First Swim of the New Year
By Charlotte Stace
Get your swimming costumes ready for the traditional Barcelona New Year's Swim ('Primer Bany de l'Any) this January 1st at midday.
Organised by the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta, the first swim of the year is held annually on the beach of San Sebastián. Each year, hundreds of people take part - they line up along the water's edge and wait for the starting signal before running into the sea for their first collective dip of the year. It’s not for the faint hearted, though. The temperatures are a tad cold at this time of year, so be prepared!
As is normal each year, this swim is done to raise money for charity, with donations going to a local cause. This year, everything raised will go to TraCe, the Catalan Association of Traumatic Brain Injuries and Brain Injury. Registration to take part in the swim costs €4 and also gives access to the club’s facilities to use the changing rooms and lockers.