Cuba's luxury seaside pools find a second life

Dilapidated seawater pools, known only to locals, can be found at the end of paths littered with trash. "These swimming pools are a tradition. From generation to generation, we come here," said Boris Baltrons, accompanied by his daughter, sister and nephew. "These houses belonged to rich people. At the time, everyone had their own little pool."

These swimming pools were built by rich Cuban families in the first half of the 20th century. They are located in the western Havana district of Miramar, which flourished in the 1940s and 1950s with magnificent villas and luxury hotels. Now abandoned and filled with seawater, the pools survived the 1959 revolution and are now used freely by locals.

In the 1970s, longtime leader Fidel Castro ordered the construction of this 5,000-square-meter giant pool. Located in Alamar, a Soviet-style housing complex in Havana, it was among the most famous swimming pools in the country. Today, only crumbling remnants, such as individual diving towers and a huge, blue concrete slab, are visible, overgrown by the island's lush vegetation.

Many of Cuba's freshwater swimming pools have been abandoned, including those built in sports facilities during the first decades of the revolution.

Some Cubans, however, are still able to enjoy the luxury of a private pool, as seen here in a Havana home.

Emptied of water, most abandoned pools are now used by skateboarders, graffiti artists, videographers and kids playing soccer.

In communist Havana, the nearest sandy beaches are about 20 minutes away by car — a luxury that hardly anyone can afford due to a fuel shortage. Instead, many people prefer to meet in the unique natural baths and enjoy a refreshing evening plunge.