Swimming to Santiago

[Tony McGinty]

I know everyone is really concerned about keeping gear to a minumum in their
packs, but I'm writing with a suggestion that people consider taking swim
gear. It's lightweight, and the pools I found in Spain along the Camino were
really teriffic.

Your first thought is probably that you'll be getting quite enough exercise
just doing the Camino, and that's true, but the upper body workout you get
from swimming can be a good balance to the mostly lower body workout you get
walking or biking. Plus the pools have other benefits. They are often open
when other places are not, and some have outdoor areas where you can sun and
relax after you cool off in the pool. The shower rooms have plenty of hot
water and are very clean--much cleaner on the whole than showers in the
refugios. They're not a bad place to clean up a bit.

For indoor pools you will need a swimsuit, your own towel, bathing cap
(required for women and  men), and plastic sandals. (Plastic sandals by the
way are not a bad idea to bring if only to use in the showers at
refugios--those areas get a lot of use and are frankly not always that
clean.) Spanish pools are not as heavily chlorinated as American pools, but
you'll probably want to have goggles with you. The water in the pools was
very clean. Sometimes your admission fee gets you a locker with a key,
sometimes you have to insert a coin into the locker to get a key. In either
case, you don't need to bring your own lock.

Here are the pools I found. There are probably more. Check with the local
tourist office.

Burgos:
An indoor pool and an outdoor pool at the Municipal Sports Complex  San Amaro
(a five to ten minute walk beyond the Monastary of Las Huelgas which is very
well marked on the way out of town). The indoor pool is open 10 a.m to 10
p.m. Monday through Saturday, shorter hours on Sundays.  Price of entry is
Euro 2.50. There is also a sauna  open limited hours. There is a vending
machine in the lobby that sells goggles and, I think, swim caps. This pool
also has a very nice cafe attached where parents sit and drink coffee (and
this being Spain, smoke) while their children swim on the other side of the
glass.

Leon:
Outdoor pool only in a lovely grassy area near the Municipal Stadium.

Molinaseca:
In the summer, they apparently dam the river that flows through the town to
provide an outdoor swim area. It looked like it could be a nice spot to cool
off on a hot day. I didn't see if there were changing areas.

Santigo de Compostella:
There are three pools where the public can swim according to the local
tourist office. I swam at the pool of the University of Santiago de
Compostella, which is maybe a ten minute walk west from the Cathedral. The
main campus of the university is well marked on all the city maps. (Just make
sure you locate the main campus on the map, not one of the schools or
institutes that happens to be located in the center of the city.) When you
get to the general area of the main campus, just ask anyone who looks like a
student for the "piscina." This pool opens at 8:30 a.m. and stays open until
10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, shorter hours on Sunday. Because it opens
early, you can go for an early morning swim well before any of the museums or
monuments are open. Or you can go for a mid-day swim when most things shut
down. The attendants, here, as elsewhere are unfailingly polite and helpful,
and happy to assist a pilgrim. Cost is Euro 3.20, for which the attendants on
duty the two times I visited apologized profusely. I got the distinct
impession that I would have gotten a break on the price if I had had a
student I.D. card--any student I.D. card.

Spaniards are enthusiastic swimmers. They do not mind sharing lanes to do
laps. Genereally, I shared a lane with one to four other swimmers. Like in
the States, when sharing, everyone swims counterclockwise in the lane. There
is usually some sort of sign indicating which lanes are for fast swimmers,
which for slower, and which ones are reserved for swimming classes, but it
will usually be obvious which ones are which.

By the way, the University of Santaigo has, near the pool, a very nice gym,
where I got the impression you could get into a pickup game of basketball if
interested. They also have a very nice running track which seems completely
open to the public.

These places can be a nice break from the tourists spots. They are a great
place to meet ordinary Spaniards. I recommend them highly.

On the way back from the University of Santiago to the center of the city be
sure to climb the small hill into the park. At the top, there are amazing
views of the city and the Cathedral particularly in the afternoon when the
sun will be behind you--at that time, the stones of the city have a wonderful
 warm glow to them.

Tony McGinty
amcg65aaol.com
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