The world’s best swimming pools share one quality: they make swimming an experience rather than exercise. Whether suspended 191 metres above Singapore’s skyline, carved naturally from Greek sea rocks, or stretched for over a kilometre along the Chilean coast, these pools redefine what water architecture can achieve. This guide covers nine pools — from hotel showpieces to free natural lagoons — with the key facts that make each one worth knowing about.
- Marina Bay Sands holds the world’s longest elevated pool: 150 metres at 191 metres above ground, exclusive to hotel guests.
- The Address Beach Resort in Dubai holds the Guinness World Record for the highest outdoor infinity pool — on the 77th floor at 293.9 metres.
- San Alfonso del Mar in Chile was the original Guinness record holder for largest pool: 1,013 metres long, holding 250 million litres of seawater.
- The Sky Pool in London — a 25-metre transparent acrylic pool suspended 35 metres above ground — opened in May 2021 and is the first of its kind in the world.
Hotel and Resort Pools: The World’s Most Spectacular
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
The SkyPark Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands is arguably the world’s most recognisable swimming pool. Perched on the 57th floor of the SkyPark — the massive cantilevered platform connecting the three hotel towers — the pool stretches 150 metres and sits 191 metres above the Singapore skyline. The vanishing edge faces the city’s financial district, creating the optical illusion that the water flows directly into the skyline below. It holds 1.4 million litres of water and is reserved exclusively for hotel guests. Temperatures on the SkyPark can be significantly cooler than at street level, making early morning sessions particularly popular.
Address Beach Resort, Dubai
The Address Beach Resort on Jumeirah Beach Road holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s highest outdoor infinity pool. Situated on the 77th floor at 293.9 metres (964 feet) above the city, its 75-metre swimmable zone looks out over the Palm Jumeirah, Ain Dubai and the Burj Al Arab simultaneously. The pool opened at the start of 2021 and covers a wet surface area of approximately 560 square metres. The view is unobstructed in three directions — a consequence of the hotel’s triangular floor plan — making it one of the few pools in the world where you can see the desert and the sea at once.
Hanging Gardens of Bali, Indonesia
The Hanging Gardens of Bali in Ubud sit within tropical forest 700 metres above sea level and feature twin-tiered infinity pools that appear to cascade into the jungle canopy below. The hotel has been voted the world’s best hotel pool multiple times by Condé Nast Traveller readers — a recognition driven by the combination of visual drama, isolation and the tropical forest backdrop that no built environment can replicate. Each villa has its own private pool; the two communal pools are the property’s centrepiece and are exclusively for hotel guests.
Caruso Hotel, Amalfi Coast, Italy
The Caruso Hotel — part of the Belmond portfolio — sits in Ravello, 300 metres above the Mediterranean. Its infinity pool is set into the edge of an 11th-century palazzo terrace, looking directly out over the Gulf of Salerno. There is no beach access — the pool is the point. The Amalfi Coast’s combination of elevation, history and light quality makes this one of Europe’s most celebrated hotel pool settings, though it is emphatically a destination for the pool itself rather than for swimming distance.
| Pool | Height | Key Distinction | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marina Bay Sands, Singapore | 191 m | World’s longest elevated pool (150 m) | Hotel guests only |
| Address Beach Resort, Dubai | 293.9 m | Guinness record: world’s highest infinity pool | Hotel guests/day pass |
| Hanging Gardens of Bali | ~700 m ASL | Multiple-award “world’s best hotel pool” | Hotel guests only |
| Caruso Hotel, Amalfi | ~300 m | 11th-century palazzo setting above Mediterranean | Hotel guests only |
Public, Natural and Record-Breaking Pools
Bondi Icebergs Pool, Sydney
The Bondi Icebergs pool at the southern end of Bondi Beach is widely described as the world’s most photographed swimming pool. Opened in 1929, it is a saltwater pool cut into the rock shelf at the base of the Bondi headland. In winter, the Icebergs Swimming Club — which has used the pool since its founding — maintains a tradition of throwing blocks of ice into the water during races. Waves regularly crash over the pool’s outer wall, flushing it with fresh seawater. It is open to the public for a small entry fee, making it one of the few pools on this list that anyone can swim in without a hotel booking.
