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Coolest Pools Around the World

From infinity edges where water tumbles away to the unknown, and ocean-sized giants you can breeze out the sails on, our blue planet is peppered with perfect places to dive head first into. Far from just being lagoons to lounge by, these architectural masterpieces are designed with hedonists in mind.

We show you the most stunning places around the globe to take a dip, guaranteeing a splashing summer.

Stack up your cool points around the pool with these picks from fashion and beauty editor Lisa Haynes.

Grace Hotel, Santorini, Greece

Hidden away among Santorini’s whitewashed streets and piercing blue skies is the super-chic Grace Hotel complete with gorgeous infinity pool. Not only is it the largest of its kind on Santorini but the hotel complex is also hewn into the side of a volcano, making for a totally unique experience.

Sunsets at the Grace Hotel are what its all about. With totally unobstructed views from the Caldera, you can watch as the sun dips below the horizon right from the edge of the pool itself – truly the stuff of Aegean dreams. Instagram at the ready, this is a memory you’ll want to capture.

The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India

Perched on the very edge of the glorious lake Pichola in historic Udaipur, the palatial Oberoi Udaivilas hotel rises like a golden mirage from the water’s edge. Make your way through a tangle of birdsong-filled gardens to one of the pool suites, where you can dip in right from your room, giving the feeling of sinking straight into the sacred lake. 

The resort emulates a royal palace, which, while you swim, gives uninterrupted views over the busy, cultural city that feels a world away when surrounded by this serenity. Or, indulge in the view of the hotel itself, carved out of pale yellow stone with pillars, domes and minarets that crown the roofs.

San Alfonso del Mar Resort, Algarrobo, Chile

Chile is home to the largest swimming pool in the entire world. San Alfonso del Mar’s ocean of a pool is 0.62 miles long and 115 feet at its deepest, setting the record for both. Guests can swim, kayak and amazingly, even take a sailboat out on the turquoise water, while watching the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash against the beach that it borders.

Unlike other resort pools, this one is filled with cool, refreshing seawater, pumped straight from the Pacific and is cleaned ultrasonically. It has to be seen to be believed.

Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy

Ravishing Ravello, perched on the cliffs of the Amalfi coast, must be one of the most awe-inspiring destinations on Earth. Appearing as though the settlement is tumbling down the mountainside, the villas of Ravello cling to the edges like giant nests. 

Perch yourself at Hotel Caruso which offers an infinity pool right on the cliff edge approximately 1150 feet above the sea. This world-class hotel is known for having one of the top spas in Italy, where you can drink in the views of the achingly beautiful scenery from the pool or from one of the sun loungers arranged among classical columns and the ivy-strewn 11th-century building on the water’s edge.

One & Only, Reethi Rah, Maldives

The One & Only features a multitude of pools, as the many beachside cottages that make up the complex feature their own individual plunge pools, and there’s a stunning communal one with a freeform infinity edge, dotted with palm-flecked ‘islands’… but the one we’re most interested in is the 30-metre lap pool that extends into the lagoon and features and bubbling jacuzzi tub within it. Launching from the edge into the pool feels just like plunging into the Indian Ocean.

Of course, if that wasn’t breath-taking enough for you, the resort comprises twelve pristine white-sand beaches that are gently lapped by the flat-calm sea. The perfect setting to luxuriate on in this quiet corner of paradise.

Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong

Saving the most spectacular ’til last – can you imagine the thrill of taking to the water 118 storeys in the air? Well that’s exactly what happens at the magnificent Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Wade out into the aqua blue of the pool and survey the vista of a jungle of towers right before you, from hundreds of metres in the sky.

This is a seriously surreal infinity pool, which, when you break through its surface, makes it look as though the water is about to tumble right down the side of the building. The ceiling is also mirrored and there’s an LED wall sending waves of colour over the room for a wash of total relaxation.

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