It’s Hard to Believe These Unusual Pools Actually Exist

Whether they’re human-made or natural, these unusual pools are unlike any other.

Although the concept of pools is simple, pools have been trying to outdo one another for a long, long time. We all know infinity pools came about because of this unspoken competition, and we’re grateful for it.

But it’s not enough to be breathtaking. After all, any pool can look good, but it takes a special pool to be completely unique — or in the case of some pools, to inspire copycats.

Take a (virtual) dip in these unusual pools around the world. We promise you haven’t seen anything like them.

45. Pool With a Side of Snow

LeCrans Hotel & Spa / Facebook

Location: Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Find it: LeCrans Hotel & Spa

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Swiss people know that you don’t need to be extra to be breathtaking. Their aesthetic has always been somewhat minimalist, emphasizing features rather than adding new ones.

That’s exactly what makes the pool in this Swiss Alps hotel so noteworthy. Instead of adding decorations and features, designers simply carved a space into the snow-covered mountains and put a heated pool there.

That’s really enough to make this unusual pool worthy of a visit. Getting in and out will be tough, but the contrast between the experience and the views will be worth it.

44. The Modern Ancient Greek Pool

amirandesgrecotel / Instagram

Location: Crete, Greece

Find it: Amirandes Grecotel Resort

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Amirandes Grecotel looks like an ancient Greece architect traveled in time to design it. Fully embracing the cultural heritage of the country, the resort is a modern take on the familiar whitewashed columns and symmetry of ancient Greek architecture.

This is particularly true of the pool, where you’ll feel as if you’re Minoan Royalty.

43. The Living Room Pool

Zillow

Location: New York, New York

Find it: Virtually on Zillow

Open for visits: No

Wow factor: Leave it to New Yorkers to make their historic townhouse worthy of being included in an unusual pool list.

Originally owned by a bachelor who is fabled to have thrown raging parties in the apartment, the home has gained attention for having a pool right in its living room. The strange design has even been featured in the Wallstreet Journal and other prestigious publications.

When the bachelor died, he left the property to his sister. At the time, there were weird interiors that could’ve placed the apartment on a list of wacky Zillow listings, and that included a Medieval suit of armors overlooking the pool.

The home has since been renovated, but the 30-foot-long saltwater pool and its accompanying two-story waterfall are still noteworthy.

42. The Yin and Yang Pool

postachenkirch / Instagram

Location: Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria

Find it: Reiters Supremehotel

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Drawing on the idea of balance, this Austrian hotel made its pool in the shape and color of the yin and yang. It also filled each side with different temperatures.

The yin side is filled with warm thermal water, while the yang side is filled with cool fresh water. The change in temperature is supposed to be good for circulation, so you are encouraged to use both sides.

41. The Zodiac Pool

Grand Luxury Hotels

Location: Jodhpur, India

Find it: Umaid Bhawan Palace

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: There’s really nothing about the Umaid Bhawan Palace that isn’t astonishing. Once the largest private residence in the world, the grand hotel is built for royalty and was the venue of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ lavish wedding.

But one of the most talked-about aspects of the hotel is its Zodiac Pool. Covered in gold tiles, the bottom of the pool is decorated with the signs of the zodiac.

The pool is indoors, and the whole room is painted in deep blue-green tones that give it a sort of seriousness. A swim here is definitely a special experience.

40. The Night Sky Pool

abovebluesuites.com

Location: Santorini, Greece

Find it: Above Blue hotel

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Above Blue has the advantage of being in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Still, it has decided to give its guests one more reason to come out and enjoy Santorini at night.

Small, spread-out lights added to the floor of the pool make for a pleasing optical illusion. Even on cloudy nights, you’ll see stars or fireflies — they’ll just be coming from the bottom of the pool.

39. The Rebranded Pool

carlaprat / Instagram

Location: Puebla, Mexico

Find it: Hotel la Purificadora

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Sometimes, you simply need to stop, soul-search and completely rebrand your life. This is what Puebla’s old water purification factory did, and we’re sure its friends are extremely proud.

Rather than become a forgotten and dilapidated shell of its former self, the factory relaunched itself as a four-star hotel. The best part about it is the 30-feet-long pool, which we’d like to imagine at some point held some of the water that was purified.

