Anonymous
Managed by the freguesia (parish or local council), this 25m pool has a beautiful view over a country-like landscape. The water and showers are clean, even though the shower-before-you-get-in rule is applied loosely. The changing rooms are basic; bring your own lock.
A regular customer, I seldom have to share a lane. There are usually two to three lanes occupied by courses (the schedule can be checked on the pool's official web page (see "website", above, and click on the text HORÁRIOS DAS ATIVIDADES). There is a separate pool for kids. The staff is friendly, though not always quick, and attendance echoes the social diversity of Santa Clara. Most customers seem to come from this freguesia, as well as Lumiar and Telheiras.
In my opinion, Santa Clara is currently one of the best pools in Lisbon, beating most private clubs, as well as public facilities in other European capitals, such as Paris and Brussels.
Its biggest inconvenience is access: it's not easy to get to and from the nearest metro station; it is served by Bus 796, which is infrequent (usually one every 15 minutes, narrowing to seven minutes during rush hour and getting up to 25 minutes waiting time). Also, there is no sidewalk on part of the way from the bus stop to the pool and no marked crosswalk either - a sign of how pedestrian safety is enforced in Lisbon. This is no problem if you are driving.
A regular customer, I seldom have to share a lane. There are usually two to three lanes occupied by courses (the schedule can be checked on the pool's official web page (see "website", above, and click on the text HORÁRIOS DAS ATIVIDADES). There is a separate pool for kids. The staff is friendly, though not always quick, and attendance echoes the social diversity of Santa Clara. Most customers seem to come from this freguesia, as well as Lumiar and Telheiras.
In my opinion, Santa Clara is currently one of the best pools in Lisbon, beating most private clubs, as well as public facilities in other European capitals, such as Paris and Brussels.
Its biggest inconvenience is access: it's not easy to get to and from the nearest metro station; it is served by Bus 796, which is infrequent (usually one every 15 minutes, narrowing to seven minutes during rush hour and getting up to 25 minutes waiting time). Also, there is no sidewalk on part of the way from the bus stop to the pool and no marked crosswalk either - a sign of how pedestrian safety is enforced in Lisbon. This is no problem if you are driving.