Piscina Comunale dell'Acquacalda

A fine pool! Not confusing at all: When you pay, the attendant will ask if you want a shower and to dry your hair; both cost a (tiny) bit extra. We paid €6/person with shower and drier.

The pool is well kept, at a good temperature, with fine lane lines and very courteous swimmers.

This is Italy, so bring a swim cap and sandals. Also, there's a sign saying no nude swimming.

If that doesn't deter you, you can get to Acquacalda by bus from Centro Siena: Follow Google Maps instructions, but for us it was a walk to Piazza del Sale and a €1.50 trip on the S10 (tickets available in any "bar") then a very short walk down to the pool.

This is a great pool, even by North American standards. There are walls of large windows that give lots of natural light. At 7 AM, there were a lot of Masters swimmers but lanes were generally available.

Parking was a confusing; the lot is the immediate right when you turn into the facility, from which you walk to the main entrance.

It appears there are aquatic classes for older adults beginning at 8:30 AM, and perhaps children's lessons in the afternoon.

As in the rest of Italy, a swim cap is required, outside shoes remain outside the locker room, and the price of a shower is in addition to the pool entry charge.

As already noted, the shower system is really confusing, even for an Italian pool. The walkway to the pool and the parking lot are littered with the little aqua-green shower tokens, no longer of any use.

Cap and shower shoes required. Ask for a lock when you pay. If they are out of keys, just take your valuables to the pool deck. There are not enough lockers, so this is standard.

The pool, locker room, and equipment could all use a good scrubbing. It's not up to the standards of cleanliness I have seen at other Italian pools. The system is complex and confusing, even for Italy.