The pool has a giant glass wall on one side and is located on a patio, meaning that while you’re taking a swim, other guests can critique your form while they’re enjoying dinner. As cool as this pool is, it’s definitely not for the shy or self-conscious.

38. The Venetian Pool

ale72 / Getty Images

Location: Miami, Florida

Find it: Coral Gables

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: One of Miami’s most underrated attractions, the Venetian Pool holds the honor of being both the largest freshwater pool in the U.S. and one of the few pools included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Opened in 1923, the pool is filled with natural spring water. What makes it unique is that it is drained and replenished every single day, using natural filtration systems to bring swimmers fresh, clean water. This means that you get all the fun of pools without the chlorine smell.

The pool also has underwater grottos that you can explore.

37. Shark Tank

key_seductiondolls / Instagram

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Find it: Golden Nugget Casino

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Pitching your product on the show, “Shark Tank,” is probably terrifying, but not as much as swimming in this Las Vegas pool seems to be.

When you plunge in, you’ll be surrounded by a giant tank that serves as a home for several species, including sharks.

This means that we don’t recommend floating leisurely in the pool. You might open your eyes to see a shark right next to you.

If you love adrenaline, you can go through a glass water slide built to go through the middle of the tank.

36. The Beer Pool

rodrigo_curvo / Instagram

Location: Tarrenz, Austria

Find it: Brauerei Schloss Starkenberger Brewery

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Sure, soaking in hot water is nice and all, but it’s just too conventional. Been there, done that. If you want an original twist on this tired idea, you could soak in hot beer instead.

To do this, head to Brauerei Schloss Starkenberger Brewery in the Tyrol Mountains, and let the beer take your worries away.

The beer pools are supposed to have health benefits and are one of Europe’s most underrated attractions.

35. The Texas Pool

visitplano / Instagram

Location: Plano, Texas

Find it: 901 Springbrook Drive

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Texans are very proud of their state. So much so, that several people have spent thousands of dollars making pools in the shape of Texas. Even Marriott cashed in on the idea by making its Houston hotel pool a giant lazy river that outlines the map of the state.

But the first Texas-shaped pool was built in Plano, right outside of Dallas. Appropriately named “The Texas Pool,” it was built in 1961 and is now managed by a nonprofit organization that maintains it. The pool is open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day and was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

34. Pumpkin Spring Pool

itsjustchemistrybaby / Instagram

Location: Littlefield, Arizona

Find it: Grand Canyon National Park

Open for visits: Yes, but no swimming

Wow factor: The Grand Canyon is full of wondrous natural formations (in fact, this won’t be the only Grand Canyon natural pool listed).

This natural pool is filled with water that overflows from the sides and into the Colorado River. The movement of the water downward, plus the orange color, has given this the appearance of a giant pumpkin. Swimming is not allowed since the water is filled with toxic chemicals like zinc, copper, lead and arsenic.

33. The Golden Pool (Or the Pee Pool)

The golden pool at St. Regis Lhasa Resort

poolinsider / Instagram

Location: Lhasa, Tibet

Find it: St. Regis Lhasa Resort

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: This pool is not immediately appealing to the eye, since we have all been trained to think yellow is a major red flag for pool colors.

But this pool is too upscale and exclusive to care what us peasants think about it. Especially since its color actually comes from its gold leaf tiles that are secured down by crystals.

Yeah, go ahead and try to make pee jokes now.

The pool is named the “Golden Energy Room,” and St. Regis claims that it was designed with the thought of ancient Tibetian spirituality in mind. We’re not sure a gold-covered pool is what we’d call “spiritual,” but we also don’t want to be the ones to burst the hotel’s bubble.

32. The Retro Futuristic Mountain Pool

Glamour / Facebook

Location: Otztal Valley, Austria

Find it: Aqua Dome Hotel

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: If this hotel pool hasn’t been used for some weird indie sci-fi film, someone needs to start writing that script ASAP.

The triplet grey pools are perfectly round and massive in size, making them look like they were built from two plates of a UFO.

The rest of the hotel also sports this retro futuristic aesthetic that is somehow a bit jarring against the tall mountains that surround it.

