Le Nautile

Le Nautile is an aquatic centre in Villefranche-sur-Saône, located at 140 rue Mirabeau and run by the Communauté d'Agglomération Villefranche Beaujolais Saône. The complex is built around three zones — swimming pools, a wellness area, and a fitness room — which makes it equally suited to families looking for a splash-around afternoon and to visitors after a proper lap swim or gym session.

What will you find in the pool area?

The centrepiece is a 25-metre sports pool with six lanes, used for both swimming lessons and lane training. Next to it sits a roughly 100 m² leisure pool built for play and relaxation rather than laps — this is where children and casual swimmers tend to gather.

Beyond these two main basins, the site also includes balneo-leisure pools, a slide (including a multi-lane "pentagon" style slide), a jacuzzi, and an outdoor pool that operates seasonally. In practice, Le Nautile functions like two facilities in one: a sports pool for structured training and a playful leisure zone for families.

What does the wellness area include?

The wellness section is unusually well equipped for a municipal aquatic centre — two saunas, including a salt cave sauna, a spa, a hammam, massage showers, and a relaxation area with a private Zen garden. This scale of wellness offering is uncommon at facilities of this size, and it's one reason Le Nautile draws visitors from beyond Villefranche itself — few nearby towns in the Beaujolais area offer a comparable spa setup.

What's available in the fitness zone?

The third zone is a fitness room equipped with modern cardio machines, letting visitors combine a swim with a cardio or strength session in a single visit, without needing to travel to a separate gym.

When should you visit?

Le Nautile operates year-round, which sets it apart from many seasonal pools in the region. Exact opening hours vary by day and by season — the outdoor pool runs seasonally — so it's worth checking the current schedule before visiting, particularly if the wellness zone is the main draw, as it can follow its own timetable.

How do you get there?

The centre sits at 140 rue Mirabeau in Villefranche-sur-Saône, a town in the Rhône department roughly 30 km north of Lyon. Its in-town location makes Le Nautile an easy stop both for residents of the Beaujolais area and for visitors passing through Villefranche while touring the surrounding vineyards.

Frequently asked questions

Is Le Nautile suitable for children? Yes — the roughly 100 m² leisure pool and the slides are specifically designed for younger visitors looking for water play rather than lane swimming.

Can you visit just the wellness area without swimming? The wellness zone (saunas, hammam, spa) is a separate part of the facility — it's worth checking on-site or by phone (04 74 68 01 16) whether a wellness-only ticket is available, as ticketing options can change.

Is the outdoor pool open all year? No — the outdoor pool operates seasonally, typically during the summer months, while the indoor facilities (sports pool, leisure pool, wellness area) run year-round.

Are there lanes for learning to swim? Yes, the 25-metre sports pool with six lanes is used for both swimming lessons and regular training — it's the facility's main sports-focused pool.