Tal-Qroqq Sports Complex - National Swimming Pool

Yes, the facilities are quite old but a 50m pool next to a 25m pool at a facility with extended opening hours is not something to dismiss in a place the size of Malta – considering also that the sea is close by.

On a Sunday morning between 7:30 and 8:30 AM, I swam in the 50m pool for about an hour, alone in the lane. I barely saw four other swimmers in the whole pool. The 25m pool was busier due to clubs. I can’t judge the swimming etiquette here, there were too few people, but I didn’t see a pace/speed indicator for lanes at that time. It’s more challenging to swim during the week as there are plenty of clubs in the morning and evening but the Facebook page is really useful to get information – especially about lane availability.

I couldn’t see any lockers in the changing room, so I took everything to the side of the pool (as I was advised to by reception). There were no pull buoys or other tools for swimmers to borrow, but a lifeguard was kind to lend me what he could find in the office, as I had forgotten my own. The staff are very friendly!

The water has a strange taste, probably due to desalinization. I was concerned it was going to be too hot – it was the end of the hot season - but it was fine.

Overall, it was a good experience, I recommend it if you don’t fancy swimming in the sea; there are a few places around the harbour that look like they’d be worth trying.

I swam here twice, late on a Friday morning through noon and early on a Sunday afternoon. (It had been suggested to me by pool staff to skip Saturday as it was likely to be busy.) I swam in the 50m pool both times. I had a lane to myself for my entire swim both times. There were a couple of lanes in the 25m pool that had more than one swimmer because they were having lessons, and one lane in the 50m pool was being shared by training free-divers doing one-breath lengths with massive fins.

The water was pretty clear; there were good lane dividers in both pools and backstroke flags in the 50m pool only. The lines on the bottom of the 50m pool were very faded and there were none on the bottom of the 25m pool. The pools are clean and very nice although I suspect they might be very hot in summer. The facility gets used a lot for diver training, water polo training, and kayak training, as well as for swimming lessons. The pool's website has PDF schedules and these, I was told, are pretty accurate. There is little opportunity for lane swimming before 8 AM or after 4 PM, most days, so be sure to check the schedule.

The facilities seem clean but are run down. There are four change-rooms: Female under13; female over 13; male under 13; and male over 13. In the male over 13 change room some of the showers didn’t work; not all bathrooms work (but are stocked and clean); and there is one, large, communal change room with benches and hooks on the wall and a total of nine half-lockers. A full sized HD padlock may not fit through the hasp. I have a slightly smaller combo lock which worked fine. Most users seem to take their belongings out to the pool with them.

Although the initial impressions aren’t great, the swimming is really nice.

The staff are friendly and I like the choice of 50m and 25m pools. It's sometimes booked for training, so check in .advance.