Maybe people like it because it’s so different, but we think we’ll stick to wood and stone hotels for our Austrian Alps vacations.

31. The Fake Beach Pool

Megapixie / Wikimedia Commons

Location: Miyazaki, Japan

Find it: Seagaia Ocean Dome

Open for visits: No

Wow factor: Despite being an island, Japan is not exactly known for its beaches (with the exception of Okinawa). That is until the Seagaia Ocean Dome opened in 1995.

This artificial beach earned the title of “world’s largest” for many categories: largest indoor water park, largest retractable roof and largest wave pool. The retractable roof could let in the real sunshine when the weather was nice, but it also provided fake skies when nature didn’t comply. To make this pool even more extra, there was also an artificial volcano that erupted every quarter hour.

Unfortunately, the dome closed in 2007 for renovations that never seemed to end. It still deserves a spot on here for being so unabashedly unusual.

30. The Literal Beach Pool

Bondi Icebergs pool in Sydney, Australia

kokkai / Getty Images

Location: Sydney, Australia

Find it: Bondi Icebergs Club

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: We have all seen pools by the sea or with views of the sea, but have you ever seen a pool fed directly by the sea?

This saltwater pool was built more than 100 years ago and is a Sydney summer staple. The pool is literally next to the ocean. So much so, that waves sometimes crash against it and go into it.

29. Andy Warhol Pool

SIXTY LES / Facebook

Location: New York, New York

Find it: Sixty LES Hotel

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: New York City does not like to do anything the conventional way. Not even its luxury hotel pools on the Lower East Side in Manhattan can be appealing to “normies.”

And what can be more “downtown chic” than having a print of a film strip with a photograph of Andy Wharhol at the bottom of the pool?

We can’t really think of a more New York pool than this.

28. The Guitar-Shaped Pool

Airbnb

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Find it: Music Row

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: The original idea came from country music singer Webb Pierce, who paid tribute to his love of music by making a guitar-shaped pool in his home. However, when neighbors started to complain about tourists coming to the house to see the pool, he had to close his gates.

But this is Nashville, and music will not be contained! So the city built a replica on Music Row. The pool then became part of the famous Spence Manor Motor Hotel, which received guests like The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

This guitar pool is now a community condo pool. That means you can rent an Airbnb with a pool that comes with a side of history.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks Pool

Zack Hample / Youtube

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Find it: Chase Field

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Love watching sports games but also spending the day lounging at the pool? In Arizona, baseball fans don’t have to choose.

Instead, they can rent out this right-centered suite at Chase Field and see games right from the pool. There are even underwater stools for those who want to sit inside the water while they yell at players for messing up.

26. The Aquarium Pool

Patkau Architects

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Find it: The Shaw House

Open for visits: No

Wow factor: Have you ever stared at fish in an aquarium and wish you could switch places with them? No? Well, that doesn’t seem to matter as much as being unique to Canadian architecture firm, Patkau Architects.

The firm designed a residential home where the entrance has a pool instead of a roof. So if you’re visiting and arrive at the right time, you might get to see your hosts swimming along like fishes in a tank.

Despite the potentially awkward situations this pool could cause, we have to admit it does look great and would make for incredible parties.

25. An Oasis In the Desert

viajeropor_colombia / Instagram

Location: Villavieja, Colombia

Find it: Tatacoa Desert

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Despite its name, this natural formation is actually an ancient dry tropical forest.

Temperatures within the rock formations can get quite high, which is why this pool is an oasis for anyone visiting the desert.

The pool itself is not natural, but the water it holds is, springing naturally from the ground.

24. The Red, Red Pool

The Library Resort red pool, Koh Samui, Thailand

the_good_eye / Instagram

Location: Koh Samui, Thailand

Find it: The Library Resort

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Why make a pool look blood red? For this Koh Samui hotel, the answer is simply because it can.

Don’t worry, the only reason the pool has this color is because of its orange, yellow and red tiles. Though it is certainly strange, it also creates a perfect contrast with the nearby blue ocean, making for a visually delicious scene.

23. The Sanitary Alternative Pool

badeschiff_berlin / Instagram

Location: Berlin, Germany

Find it: East Harbour

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Swimming in a river is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Sadly, it’s a pleasure city dwellers are often deprived of, even though many cities are built around bodies of water.

