10 of the Weirdest and Most Wonderful Swimming Pools on Earth

Swimming pools come in all shapes and sizes, from merely mundane to mesmerizing pieces of art and architecture. It’s astounding what engineers and architects can do with swimming pools, just to give us humans some leisure and exercise. Rarely are pools actually necessary for us, but we love them nonetheless. While many of us manage to go for a dip at home, at the community pool, or while on vacation, the experience is more about getting in the water than it is about the pool itself.

But there are some pools from various places spanning the globe that are attractions in and of themselves. These weird and wondrous structures (occasionally, Mother Nature’s own) are true marvels. Maybe if you’re fortunate you can plan a trip to one or more of these unique swimming holes.

Badeschiff of Berlin, Germany. No, it’s not a “bathing ship”, but it is a shipping container which has been a pool since 2004. Berlin’s Spree River is, sadly, overly polluted and cannot be swum in. So, the Badeschiff Pool was constructed for the citizens of Berlin to enjoy clean swimming water. Open until midnight, this pool gets covered over after sunset so that the swimmers stay warm. Nothing beats German engineering!

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa of Grindavik, Iceland. Blue Lagoon is one of the most beautiful places on Iceland, the land of mystifying geothermal features, and true to form this pool derives its alleged skin-healing superheated water from the ground close to a lava flow, which helps its temperature to hover constantly at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, there’s a geothermal plant close by which is used to restore the lagoon every other day by way of a mixture of natural and artificial filtering. As the water gets heated naturally beneath the earth’s surface it becomes rich with minerals including sulphur and silica, to which are attributed the water’s amazing skin-healing powers.

Conrad Rangali Islands of the Maldives. Here you will find infinity pools stretching off into the bluest of blue waters. Yes indeed, if you visit you will feel as if you could dive into infinite blue goodness at the Conrad Maldives Resort and Spa.

Devil’s Pool at Victoria Falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya, Africa. This all-natural pool yields a spectacular view of one of the largest waterfalls (128 feet high) on Earth as well as of the beautiful Zambezi River. But why would this be the Devil’s Pool? It’s because the all-natural rock formation which prevents swimmers from being cast headlong and helplessly down the mighty Falls to their almost certain death cannot be seen from the banks, covered as they are by the Zambezi’s waters! How would you like to have been the guy to figure that out for the first time?

Hotel Caruso of Ravello, Italy. Situated upon the breathtaking Amalfi Coast the beauty of which is unsurpassed, this historic hotel (which once was a palazzo) features infinity pools where guests can luxuriate 1000 feet above sea level, drinking in the ineffable beauty of the landscape.

Hotel Villa Mahal of Turkey. Here, you may just find the greatest infinity pool ever devised. Have you ever thought that you might swim beyond the edge of a pool and into the sky itself? Visit the Hotel Villa Mahal and you will get your chance. (It’s all illusions, of course. But you won’t care.)

Intercontinental Hotel of Hong Kong. Here, guests can find a series of three pools overlooking the city’s Victoria Harbor, situated atop the hotel’s third-floor spa deck. And, these three pools are each set to different temperatures—cold, warm, and hot—so that guests can submerge themselves in “perfect water” while soaking up the view of the gorgeous Hong Kong city skyline.

The Library Blood-Red Pool of Koh Samui, Thailand. The Library is a posh resort built upon the Koh Samui beach, famous today for its lavish and intimate Full Moon Parties. But what’s this about a pool of blood-red water? It’s surely not really blood…but is it bacteria? Is it possibly poisonous dye? None of the above. The blood-red color of the water merely gets generated by the mixture of orange, yellow, and red tiles of which this luxurious pool is made.

Nemo 33 of Brussels, Belgium. The world’s deepest indoor pool (divers can reach depths of 115 feet), Nemo 33 is filled with unfiltered spring water while being kept at a delicious 96 degrees Fahrenheit, which also means that divers don’t have to wear wetsuits here. In addition to recreational use which includes exploring realistic underwater “caves”, this pool is also host to diving training, Tour de France cyclist training, and the filming of underwater movie scenes. But the best part of this pool may just be the bar and restaurant all the way at the bottom of it!

Ubud Hanging Gardens Hotel of Bali. As if the hanging gardens themselves aren’t enough, each villa has its own infinity pool wherein you could feel as if you’re about to dive off into the lush greenness. But you can also take the lower infinity pool to feel as if you can merge with the famous Balinese terraced gardens, some of the most ecologically astute gardens ever devised by mankind.

So there you have it: 10 of the weirdest and most wondrous swimming pools on Earth. Next time you find yourself longing for adventure, as you float lazily in a more standard domestic aquatic option, close your eyes and imagine you’re actually perched weightless in water, high above the jungles of Bali.

Jessie Zender is a freelance writer from Scottsdale, Arizona writing for www.roadrunnerpoolservice.com. Jessie writes extensively in the home maintenance field. He is considered an expert in the pool repair and pool cleaning service industries.