Swimming is a popular pastime in Barcelona and the city has many indoor and outdoor pools. The city's gyms and sports centres tend to have swimming pools attached to them, and some of the quiter beaches are good, as lifeguards are present, even when crowds are not. The Club Natació Catalunya in Gracia is a popular spot, with indoor and outdoor pools. The beach clubs listed in this book also have pools. There are many others, just try www.bcn.es for the nearest to you. Almost all have an outdoor sun patio, so you needn’t worry about losing out on tanning time. Centres with indoor pools empty out dramatically in July and August, but when September comes around the lanes start to fill up again. The busiest times are after work hours (19:00 to 21:00) or in the lunch period between 13:00 and 15:00. Sundays are extremely quiet but be aware that many pools are closed in the afternoon (from between 14:00 and 16:00 onwards).