Centre Aquatique Grand Bleu

I swam here twice. The first time was on a Saturday afternoon; it was sunny and about 13ºC (55ºF). The water in the pool was 27.8ºC (82.0ºF). There were no lanes marked for speeds or strokes but everyone sort of figured it out; there were two to four people in most of lanes. (There were even a few swimmers doing lengths in butterfly!) One lane was being used for lessons. My second visit was on a Monday afternoon; a dull day, 11ºC (52ºF) with a 20 km (12½ mi.) per hour wind. Fencing blocks much of the wind but I could certainly feel it. It makes one not waste much time between the pool and the change room. At 2:00 PM, had lane to myself, but by the end of my swim I was sharing the lane with another swimmer; most lanes had two or three swimmers each. A bunch of students showed up for lessons at 3:00 o’clock. Three lanes were set aside for the students. There were a couple of leaves in pool, but it was otherwise clean. The swims were very enjoyable.

You have to remove your shoes before entering the changing area. The changing rooms are small "cabins" with double-doors; you enter on one side dressed and exit from the other in your swimsuit. (There's a lever built into a bench in the cabin, which locks both doors.) When you exit the cabin, you will be in locker room. The lockers are electronic coded. One or two were not working and banks of lockers were intentionally shut down, as it was off-season. There are bathing suits for sale in a machine in the lobby, along with goggles. (You may need to buy a suit, if yours isn't short enough.) The prices are very reasonable.

The pool is about 25 minutes from the train/bus station in Cannes. Take Bus #1, in the direction Alfred de Musset. The fare to the Piscine Municipale stop is €1.50. It was a little difficult to find the pool entrance. Look for the brown, wooden, vertical slat-fencing that surrounds the facility. Follow along the West side of fence to the North side of the pool, where the entrance is.

This facility has a great 50m pool with lanes clearly marked for speeds and swim aids available. The lap swim etiquette is good, albeit with the usual exceptions that make the rule. It's nice and deep, and makes for great swims, in general. The locker rooms, however, are a mess; the electronic locker system doesn't always work and the changing cabin benches are too thin to sit on. It's a 15 minute drive from Cannes proper, so it's easy to get away during work, and parking is available. The €5.10 non-resident fee isn't bad and it's definitely a good option when within spitting distance of Cannes.