The culprit is, of course, pollution. But the German government, like a parent seeing its children suffer from a case of the wants-but-can’t-haves, decided to make a swimming pool that floats on the Spree River. This way, residents can pretend they’re swimming in the river without the risk of growing a third eye.

The coolest thing about the Badeschiff is that it is made from an upcycled shipping container. Germans never miss a chance to be eco-friendly.

22. Hot Springs Pool

thirdeyetraveller / Instagram

Location: Ma’In, Jordan

Find it: Ma’In Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: A hot spring pool fed directly from the Jordan River and the Dead Sea sounds like the wellness spa experience of a lifetime. Seeing the hot spring water fall from large rocks and into the pool makes it even better.

The natural water in this hotel pool is rich in minerals that have purported beneficial effects for your skin, hair and overall health.

Even if you don’t believe this, standing under a cascade and swimming in clorox-free water is simply a better experience than most hotel pools can offer.

21. Morning Glory Pool

Fyletto / Getty Images

Location: Wyoming

Find it: Yellowstone National Park

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Morning Glory is often overshadowed by its larger, more famous sister, the Great Prismatic Spring. But while the Morning Glory is decidedly smaller, it also has fewer crowds, and you can get much more closer to it than to the spring.

The pool used to be mostly a deep blue color, which is why it was named after the flower. Unfortunately, some visitors use this natural wonder as a dumping ground, throwing coins or trash into it. This has changed the chemistry of the pool, causing it to also change color and be declared endangered.

20. Art Deco Pools

gancsdaniel / Instagram

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Find it: Danubius Hotel Gellert

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Budapest is known for its public baths, which invite the worn and weary to rejuvenate by dipping into pools of different temperatures.

The Danubius Hotel Gellert, which was built in 1918, offers this experience in an opulent Art Nouveau setting. You don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to enjoy its 10 pools or the stained-glass windows and mosaic floors that decorate them.

19. The Blue Lagoon

RobertHoetink / Getty Images

Location: Grindavik, Iceland

Find it: Near Reykjavik

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: If you haven’t heard of, dreamed of or looked up Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, we’re willing to bet you don’t use social media.

This Instagram darling may be the No. 1 reason why people visit Iceland, coming for the aesthetic as well as the healing powers the water is supposed to have. Many people believe that the water can heal skin diseases. So much so, that medical insurance covers visits for Icelanders who go for medical treatments.

The lagoon deserves a spot here because of its unusual story. Though it looks natural, it actually came about as an accidental byproduct of a geothermal plant. It was then decided that it should become an attraction, given that the geothermal activity was natural and the spot was pretty enough.

18. The Pool With Its Own Bridges

titanicmardanpalace / Instagram

Location: Antalya, Turkey

Find it: Titanic Mardan Palace

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: The Titanic Mardan Palace is often considered the most expensive resort in the Mediterranean. The hotel has many noteworthy features, but none matches its 5-acre pool.

The pool is so massive that there is actually a seafood restaurant with four aquariums right in the middle of it. There are also several bridges that connect one side to the other, so guests can take leisurely strolls around.

17. The Sinkhole Pool

Samula Cenote in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

jtphotos11 / Getty Images

Location: Valladolid, Mexico

Find it: Yucatan Peninsula

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has many cenotes, but Cenote Samula may be the coolest of all of them.

This swimming hole is almost completely enclosed, but the cave roof has a small hole that lets light filter through. The effect is truly magical.

The cenote is also not as frequented as others in the area, which means you won’t have to fight with other tourists as you swim here.

16. The Crocodile Pool

crocosauruscove / Instagram

Location: Darwin, Australia

Find it: Crocosaurus Cove

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: If you’ve always dreamed of swimming with crocodiles, you’re in luck. Australia decided to be Australia and offer tourists the experience of knowing what sheer terror feels like.

At the Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin, you can pay to enter “the Cage of Death,” an acrylic tube. The cage is then submerged into a pool where massive saltwater crocodiles reside. They may try to take a bite out of you as you pray this isn’t the real-life version of “Final Destination.”

