the day and escape the hustle and bustle and excessive summer heat in the capital. the pools are surrounded by green grass and trees and have stunning view of the sierra´s highest peak: pico peñalara. the facility is open from 9am to 10pm daily in the summer, remaining so up through late september, depending on the weather. you can reach it by bus or private car.
the pools are located in a very nice area, in a pine forest, which is a perfect place to enjoy nature.
la matanza de acentejo, tenerife
the district of la matanza de acentejo, in the north of tenerife, has a number of natural swimming pools. these pools come in all shapes and sizes and were formed by molten lave coming into contact with the water following the eruption of the trevejo volcano in 1706. it offers a refreshing dip in unusual surroundings, but keep an eye on the sea conditions as sometimes there are some fairly big waves.
natural swimming pools are like balm for the soul and families benefit from the numerous swimming complexes and beaches in tenerife.
cáceres, extremadura
this so-called hell´s throat is another refreshing option available for those are not located next to the beach. a breath-taking walking path leads into natural cushioned by grazed boulders carefully shaped by thousands of years or erosion. this area includes deciduous forests, riverside woods, alpine grasslands and brushwood groves. you can explore its many trails on foot, by bike or even horseback and discover some of this nature reserve´s idyllic beauty spots.
this area is a paradise for lovers of outdoor activities: routes for off-road vehicles, guides tours, photographic trips and bird watching.
frontera, el hierro
the water in this natural swimming pool enters gently trough an underwater cave creating a pool where the transparent waters turn blue due the light ground. this wonderful swimming pool consists of two beautiful natural swimming pools with clear turquoise waters, one of the two swimming pools is located in a cave and the other one under the open sky. the area is located in el hierro and can only be reached by a staircase along the cliff. the descent takes about 20 minutes. this little adventure is not dangerous and it is definitely worth it.
a depression of rock has created a spacious natural pool that is fed by the tides and reached via a steep stone staircase
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