World's Most Extraordinary Swimming Pools

By dorotix, August 26th 2009, Comments (42)

Be it for location, design or size, these pools are more than just enclosed bodies of water intended for swimming - as put in a definition. These extraordinary pools give a whole new meaning to swimming. In some cases you would have to be super rich to dip yourself in the luxurious waters, but a few of them are set in amazing sceneries, open to the public, and quite inexpensive.

1. The Icebergs. Sydney. Australia. 

The ocean's waves often break over the side of the Icebergs swimming pool located in the corner of the famed Bondi Beach. This beautiful full-sized 8 lane, 50m swimming pool is open to the public and the  fee is only 5 AUD.

The Icebergs in Sydney. By Gary Hayes

The Icebergs. Sydney. By Carlos Lopez Molina

 

2. The Neptune Pool, Hearst Castle. California, the USA.

Unlike with Icebergs, you would have to be a millionaire to immerse yourself in the waters of the Neptune Pool. The pool, located at Hearst Castle, was originally constructed in 1920s for William Randolph Hearst, an American magnate, and then rebuilt twice.

The Neptune pool. By Hishaam Siddiqi.

The Neptune pool. By rieh

The Roman pool. By Novembering


3. The Joule Hotel. Dallas, the USA.

This twisting swimming pool projects eight feet over the sidewalk, at the edge of the 10th floor of the Joule Hotel in Dallas. The five-star complex, located in the building since 1927, was designed by a famed architect, Adam D. Tihany.

The Joule Hotel in Dallas.

The Joule Hotel pool. By bryan.amann

The Joule Hotel pool. By bryan.amann

 

The Joule Hotel. By bryan.amman

 

4. The Alila Ubud swimming pool. Bali.

The calm, emerald-green swimming pool is floating above the Ayung River valley in Bali's lush foothills. The pool's home is the Alila Udubu resort, Payangan, a traditional Balinese hill village, near Ubud.

Alila Ubud. By seanmcgrath

 

5. Simply a swimming pool. Iceland.

All we know about this swimming pool is that it is located somewhere in Iceland, and to swim in it you have to drive to the farm next door to ask for a key. If you find it, let us know...

Iceland. By iphilipp

Swimming pool. Iceland. By iphilipp

 

6. San Alfonso del Mar. Algarrobo, Chile.

This is the world's largest swimming pool. It is 1,013 m (3,324 ft) long and has an area of 8 ha (19.77 acre), which is equivalent to 6,000 8-meter-long pools. The water is pumped from the Pacific Ocean, then filtered and treated before it is supplied to the pool.

San Alfonso del Mar. By ervega

San Alfosno del Mar. By Thiago Graça Couto

 

7. The Gellert Swimming Pool. Budapest, Hungary.

Gellert Baths and Swimming Pool complex looks more like a cathedral than a pool. The famed Budapest's bath was constructed between 1912 and 1918 and it features chic Art Nouveau style. The temperature of water exceeds 40°C (110°F), so visiting the baths is a perfect way to kill the time on a rainy day.

Gellert Swimming Pool in Budapest. By pinkcigarette

Gellert Swimming Pool in Budapest. By pinkcigarette

 

8. Harbour Plaza Hotel Swimming Pool. Hong Kong, China.

Harbour Grand Hong Kong, an icon of luxury in Hong Kong, is home to an amazing outdoor swimming pool that sits on the 23th floor of the hotel. The pool, facing the Victoria Harbour, has some truly stunning views of the city's countless skyscrapers.

Harbour Plaza Hotel. By PVCG

 

 

9. The Badeschiff. Berlin, Germany.

Badeschiff or "bathing ship" is the most unusual swimming pool in Berlin. It is an old cargo container converted into a pool on Spree River. During the summer it is an outdoor pool with the beach, bar and DJs. In the winter the whole thing is covered, and a few extra saunas are added.

Berlin's swimming pool. By maurizio.mwg

The Badeschiff. By maurizio.mwg

 

10. The Pimalai Resort swimming pool. Koh Lanta, Thailand.

This amazing swimming pool in Pimalai Resort & Spa on Koh Lanta looks more like some kind of a temple site. In fact, it is a fresh-water, infinity-edge pool, which is set around 50 meters above sea level - so while swimming you can admire the spectacular views of the beach and the sea below.

Pimalai Resort swimming pool. By gkamin

Pimalai Resort. By gkamin

 

That's what you call swimming with a capital S. Just looking at them sends shivers down my spine, so diving to their bottoms must be nothing short of thrilling.

Tags: swimming pool, resort, bath, world's largest swimming pool

Comments

  1. bruno100 Aug 29, 2009 7:21 AM

    Perivolas Hotel Pool in Santorini maybe ??

  2. joo Aug 29, 2009 8:46 PM

    superCOOL thx ;b

  3. Mark Sep 2, 2009 9:38 PM

    The pool at the Anantara Golden Triangle is amazing and won many awards.

    Mark Trim
    www.roundabouttravel.com.au

  4. Roger Ritchie Sep 3, 2009 10:11 AM

    Splendid photo-feature idea and fine photography too.
    Well Done !

  5. omid Sep 11, 2009 4:08 PM

    ahmadinejad is not my president!

  6. Claressa Sep 26, 2009 6:31 PM

    I love to swim. I want to visit every one of these pools. And Justin ur a creep.

  7. Catherine Sep 29, 2009 10:52 AM

    OH MY GOD! San Alfonso Del Mar. So one whole length of that would constitute an entire hour's workout? Yikes, that's one scarily big pool, when's the next flight!? And the Iceberg pool looks awesome!

