Gordon Pool

Gordon Pool is a municipal outdoor pool and fitness center right on the Tel Aviv waterfront, filled with seawater rather than chlorinated tap water. It opened in 1956 and has long served as a neighborhood gathering spot in the Little Tel Aviv area; it's now run under the city's community, culture and sport administration.

A 2009 renovation added a modern gym with group classes alongside the wellness side of the operation: a wet sauna, dry sauna, a large jacuzzi and a dedicated treatment room. Parking is free for members. Both day passes and memberships are available, and the fitness center and pool keep separate, slightly different hours across the week.

Food is covered by Stolero, a chef restaurant and café on site overlooking the Tel Aviv marina, serving modern Israeli dishes along with lighter cafeteria fare in the pool lobby; members get a 20% discount there. Through the year the venue also hosts sunset events, talks, sports happenings and outdoor classes, giving it more of a community-club feel than a straightforward lap-swim facility.

Regulars describe it as a mix of gym, pool and social hub, with a diverse studio class schedule and a team of young, professional staff. The seawater itself, along with the open setting right by the beach, is part of what keeps longtime members coming back daily.