National Pool Complex

If you swim seriously at home and want to keep up your lengths while living in or visiting Malta, the National Pool Complex is the obvious place to go. It sits within the Tal-Qroqq Sports Complex in Gżira, a few minutes inland from the Sliema seafront, and it is the island's principal venue for competitive swimming, water polo and other aquatic sport. SportMalta, the government agency responsible for sport, manages the facility, and its wider aim is to get the whole nation moving through healthy, inclusive and enjoyable sporting activity.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the complex is listed in our directory of swimming pools in Malta, where you can compare other places to swim on the islands.

Two pools at Tal-Qroqq

The headline feature is a full Olympic pool, 50 metres long, which is laid out with lane ropes for training and racing. A second, 25 metre pool offers a shorter course, which suits anyone used to a typical British leisure centre. Both pools are heated through the winter months, so a December swim is perfectly comfortable even when the sea feels cold, and the water is checked with modern monitoring equipment to keep its quality in line with World Health Organization standards.

Because the complex hosts national competitions, it also has seating for up to 1,800 spectators. Parents of junior swimmers and water polo fans will find plenty of room in the stands when a meet or match is on.

Sessions and membership fees

You do not need to commit to a long contract to use the pool. A single session lasts up to two hours and costs €12 for adults and €6 for children aged 5 to 17. Regular swimmers can take a six month membership at €130 for an adult or €55 for a child, or a twelve month membership at €200 for an adult or €85 for a child. Three month, one month and seven day options are not currently offered.

Reduced rates apply to students and senior citizens, so it is worth mentioning either status when you ask about joining. For context on what else costs what when you move over, our UK guide to relocating to Malta covers everyday living.

Opening hours and when members can swim

The complex itself opens early: from 05:30 to 22:00 on weekdays, 07:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, and 07:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Full membership users have set swimming times within those hours: 06:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, 07:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays, and two windows on Sundays and public holidays, from 07:00 to 09:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00.

Summer in Malta is long and hot, so early morning sessions are the most pleasant time to train between June and September. Our Malta weather guide by month shows what to expect through the year, and when you want open water instead, our pick of the best beaches in Malta is a good place to start.

Finding the pool and planning your visit

The pool is on Triq Maria Theresa Spinelli in Gżira, inside the wider Tal-Qroqq Sports Complex. Gżira is a short hop from Sliema and St Julian's, so visitors staying at one of the hotels in Sliema and Gżira can reach it easily, and the capital is close by too, as our Valletta guide explains.

If you want to build a full training week around your swims, there are other options nearby: the 24/7 Fitness Club in San Gwann is a gym about a kilometre and a half away, 1 Padel Malta in Valletta offers racket sport, and confident swimmers can try diving with 7R Diving Malta. For more ideas, browse our list of things to do in Malta.

To ask about membership, concession rates or swimming times, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will forward your message to the National Pool Complex.