15. The Queen’s Pool

BackyardProduction / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Location: Kauai, Hawaii

Find it: Princeville

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Nature has given humanity many gifts, and this natural rock pool certainly feels like one of them.

Formed from lava rocks and the water of the Pacific Ocean, this seaside pool is perfectly safe to swim in when the waves are under 4 feet.

You can feel like royalty as you float in the tide pool looking out to the sea.

14. A Pool Within a Pool

misgreenteayogi / Instagram

Location: Laucala Island, Fiji

Find it: Laucala Island Resort

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Why have one pool when you can have two within each other? This seems to be the logic behind Laucala Island Resort’s pool design. That and having a gorgeous aesthetic.

The hotel has a shallow lagoon-like pool, filled with turquoise water. Guests love relaxing in it as they sip cocktails. But if you also want to get some serious laps in, there is a second glass cube pool within the lagoon.

The cube is 80-feet long, so you can do your laps while enjoying the view of fellow guests sitting in the lagoon.

13. The Adrenaline Rush Pool

Tripadvisor / Facebook

Location: Shanghai, China

Find it: Holiday Inn Pudong Kangqiao

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Some people like to feel alive by facing death, or at least the illusion of it.

If this is you, book yourself a couple of nights at the Holiday Inn Pudong Kangqiao in Shanghai. The hotel’s glass pool hangs from the side of the building at 24 floors above the ground.

If you are brave enough to go to the edge, you’ll feel like you’re swimming over the city. For those who aren’t into memento moris, there is a shallow side that is safely attached to the floor.

12. The Sky Pool

matteofilattiera / Instagram

Location: London, England

Find it: Embassy Gardens

Open for visits: Yes, if you know a resident

If the previous pool made you yawn and you want something that really gets your blood going, turn your eyes toward London instead.

Unveiled in May 2021, the Sky Pool is completely suspended 115 feet in the air. The 82-foot-long pool connects two buildings that make up the residential Embassy Gardens. There is nothing between you and the London ground except very thick glass and water, so the pool is truly for the brave of heart.

11. The (California) Roman Pool

Nishithdesai / Wikimedia Commons

Location: San Simeon, California

Find it: Hearst Castle

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Rich people are not exactly known for being the most practical. Luckily, that sometimes gives the world beauties like this gorgeous Roman-inspired pool.

Built as the indoor pool of Hearst Castle, this magnificent pool features intricate gold, blue and green details. It was inspired by the UNESCO-recognized Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Italy and has replicas of Roman statues.

Sadly, neither its owner nor his guests used it very much. You can blame the California sunshine for that.

10. The Grand Canyon Pool

Magnificent long exposure picture of Havasu Falls

phototropic / Getty Images

Location: Supai, Arizona

Find it: Grand Canyon

Open for visits: Yes, with permit

Wow factor: Located within Havasupai trivial lands, this natural pool offers a respite from the heat of the Grand Canyon.

Its barren surroundings make the falls a noteworthy spot, given how the pale blue color of the water stands out from the redness of the rocks that form the pool.

To protect this special place, visitor numbers are limited. If you are one of the lucky few who are able to get a permit on any given day, just know the whole world envies you.

9. The Pool With the Most

Pool in San Alfonso Del Mar Resort, Chile

bumtv_1 / Instagram

Location: Algarrobo, Chile

Find it: San Alfonso Del Mar Resort

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Not satisfied with being the “largest” outdoor pool in the world, this Chilean seaside pool also had to go for the “deepest” outdoor pool award at 115 feet deep.

Built right next to the ocean, the pool gets its water from the sea and sends it back out through a filtering system that ensures it is always clean.

The pool is so large that visitor activities include sailing and canoeing within it. We’d pay to see someone swim from one side of the pool to the other.

8. The Deep Ocean Pool

frans_derib / Instagram

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Find it: Rue de Stalle 333

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Another one of the world’s deepest pools, Nemo 33 is incredible.

The pool is meant to help beginning divers get used to the experience and sensation of descending into deep, dark parts of the ocean. It is 113-feet deep.

Springwater fills the pool and is kept at a comfortable temperature, so you can practice diving without worrying about the wet suit. At least until you decide to plunge into the real ocean.

