The best historic saltwater pools
Pools with provenance. Art Deco lidos, mid-century icons, and restored hotel pools where the architecture is the reason you came.
26 pools in this collection
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PUBLICBondi Icebergs
Iconic ocean-fed pool carved into the cliffs of Bondi Beach, where waves crash over the edge at high tide.
HOTELPiscine Molitor
A legendary exclusive Art Deco landmark restored to former glory, blending Parisian elegance with a Riviera spirit.
PUBLICBagni Misteriosi
A restored 1930s lido in the heart of Milan, repainted in dusky pinks and run by the theatre next door.
HOTELLos Poblanos Historic Inn
A 1930s WPA-era saltwater pool on a working lavender farm in New Mexico's Rio Grande valley.
PUBLICMotueka Saltwater Baths
A tidal-fed saltwater swimming hole on Tasman Bay, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park.
PUBLICPiscina das Marés
Álvaro Siza's modernist masterpiece — concrete tidal pools carved seamlessly into the Atlantic rocks north of Porto.
PUBLICSt Clair Hot Salt Water Pool
A heated 25-metre saltwater pool perched above the surf at St Clair Beach on New Zealand's wild south coast.
HOTELHotel Cipriani
The only Olympic-sized saltwater pool in Venice, set in a garden on the tip of Giudecca.
HOTELPark Hyatt Siem Reap
A serene courtyard saltwater pool tucked inside a colonial-era building near Angkor.
HOTELPalace Gate Hotel & Resort
A leafy saltwater pool inside a restored colonial residence in central Phnom Penh.
HOTELFour Seasons Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr
A saltwater pool set within a restored 19th-century palace overlooking the Atlantic.
PRIVATESchoone Oordt Country House
A small saltwater pool in the rose garden of a Victorian country house in the Overberg.
HOTELClaremont Club & Spa
Saltwater pools on the Berkeley hills with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay.
PUBLICFairy Bower Rockpool
A small tidal rockpool between Manly and Shelly Beach, refilled with every set.
HOTELHotel Grand Galvez
A restored saltwater pool at Galveston's grande dame hotel on the Gulf of Mexico.
HOTELHotel du Cap-Eden-Roc
The legendary seawater pool blasted into the cliffs of Cap d'Antibes in 1914.
HOTELThe French Manor Inn & Spa
A discreet saltwater pool at a French-château inn tucked into Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains.
HOTELHamilton Princess
A pink-hued grande dame with a saltwater pool overlooking Hamilton Harbour.
HOTELClub Dauphin at Four Seasons Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat
A heated saltwater pool perched above the Mediterranean on Cap-Ferrat's pine-covered peninsula.
HOTELBelmond Hotel Splendido
A heated saltwater pool terraced into the hillside above Portofino's pastel harbour.
PUBLICBronte Baths
A rugged ocean-fed rock pool on the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk, free to swim year-round.
HOTELHotel Miramalfi
A cliffside saltwater pool cantilevered over the Tyrrhenian Sea just west of Amalfi town.
PUBLICMona Vale Rock Pool
A double ocean rock pool on Sydney's Northern Beaches, free and open around the clock.
HOTELOmni Royal Orleans
A heated rooftop saltwater pool in the heart of the French Quarter.
PUBLICPraia das Azenhas do Mar
A whitewashed Atlantic tidal pool built into the cliff below the village of Azenhas do Mar.
PUBLICYamba Ocean Pool
A clifftop ocean pool on the headland above Main Beach at the mouth of the Clarence River.