A Glimpse of a Swimming Pool in the Hills of Purworejo, Built to Keep Children from Playing in Dangerous Rivers

PURWOREJO, KOMPAS.com - In the hilly region of Bener sub-district, Purworejo regency, a village swimming pool has become a new attraction for children and tourists from outside the area.

Located in Sidomukti Village, this simple swimming pool is not only an affordable entertainment venue but also a source of local revenue that is starting to benefit the village government.

The swimming pool was built on the initiative of the Sidomukti Village Government as a means of sport and a safe space for children. Not only children, many adults also enjoy this cool and refreshing place.

“This is in order to accommodate the needs of children for sports facilities while also developing their talents, especially in the field of swimming. In the past, many played in the river and that was dangerous,” said Imam Tobari when met at the location on Saturday (16/5/2026).

According to him, the existence of the swimming pool is a solution for entertainment as well as an educational sports facility for children in the mountainous area which has limited tourist facilities. From Sidomukti village to the nearest swimming pool, it takes 20 kilometers.

“Now we provide a place to refresh and exercise to develop the talents of children,” he said.

Imam explained that the reason for choosing to build a swimming pool rather than other attractions is because this facility is considered more needed by the community, especially school-aged children.

In addition to being a playground, the swimming pool is also expected to support sports development from an early age. The low entrance fee is deliberately applied so that all residents can enjoy the facilities.

“For now, the entrance ticket is only Rp5,000. In fact, it is only for operational costs and to introduce this place to the community,” explained Imam.

Although simple, the enthusiasm of visitors is quite high. Not only residents of Sidomukti Village, visitors also come from surrounding villages to the border areas of Wonosobo and Magelang regencies.

“It so happens that our area borders Wonosobo and Magelang. So there are also visitors from outside the district,” he said.

Children from kindergarten and elementary school are the most dominant visitors to the location, especially on weekends and during school holidays. The pool is open from 8 am to 5 pm.