To start, we should probably say that this isn't a place actually designated for swimming... but it's perfect for a bucolic dip of the feet, a spot of sunbathing or enjoying a picnic. This 'river beach' ('platja fluvial') opened in the spring of 2016 with the aim of expanding the leisure spaces in a part of Girona, Sant Ponç, that suffers from a lack of such places and a matching excess of asphalt, despite being close to the river Ter. The long-term plan is for a pathway to connect this space with the Hospital Trueta, so that patients can go for walks there. In a city used to polemic (there are few things more conservative than lifelong Girona inhabitants), surprisingly the decision to clear a section of the Ter's riverside to create a recreational area didn't result in any complaints, but instead a certain amount of enthusiasm; indeed, the beach is always full. Enjoy what is perhaps one of the most charming natural spaces in the city. And if you do decide to go swimming, take care (but we would do it as well).
Ah, the beach. In the Girona area, it's a major topic of conversation and opinion. Locals tend to either love it with their very being to the extent that it makes up part of their DNA, or they run screaming from it in the opposite direction. Among those in the former camp, there are two factions that are completely opposed to each other, to the extent that it can cause disharmony among friends, family and lovers: on the one hand are those people who love going to the beach in the summer, while on the other are those who will only go during those mild days of anti-cyclone weather during the winter months, when the view isn't blighted by bodies with second-degree burns or kids armed with dangerous weapons like inflatable crocodiles. If you, your partner or mates are part of Team Beach in Winter, we've got good news for you: you don't have to miss out on a refreshing dip in the area during the hot summer months.
Girona is full of places for inland swimming, spots where the picnic and breaststroke don't have that 'we can only do this for a week a year' air of desperation, which drives so many visitors to lie out in the sun far beyond any recommended limit. But making sure that these places remain tranquil also depends on our approach: leave the speakers for your smartphone in the car, please. And don't tell anybody else about them...
