Municipal swimming pool finally opens its doors to the public

At 7.00am on Tuesday 1st July 2025, the doors of the municipal swimming pool were finally opened to the public, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the people of Xàbia, a moment that mayor Rosa Cardona described as “a dream come true” whilst acknowledging all the efforts from those who had worked on the project “including previous mayors and councillors”.

This moment had been a long time coming and many thought it might not ever actually become a reality. Even once the construction started, there were problems with funding as costs increased, whilst its completion brought even more issues with leaks, flooding issues in the shower areas, and a lack of channels between the two basins suggesting a health risk to users. Political parties traded accusations and pointed fingers at each other whilst the residents of the town simply asked them to get it sorted, fix whatever needed to be fixed, and get its doors open. So that moment finally arrived and, with free admission for July and August, the people of Xàbia can finally have an infrastructure to be proud of.

The saga of the municipal swimming pool dates back to May 2005 when Xàbia and the Generalitat Valenciana signed an agreement: the municipality would build a trinquet (a traditional Valencian handball court), and in exchange, the regional government would fully fund an indoor municipal swimming pool. The trinquet was completed and inaugurated in 2010, but the pool never received funding or was included in the regional government’s budget.

For years, Xàbia pushed for the promised pool, but the original project had become outdated and nothing moved forward. In 2016 socialist mayor José Chulvi and the president of the Generalitat Ximo Puig reaffirmed the commitment and a new, more affordable version of the pool was planned. In December 2017, the Generalitat Valenciana approved €1.5 million toward the project, which was now estimated at €3 million after cutting costs (such as eliminating underground parking).

The new design included two pools (25 m and 16 m), a multipurpose room, and direct access to the municipal sports hall. In 2021, construction contract was awarded. Later, a major revision added another €1.1 million to the budget, a 22.6% increase on the original €4.6 million budget. The opposition accused the local government of rushing decisions and lacking transparency. Late-stage additions included features like a footbridge, anti-vandal showers, drainage rerouting, amongst others.

The project was completed in April 2024, by which time the local government was under the control of a tripartite (PP, CpJ, Vox) led by Rosa Cardona. However, multiple issues delayed opening: pool leaks, faulty drainage, unclear signage, and the absence of key safety channels separating the two basins. In February 2025, the socialist opposition forced an extraordinary council meeting to clarify the problems and responsibilities and the two sides traded accusations: one side alleging serious construction faults, the other claiming delays were deliberate or exaggerated.

The final hurdle was installing gutter-like channels between the two pools to avoid cross-contamination, a modification that cost around €8,000 and ensured that the builder’s warranty remained valid. The pool finally opened to the public after an inauguration ceremony held on the evening of Monday 30th June 2025. The final cost? Around €6 million, half funded by the Generalitat Valenciana, half by the local council.

The facility is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm, free of charge until September 2025, with long-term management expected to be through either the public water company (AMJASA) or via public tender.