Can you bathe in the fountains of Valencia?
Valencia City Council announced in August 2023 that there will be penalties of up to 750 euros for those who bathe in the ponds and ornamental fountains of the Central Park, following the poisoning of several minors. In the middle of the heat wave, some people take the opportunity to cool off in some public fountains. But is this action actually allowed?
The answer is no. The Valencia City Council’s water supply ordinance is clear: “Bathing is prohibited in all public fountains, drinking fountains and ornamental fountains, as well as the use of their waters for washing clothes, washing vehicles, or washing animals or people”.
Source: https://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/permitido-banarse-fuentes-valencia-20230809001916-nt.html
So, in what fountains can you bathe?
There is now a fountain where anyone can officially bathe and it is in the Parc Central of Valencia. Bathing is allowed in a specific area: la fuente de los chorros (the fountain of the jets). This area is ideal for cooling off during the intense summer heat of the city and is the only place in the entire park set aside for this purpose.
About the Parc Central as a whole
Parc Central occupies an area of over 23 hectares in its first phase (out of a planned total of over 60 hectares), and was designed by architect Kathryn Gustafson, a renowned landscape architect who has worked on similar projects worldwide. This park is the result of an ambitious plan to reconvert former railway land into a large public space, contributing to improving the quality of life in Valencia and adding a new tourist and social attraction.
The Parc Central Fountain in Valencia is one of the highlights of this large green space inaugurated in 2018, after a long planning and urban transformation. Parc Central is an important project that revitalises the southern railway area of the city, turning it into a green lung and a place of recreation for citizens.
