In honor of the dog days of summer, we bring you an adventure worth diving into: the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool. And it’s epic.
Nestled in Chile’s private San Alfonso del Mar Resort, the enormous man-made pool is a breathtaking, underwater adventure that basically begs you to jump in and explore. A dazzling feat for the eyes, Fernando Fischmann and his Chilean company, Crystal Lagoons, initially developed the idea for the luxe lagoon and finished building it in 2006. Recent estimates of construction put the total cost of the project in the high area of 1.5 to 2 billion U.S. dollars with a 2 million annual up keep – this trend is a lot of things, but it’s sure not cheap.
Set along the beautiful coastline, the aquatic adventure is larger than 20 Olympic-size pools, covering 20 acres with its astounding 3,323 feet length; Fischmann claims it’s six-times bigger than its closest competitor, the Orthlieb Pool in Casablanca, Morocco. The Chile-based pool contains a colossal 66 million gallons of water that’s pumped directly from the Pacific Ocean, filtered, and treated. It holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest crystalline water pool and deepest at 115 feet.
Once inside, you can decide what you’d like your adventure to be. The waters are navigable in small boats, tubes with slides, kayaks, and canoes – you can even sail. Kids can participate in numerous club activities, while athletes can join in on spinning classes, aqua fitness, ocean navigation, yoga, scuba diving, or dancing. There’s even a Teen-Pub for angsty teenagers that want nothing to do with their “un-cool” families (speaking from experience). Private beaches with white sands and private docks that recreate a tropical environment are also offered to guests, along with a unique, roofed beach that features temperate water, heated sand, bubble beds, cascades, water-jet massages, and more.
Apart from the activities, the water itself is spectacular, emulating Caribbean seas with a striking turquoise hue that’s seductively transparent. And don’t worry about dipping your toes into freezing water or counting to five to hesitantly stick your whole body underwater, because this ethereal paradise doesn’t have that pesky problem. During the summer, the water maintains a temperature of 79 degrees; nine degrees more than the nearby ocean water. So dive headfirst or slowly inch in – either way, the water’s warm.
You can travel to anywhere around the world, but you won’t find a pool like this unless you make the trip to Chile. We’d bet on it.
