Swimming kicks off free at the bassin des Récollets, in Paris’s 10th arrondissement this Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Paris mayor (PS) Emmanuel Grégoire announced on Tuesday, June 16, that a 100-meter stretch would be opened for supervised swimming by lifeguards during periods of extreme heat. It’s a direct response to footage showing young people being chased by police as they jumped into the canal amid May’s heat wave.
The context is well known to us. During the May heatwave episode, many Parisians—especially the youngest—took to the water, much to the authorities’ chagrin. Municipal and national police intervened on multiple occasions, and barriers even blocked access to the footbridges. A strategy that the elected official now deems absurd.
Emmanuel Grégoire doesn’t shy away from it: mobilizing so many law enforcement officers to stop young people from cooling off in 40-degree heat had lost its purpose. In a matter of days, the city won the green light from the police prefecture, the regional prefecture, the Regional Health Agency (ARS), and Voies Navigables de France. Water that has been cleaned up over successive terms is now deemed safe.
Key point: water quality will be checked daily to decide whether swimming is allowed. The city won’t wait for Météo-France’s orange heat alert to open this site all summer—as soon as the heat calls for it, it will be open for swimmers.
Practically speaking, you can now swim there from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., for free and under lifeguard supervision. The time slots are set to align with school and work endings—the moments when the banks used to fill up during unauthorized swims. Several hundred people will be able to reach the water via pontoons installed each morning, in a zone fenced off by two lines of floating buoys that maintain the safety distances at the locks.
The riverfront banks will be cleaned starting Wednesday morning, and the municipal police will be patrolling, notably to enforce the closing time. Emmanuel Grégoire does not hesitate to call it "the largest pool in Paris".
The Saint-Martin Canal thus augments an already well-stocked offering. This summer, swimming returns to the Seine and the Marne with eight supervised sites, five of them free, available in Paris and Île-de-France. As for what comes next, the mayor is taking a cautious approach: the Seine appears off the table in the short term, since those are navigation infrastructures. By contrast, the Bassin de la Villette remains a working option for future openings. All in all, a much more aquatic summer in eastern Paris could be on the horizon for 2026.
Swimming in Paris’s Canal Saint-Martin: what you need to know before you go
Swimming in the Saint-Martin Canal is permitted in Paris within a designated zone of the Récollets basin. Hours, access, free entry, safety rules: here are the practical details you need to know before you head there. [Read more]
Swimming in the Marne is making a comeback in Seine-Saint-Denis with the opening of the Les Rives de Paris site in Neuilly-sur-Marne, a supervised natural swimming area that will be open from July 4 to August 30, 2026. We’ve got all the details. [Read more]
Swimming for all in the Seine is now a reality! Among the spots that let you swim in central Paris, the Bras Marie swimming site stands out, now located at the foot of the Pont Louis-Philippe. Free to access, the site lets you swim in the Parisian river while admiring the historic heart of the capital. [Read more]
This summer, once again, the public will be able to swim in the Seine in Paris! Among the bathing sites, the Bercy site in the 12th arrondissement of the capital will open on July 4, 2026. [Read more]
Summer 2026 marks the much-anticipated return of swimming in the Seine, with Paris once again shifting into sun-soaked, swim-ready mode from July 4, 2026 through the end of summer. Notably, the Bras de Grenelle swimming area stands out as the refreshing hotspot in the 15th arrondissement. [Read more]
During the height of the summer holidays, Paris Plages is back for a 2026 edition, running from July 4 to August 30. The lineup includes a host of activities and entertainment for the whole family, plus reading zones and sun loungers. [Read more]
From July 4 to August 30, 2026, swimming reopens its doors to all budding swimmers at the Villette pools. Expect entertainment, sports activities, a nautical base and a splash pool: the lineup promises to be busy. [Read more]
For Paris Plages, the Bassin de la Villette is back in service: from July 4 to August 30, 2026, it will host free activities for young and old, but above all, a charming swimming spot. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From June 17, 2026 to August 30, 2026
Location
Canal Saint-Martin
Canal Saint-Martin
75010 Paris 10
Prices
Free
Recommended age
For all
Swimming in Paris’s Canal Saint-Martin: what you need to know before you go
Baignade dans la Marne : Les Rives de Neuilly ouvre à Neuilly-sur-Marne en Seine-Saint-Denis
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris in 2026? The Bras Marie swimming area in the 4th arrondissement
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris in 2026? The Bercy site, in the 12th arrondissement.
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris in 2026? The Bras de Grenelle, in the 15th arrondissement
Paris Plages 2026: Free activities, sports and entertainment at the Parc des Rives de Seine all summer long
Where to swim in the Seine in Paris in 2026? The Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement.
Paris Plages 2026: the free program all summer long at the Bassin de la Villette