  8. melanie Oct 1, 2009 10:08 AM

    omg!it would b so scary to have a swimming pool stiking out of a buliing like that

  9. Rabbitronica Oct 11, 2009 11:12 PM

    Fabulous ones, but where's the Caldea in Andorra? Amazing, amazing place.

  10. Monterosa Nov 6, 2009 8:17 AM

    what a nice picture. i like to visit once in my life once.thanks for sharing these great picture and information

    Monterosa
    http://www.monterosa-nepal.com

  11. ayoub Nov 7, 2009 3:28 PM

    super vacance

  12. ArchiTexas Nov 9, 2009 1:07 PM

    Adam D. Tihany didn't design that pool in Dallas.

  13. Ganesh Nov 11, 2009 7:50 AM

    you have very nice picture about swiming pool. i like to swim and i like to visit these place once in my like. thanks for sharing these great picture


    regard
    http://www.nepalpackagetour.com

  14. bob Nov 11, 2009 10:08 AM

    crary pools

  15. Shockersh Nov 11, 2009 3:01 PM

    love the first 2. wow!

  16. Graham Nov 11, 2009 6:51 PM

    Nice pools

  17. Stevean Nov 12, 2009 11:13 AM

    Cool wonderfu l

  18. JaFARi TAfT Nov 17, 2009 3:35 AM

    You Missed Kits Pool in Vancouver Canada. 132 Yards right on the ocean..absolutely gorgeous!!

    http://www.photoblimp.ca/assets/pool_city.jpg

  19. Crow Nov 17, 2009 11:35 PM

    The joule hotel pool is a rip.
    We have one in melbourne that is hanging out over the edge as well but with a glass bottom and I believe its bigger.

  20. SKGINDALLAS Nov 18, 2009 3:25 PM

    LOVE THE HOTEL POOL! BEEN THERE A COUPLE TIMES! NOT SCARY AT ALL! GLAD ITS ON HERE!

  21. eo Nov 19, 2009 12:25 PM

    "This twisting swimming pool hangs eight feet over the sidewalk"
    typo? It definately looks like more than 8 feet above the sidewalk.

  22. Larry Nov 19, 2009 5:30 PM

    The first one isn't really impressive. Lots of beaches in Australia have ocean baths. A more impressive one would be the bogie hole in Newcastle that was carved out of the rock by convicts so the mayor could swim there.

  23. arc Nov 22, 2009 6:06 PM

    aswome

  24. not saying name Nov 30, 2009 7:31 PM

    cool pools !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  25. Phone blocker Dec 1, 2009 7:58 AM

    It is very interesting for me to read the post. Thank you for it. I like such themes and anything connected to them. I definitely want to read a bit more on that blog soon.

  26. Kris Dec 4, 2009 5:13 AM

    Great pools! I like it!

  27. itys cool Dec 7, 2009 11:01 AM

    not bad

  28. LEMMY Dec 8, 2009 4:28 PM

    BUDAPEST! COOL!

  29. Gold Coast Hotels Dec 10, 2009 8:15 PM

    The pools are so fantastic! Can i say it's a dream swimming pools.


  30. Steini Dec 13, 2009 4:44 PM

    Hi there, Stumbled to this webpage. About the icelandic pool, im quite certain it is the new Seljavallarlaug (Seljavallar swimming pool). Close to this pool is another one older (built 1924) but as you have to walk some 10-15min to get to that pool the locals built a new one that was only open in the summer time. However there was not much traffic to the new pool as everyone went up to the older one. The old one deserves much more to be on this list than the new one.
    Links:
    http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/plofin_seljavallalaug.htm
    http://www.grapevine.is/Travel/ReadArticle/Travel-Seljavallalaug-Swimming-Pool
    pic: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1027/3168033662_49f05c7d62.jpg
    http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1086/905233874_b8a43100d6.jpg
    For more info about icelandic hot springs and baths check out http://www.hot-springs.org/ (it has had some downtime recently though)

  31. june Dec 14, 2009 11:02 AM

    wish ko lang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hahahahahahahha

  32. vineet Dec 18, 2009 5:46 AM

    really amazing

  33. katie Dec 18, 2009 3:54 PM

    wow luv those awesome pools! :)

  34. Fred Dec 23, 2009 8:21 AM

    These are simply amazing!

  35. archy Dec 23, 2009 9:59 PM

    they are not exactly a swimming pool, but the thermal baths at Vals, Switzerland, designed by Peter Zumthor are amazing.

  36. dr sweety Jan 2, 2010 9:45 PM

    loved the pools, simply superb especially bali!!!!!!!

  37. bwes1718 avatar bwes1718 Jan 8, 2010 8:33 PM

    i wich i was in those kind of pools those pools are so awesome its longer than a sky scraper

  38. Rick Jan 27, 2010 4:31 AM

    Awesome pics .. The Alila Ubud is a very relaxing site amid the forested foothills of Bali and an absolute respite from the main town areas.


  39. Jessica Feb 19, 2010 4:49 AM

    Cool Post. I love Swimming pools to. Every day, I go into my favorite pool supplies store to look for some new products for my pool.

  40. Michelle Feb 27, 2010 10:43 AM

    Love it
    Want to swim in it
    Which one - all of them

  41. Ashley Mar 7, 2010 6:28 PM

    I've seen to the ones at Hearst Castle, they were both beautiful.

  42. huja Mar 9, 2010 10:06 PM

    Swam in the Hotel Alila Ubud pool in Bali. Nice hotel.

  43. Name: Mar 11, 2010 4:31 PM

FEEDBACK