Balneario La Toma

La Toma is a set of concrete pools at San Cristóbal fed by a natural spring, built in the 1940s as a public bathing complex and still used as one, with the water running through the pools continuously and out into the river below. Trees shade the terraces around them. It has been renovated more than once and remains a weekend fixture for families from San Cristóbal and Santo Domingo. The overflow runs down into the Nigua river below, and the whole complex sits within walking distance of the centre of San Cristóbal.

What you actually see

• The spring pools - concrete basins fed by continuously running natural water.
• The 1940s construction - the original public bathing complex.
• The shaded terraces - the tree cover around the pool edges.
• The weekend use - families from the city filling it on Saturdays and Sundays.

When to go

Year round; the spring runs at a steady temperature. Weekends and holidays are crowded. Weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

The complex is dated and maintenance is uneven. Weekends are very crowded and noisy. Water is cold enough to be a shock.

Nearby

San Cristóbal is beside it, and Santo Domingo is east.