In Madrid, construction is underway next to the Metropolitano stadium on Europe’s largest artificial wave pool.
The project, called Gemswell Surf Madrid, is being developed in the San Blas-Canillejas district and will form part of the future Sports City of Atlético football club.
Opening is scheduled for spring 2027
The total investment amounts to 60 million euros, of which 15.7 million come from European Next Generation funds.
The opening is scheduled for spring 2027, later than the original timetable, and the developers expect to attract more than 500,000 visitors a year.
The pool will accommodate up to 120 surfers at the same time
The facility will cover an area of 23,000 m² and contain 30,000 m³ of water supplied by Canal Isabel II.
The pool will be able to accommodate up to 120 surfers at the same time and will be divided into two zones depending on users’ skill levels.
The Bahía zone will be intended for beginners and those who want to take their first steps on a board in controlled conditions.
The Reef zone, on the other hand, will be reserved for more experienced surfers and will offer more technically demanding conditions.
The waves can reach up to 2 m in height, and the system will offer more than 20 different settings to adapt to any type of session.
According to the company, it will also be able to generate up to 1000 waves per hour.
The project includes a beach, concerts and sports areas
The project is not limited exclusively to surfing: it also includes a 5500 m² artificial beach, a concert venue, food and beverage outlets, and areas for yoga, pilates and functional training.
Play areas for children will also be installed.
The developers plan to create beach sports courts and an active leisure area, as they aim to turn the complex into a year-round destination rather than a summer-only facility.
Environmental groups and residents oppose the project
However, the project has faced opposition from environmental and local residents’ organisations.
According to calculations by the Madrid Environmental Platform, water losses through evaporation will amount to 32,200 m³ per year, and in the summer months this figure could reach 184,000 l.
Total water consumption by the complex, including other activities, will reach up to 42,000 m³, equivalent to the household consumption of more than 800 people over a year and a half.
The platform stresses that the project did not undergo a proper environmental assessment, and that this was one of the reasons why the court annulled the special urban development plan on which it was based.
Atlético’s management, in turn, states that the facility received a positive assessment under the European DNSH principle, Do No Significant Harm, with a favourable result for all six European environmental objectives.
Regarding water consumption, the management notes that the complex includes high-precision measures – such as waterproofing and drainage systems to prevent water losses.
The residents’ association of Las Musas – Las Rosas de San Blas also opposes the project, warning that the area around the stadium is becoming a centre not so much of sport as of business.
This refers to the complex consisting of a shopping centre, golf courses and a concert hall planned on the plots adjacent to the stadium.
Local residents also fear that the new parking spaces will not be sufficient and that traffic flows will cause congestion on neighbourhood streets.