7. Pools in the Clouds

Barcin / Getty Images

Location: Pamukkale, Turkey

Find it: Northern side of town

Open for visits: Yes, but no swimming

Wow factor: Another social media darling, Turkey’s white and turquoise terrace pools look almost fake.

These astonishing pools are located in Pamukkale, in an area that has been a natural spring tourist destination since Roman times. The pools are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although swimming was previously allowed, visitors are now limited to dipping in their feet in order to protect the site. The pools are so scenic that they’d be worth visiting even if you couldn’t dip a single pinkie in.

6. The Ocean Waterpark Pool

cittadelmare / Instagram

Location: Terrasini, Sicily

Find it: Città del Mare Hotel Village

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: Water parks are great. The ocean is great. A waterpark in the ocean is beyond awesome.

This was the absolutely genius idea of Sicily’s Città del Mare Hotel Village. Guests of the resorts can take a thrilling tube trip down a series of 11 connecting slides that take them through three pools before splashing them right into the Mediterranean Sea.

5. The Safari Pool

ejafrica / Instagram

Location: Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia

Find it: Time + Tide Chongwe House

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: This private house right on the banks of the Chongwe River is available for rent. While it isn’t cheap, it’s price is more than justified. The house is located within Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park and features traditional architecture and a sustainable design.

But as beautiful as the house is, what really makes it noteworthy is its pool, which overlooks the Chongwe River. At the right times, you can see wildlife like elephants bathing in the river. You just can’t put a price on an experience like that.

4. Beach Rock Pool

Mona Vale Australian Rock pool in Sydney

jamenpercy / Getty Images

Location: Sydney, Australia

Find it: Mona Vale Beach

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: The ocean rocks near Mona Vale Beach get covered by the sea during high tide. Some genius thought that would make them the perfect spot for a beach, and we will always be indebted to them.

The pool is visually striking when seen from above. During low tide, the waves crash on the rocks around the pool. During high tide, the pool is surrounded by the ocean on all sides.

No matter when you go, rest assured that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

3. The Most Sumptuous Pool on Earth

Alex Proimos / Wikimedia Commons

Location: San Simeon, California

Find it: Hearst Castle

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: William Randolph Hearst built two swimming pools listed on here. Not satisfied with his astonishing indoor Roman pool, the businessman built an even more lavish outdoor pool, named the Neptune Pool.

Its nickname is “the most sumptuous swimming pool on Earth,” and we certainly think it deserves the title. The pool holds 345,000 gallons of water, features numerous Roman-inspired sculptures and has a grand total of 17 changing rooms equipped with showers.

The most outlandish part of the pool, however, is its Roman temple, which was partially built with an actual Ancient Roman temple. To see this and the Roman pool, you must visit Hearst Castle, one of the best castles in the U.S.

2. The Devil’s Pool

The Devil's Pool in Victoria Falls, Zambia

singhtoursintl / Instagram

Location: Victoria Falls, Zambia

Find it: Near Livingstone Island

Open for visits: Yes, with guided tour only

Wow factor: Victoria Falls is already one of the tallest and most amazing waterfalls in the world. The Devil’s Pool, which is located on the Zambian side, makes it even more incredible.

Sitting right at the edge of the falls, the pool’s location means getting in takes some courage, as it seems like the water of the powerful Zambezi River will sweep you with its force. But rest assured, this won’t happen, as you have trusty underwater rock walls that protect you.

There are few (if any other) places in the world where you can actually be inside a pool at the edge of a waterfall, so if you get the chance to go here, take it.

1. Cleopatra’s Private Pools

bucketlistbums / Instagram

Location: Pamukkale, Turkey

Find it: Northern side of town

Open for visits: Yes

Wow factor: There are many wonderfully unique pools in the world, but Cleopatra’s Private Pools win the top stop.

Let’s start with the name. It is believed that the Egyptian ruler swam here daily. The mineral-rich water provided exercise and good skin to the legendary beauty.

The pool also holds numerous ancient Roman ruins. You can literally swim around actual Roman structures that have been underwater for centuries.

Since the natural water is temperate year-round, you’ll be able to take a dip, no matter when you visit. We just can’t think of anything that even resembles this awesome experience.