San Alfonso del Mar, Chile
When San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo, Chile completed its lagoon pool in 2006, it entered the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest swimming pool. At 1,013 metres long, 8.2 hectares in area and holding 250 million litres of filtered seawater drawn from the Pacific Ocean, it is roughly equivalent to 20 Olympic swimming pools. The pool maintains a consistently warmer temperature than the ocean itself — the Pacific off Chile is cold — by using an automated pumping and filtration system. Subsequent Crystal Lagoons projects have since built larger artificial lagoons, but San Alfonso remains the benchmark for what privately funded pool engineering can produce.
Sky Pool, Embassy Gardens, London
The Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms, London is the world’s first transparent acrylic swimming pool. Opened on 19 May 2021, the 25-metre pool is suspended 35 metres above the ground, connecting two apartment buildings. The pool shell is fabricated from a single piece of 14-inch-thick acrylic manufactured in Colorado — the same material used in aquarium tanks — meaning swimmers can see directly down to the street below. The structure weighs 50 tonnes dry; the water adds a further 375 tonnes of load. Access is reserved for residents of the Embassy Gardens development. For a comparison of UK infinity and suspended pool engineering versus standard in-ground options, see our guide to infinity pools for UK gardens.
Giola Lagoon, Thassos, Greece
Giola is a natural seawater lagoon on the island of Thassos in northern Greece, carved over millennia by wave action into the limestone rock shelf. The lagoon fills and empties with the tides through a narrow underwater channel, maintaining consistently crystal-clear water. Entry is free and requires no facilities — visitors climb down from the rocks. Its photogenic quality has made it one of the most shared natural swimming locations in Europe. The lagoon demonstrates what the opposite end of the pool spectrum looks like: no engineering, no maintenance cost, no chlorine, no booking required. For those interested in chemical-free pool alternatives closer to home, our guide to DIY natural swimming pools in the UK covers the process in detail.
| Pool | Location | Key Distinction | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bondi Icebergs | Sydney, Australia | World’s most photographed pool; open since 1929 | Public (entry fee) |
| San Alfonso del Mar | Algarrobo, Chile | 1,013 m long; original Guinness record holder | Resort (day pass) |
| Sky Pool, Embassy Gardens | London, UK | World’s first transparent acrylic pool; 35 m up | Residents only |
| Giola Lagoon | Thassos, Greece | Natural seawater lagoon; free entry | Public (free) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best swimming pool in the world?
There is no single answer, but the most consistently cited contenders are Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (world’s longest elevated pool at 150m, 191m above ground) and the Hanging Gardens of Bali (voted world’s best hotel pool by Condé Nast Traveller readers multiple times). For record holders, the Address Beach Resort Dubai has the Guinness record for the highest outdoor infinity pool at 293.9 metres.
Where is the world’s largest swimming pool?
San Alfonso del Mar in Algarrobo, Chile holds the original Guinness World Record for the world’s largest swimming pool — 1,013 metres long, 8.2 hectares in area, with 250 million litres of seawater. More recently, Crystal Lagoons projects have built larger artificial lagoons, but San Alfonso remains the most widely referenced.
What is the highest swimming pool in the world?
The Address Beach Resort in Dubai holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s highest outdoor infinity pool, at 293.9 metres (964 feet) above ground on the 77th floor. It opened in 2021 and has a 75-metre swimmable zone with views over the Palm Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab.
What is Bondi Icebergs pool?
Bondi Icebergs is a saltwater ocean pool at the southern end of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1929, it is cut into the rock shelf so waves crash over the outer wall. It is widely described as the world’s most photographed swimming pool and is open to the public for a small entry fee. It is operated by the Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club.
Where is the Sky Pool in London?
The Sky Pool is at Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms, SW8, London — part of the Battersea Power Station regeneration zone. It is a 25-metre transparent acrylic pool suspended 35 metres above ground between two apartment buildings. It opened on 19 May 2021 and is accessible only to residents of the Embassy Gardens development.
What is the most photographed pool in the world?
Bondi Icebergs Pool in Sydney is widely described as the world’s most photographed swimming pool, thanks to its dramatic ocean setting and the waves that break over its outer wall. Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is a close rival — its infinity edge overlooking the Singapore skyline is among the most shared travel images globally.
Is there a natural pool you can swim in for free?
Yes — Giola Lagoon on the Greek island of Thassos is a natural seawater lagoon carved into limestone rock by wave action. It has crystal-clear water, fills and empties naturally with the tides, and costs nothing to visit. There are no facilities or bookings required.
