The Best Pools in Wales for Kids
29 May 2023
There are so many great pools in Wales for kids; it’s a tough call to name *the best* in Wales. It does depend on what you are looking for.
Are you looking for something for the family? Are you looking for holiday play, slides, water features, splash pools, etc.?
Are you looking for time outdoors - always a challenge in Wales, where September - the driest month of the year - still has rain for nearly 13 of its 30 days?
Or, are you looking for swimming lessons, a warm toddler pool, and a bigger, deeper pool for older kids?
Take a look at five of the best pools in Wales that cater to various requirements.
The Blue Lagoon Indoor Water Park, Pembrokeshire
Not to be confused with the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy, the 25m deep old slate quarry now used for swimming and coasteering - which is undoubtedly colder, averaging 15-17C!
Subtropical temperatures at the Blue Lagoon Indoor Water Park provide a very different experience and cater to all ages. Stay paddling in the shallows at the Blue Lagoon beach, or head for deeper waters and challenge the waves from the wave machine.
There are four fabulous flumes to speed down, a slower lazy river that will wash you gently downstream to the sun loungers in the patio area, and a heated bubble pool.
The LC Swansea, West Glamorgan
The LC (Leisure Centre) at Swansea is a big, exciting water park featuring a network of fun flumes, a lazy river, smaller slides, a wave machine, and the one-of-a-kind Boardrider! Make a splash, ride the rings, and surf on the mini rapids.
Fill up hungry swimmers at The LC cafe afterward, and an interactive, aquatic-themed play area and 30ft climbing wall will warm kids up after a busy time in the water.
Cardiff International Pool, South Glamorgan
As well as a large leisure pool with 3 fabulous slides, sprays, and a lazy river, CIP also caters to toddler, child, and adult learners in their Olympic-size 50m pool and smaller 25m pool. Speed-allocated lane-swimming is available for those with fitness rather than leisure in mind.
A 25m-deep tank is available for the divers among you.
Understandably, a great pool like this gets busy sometimes, so secure your spot via the online booking service.
Plas Madoc/Splash Magic Leisure Centre, Clwyd
If the only bad reviews seem to be complaints about how busy it is, then Plas Madoc is getting something right!
Catering for all age groups, Plas Madoc has three slides, a safe shallow area for little ones that feeds into the main pool, a waterfall, and a fun wave machine. It also places importance on water safety, with a swimming instructor in the pool while the wave machine is operating.
Hafan y Môr Holiday Park, Carnarvonshire
Splashaway Bay is a large indoor pool complex on a family holiday park in North Wales, so it stands to reason that it caters to all ages. Non-residents can access the facilities, including the pool, by purchasing a day pass.
Little ones will be perfectly safe paddling about in the toddler pool, while older kids will love the water features, flumes, and competing on the four-lane slide.
A large, newly-built, adrenaline-filled adventure park is also available to keep you active out of the pool.
Victoria Park Splashpad, South Glamorgan
Victoria Park, on the outskirts of the city of Cardiff, was created in 1897 and remains one of the best-loved public places in the area - and still free to visit!
The outdoor pool has been updated over the years and now includes a fabulous splash pad, split into three separate areas for different age groups. Toddlers, juniors, and families have 33 fun water features to play with, including sprays, jets, a tipping water bucket, and a tunnel, among others.
Work up an appetite in the paddling pool, then fill up on fabulous snacks from the family-run kiosk afterward.
The Splashpad is closed between September and April.