Abstract
This article reflects on relationships of the body with water, especially the relationship between the body and recreational swimming in the pools of a seaside resort of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It considers that recommendations at the beginning of the 20th century as priorities for healthful looks also become stimuli of new leisure experiences that arise toward the second and third decades of the same century. For this, we apply a qualitative approach focusing on cultural history along with contributions from visual studies that highlight the value of image as a social symbol. The results show the tangible and intangible interconnections between the environment and the social and corporal experiences associated with sports practices.