It’s understandable that when planning your next vacation, you want to choose the most beautiful pool possible – the last thing you want is a filthy puddle to share with some kid’s discarded plaster. No trip is worth this kind of “shame”.
We’ve got you covered with a list of the best swimming pools around the world. From gold tile floors to blood-colored water, from luxurious infinity pools to downtown oasis, your swim shorts and your social feeds won’t know what hit them. The bucket list is ready.
Swimming pool at Deplar farm in Iceland
Have you ever wanted to watch the Northern Lights from your outdoor hot pool while listening to your favorite playlist? You do that now, right? One of Iceland’s most unique accommodations, located on the remote Troll Peninsula near the Arctic Circle, has you covered. The indoor/outdoor pool is heated by hot springs to 38 degrees and features an underwater sound system and a built-in pool bar, which also has a remote-controlled boat so the bartender can deliver drinks directly to guests. Remember, it’s not the drink that will give you your sight.
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
No list of the world’s best swimming pools would be complete without mentioning Marina Bay Sands’ iconic waterhole, the tallest and largest infinity pool in the world. The resort in Singapore is the fourth most expensive building in the world, costing US$5.5 billion to build, and includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 1,300,000-square-foot convention and exhibition center, a shopping mall, a museum, and two large theaters , “celebrity chef” restaurants and the world’s largest casino. But the crown jewel is the infinity pool located 656 feet above sea level (57th floor), overlooking Marina Bay. Don’t look down.
Bronte Rock Pools, Australia
Bali Wanna Jungle Pool and Bar
Beach clubs and Bali go together like gin and tonic water – and they abound on the Indonesian island’s southern coast. Set in the tropical valley of Ubud at Kayon Jungle Resort, the newly opened Wanna Jungle Pool & Bar is arguably the most expansive, with a three-tiered terraced infinity pool inspired by Bali’s Tegalalang rice terraces. Hungry? Try this open-air restaurant and bar, perched on the cliffside overlooking the Oos River Valley. Tepuk tangan! (That’s Balinese for toast).
San Alfonso del Mar Sea Pools, Chile
A luxury resort in Algarrobo, Chile, has a massive swimming pool that costs $4 million a year to maintain. It was once the largest pool in the world, 3,323 feet long and containing about 250 million liters of seawater that was pumped, filtered, and treated from the Pacific Ocean. Swim and enjoy—or, you know, you can swim in the parallel ocean.
Japan Il Mare wave pool
If you’ve ever wanted to splash around in a wave pool in Japan while eating Italian bresaola and sake, now’s your chance. Far from any natural bodies of water, Hoshino Resorts created Il Mare in the middle of the Yatsugatake Mountains (Japan’s main wine-producing region), about a 2-hour train ride from Tokyo, where guests can enjoy a “beach vibe in a forest resort.” The large indoor white-sand beach and wave pool looks almost as futuristic as it sounds, with waves up to 4 feet high and walls covered in holograms of plants and animals projected onto the kids’ area next door.
Sundlaugin á Hofsósi public swimming pool, Iceland
Forget the Blue Lagoon. Hofsósi is one of Iceland’s newest swimming pools and arguably its most beautiful, overlooking Skagafjord, which seems to stretch directly into the North Atlantic. With naturally heated water and designed by the same architect responsible for the famous Blue Lagoon, you’ve decided on a stopover on your northern Iceland road trip.
Infinity pool at Six Senses Koh Yao Noi, Thailand
If you know anything about infinity pools, Six Senses is definitely not an unknown hotel brand. Their Koh Yao pool overlooks Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay, with views of the raised limestone formations rising out of the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea (and easily taking up most of your camera roll). The pool’s aesthetic blends in with the natural landscape, and its lush surroundings, seclusion and panoramic views will have you pinching yourself every time you swim to the edge.
Y-40 Deep Joy, Italy
Y-40 in Padua is the deepest swimming pool in the world, reaching a staggering 13,828 feet (over 2.6 miles). It was designed as a diving pool, engineered with features such as underwater caves for technical activities, and a variety of less scary depths for practice and amateur diving. Y-40 issues over 1000 certifications a year and is the world’s largest diving center, but also offers a 32-34°C thermal water area where you can swim without a wetsuit while your more adventurous partner enjoys the action.
Swimming pool at the St. Regis Lhasa Resort in Tibet
Want to swim in gold? Now you can (sort of) at the exclusive St. Regis Resort in the Himalayas. Constructed from real gold bricks, the illuminated pool uses salt water heated to 28-32°C to create the ultimate swimming experience, and after your swim you can relax with a poolside foot massage. Luxury at its best.
Thai library swimming pool
Speaking of colored pools, the Library Hotel in Koh Samui has one that’s the same color as the substance coursing through your veins. That’s right, this pool’s unique combination of orange, yellow and red tiles creates a spectacular (but slightly unsettling) illusion of bathing in water that looks like blood. Five stars for creativity.
Infinity pool at Hotel Caruso, Italy
This renovated 11th-century palace in Italy features an infinity pool that seems to float above the Mediterranean. From this magnificent curved infinity pool, you can take in 180-degree views of the mountains and the Amalfi Coast below. Don’t plan on proposing here unless you have a ring to back up the unparalleled beauty of your surroundings.
Tolantongo cave pool in Mexico
There’s a place in Mexico’s Mesquital Valley that puts even the most luxurious hotel swimming pools to shame. Las Grutas Tolantongo is a group of hot spring pools built on a cliff, located about 200 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. These thermal pools are the definition of a must-visit attraction, with warm, mineral-rich waters heated by the surrounding volcanoes. There are caves and tunnels to explore for a sense of adventure, a hot spring river for swimming, and a children’s pool with waterslides. grutastolantongo.com
San Francisco swimming pool, Spain
Don’t overlook city breaks when deciding where to swim next. This stunning rooftop terrace and swimming pool is located in a former Mallorcan mansion, overlooking the Basilica of San Francesco and offering stunning panoramic views of Palma. You can watch the sunset from the rooftop bar while sampling seasonal dishes from one of the island’s most popular restaurants, Co Ca To Ne Ta, no need to dress up. Of course, you also pretend that you own the mansion.
Ancient cave swimming pool in Kavota, Greece
For the ultimate in luxury, enjoy breakfast on a tray floating on the water in one of Cavo Tagoo’s signature cave pool suites in Santorini. Each cave suite is built around a pool so you can literally swim right out of your bed, with a majestic backdrop of the caldera and dramatic hillside views stretching out to the Mediterranean.
