IF YOU can't get to the beach, get the beach to come to you – at least, that's the philosophy of a growing number of homeowners in Spain with their own land.
A rising trend among residents and people with holiday properties, where the nearest coast involves a car drive or, at best, a long walk, or those who would really like to live on their nearest seafront but find this is not practical – in towns where the main hub and the beach are at a distance, and the latter lacks conveniences and facilities outside the main summer season – is to have a swimming pool built which looks like it instead.
An ideal solution for those who want a pool anyway, but love coastal scenery, 'sand swimming pools' have started to take off and demand is increasing as more and more property renovation companies are beginning to offer them as an alternative to the conventional kind.
'Sand pools' are especially attractive to owners who fear a 'standard' swimming pool would take up too much of their garden space and leave little room for greenery, perhaps even being a bit of an eyesore – with this new creation, you can personalise your beach-pool to make it look like an exotic island, with palm trees and palm-leaf parasols, or like a rugged, rural, virgin beach with grass and mountain shrubs.
Companies which are now building 'sand pools' are also working for comunidades – communities of owners, or freehold committees, legal entities to which apartment or villa owners on an enclosed complex or in a block pay rates to cover maintenance, cleaning and extraordinary works; a comunidad is set up as a non-profit firm in which all owners are effectively shareholders or partners – meaning communal pools built like beaches are starting to become popular as well as those on private land.
They do not suffer the same inconveniences as an actual beach – obviously, there are no currents, high tides or red flags, and on windy days, you will not get covered in sand: The base and surroundings are made with a mix of sand and a type of resin to hold it in place, so if you want the 'feel' and 'look' of a beach but the comfort of a purpose-built swimming pool, these new designs offer the best of both worlds.
They tend to have sloping floors, so you can stand at the edge and wet your feet or keep wading out until you are finally in the deep end – depth can be stipulated, of course, in the same way as with a standard swimming pool, if you either want at least four metres to be able to dive or prefer to always be able to keep your head above water at any point – so there are no steps involved, which can be less daunting and more comfortable for those with restricted movement, small children, or anyone who is nervous about swimming.
Sizes can vary, from a basic paddling area through to even an Olympic-sized one if you have enough land, and planning permission requirements – always compulsory for any new solid fixture at your home – are very similar.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com