The Most Jaw-Dropping Pool Views From Around the World

Got sunshine, tan lines and freckled shoulders on your mind? How about a foray into international travel? If so, you’ve landed in the right place.

The list ahead offers a dive into the kind of pool experiences that create both sun-drenched and architectural alchemy. So grab your passport, sunscreen and your swan float, and get ready to splash around inside of its voyeuristic euphoria. These are among the most jaw-dropping swimming experiences to be had.

#1 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

There are a bevy of luxurious architectural gems inside of this bustling Southeast Asian city, but few as Instagrammable, talked about and televised as this spot. Imagine the exhilaration of drifting across the world’s largest, most opulent rooftop Infinity pool — up 650 feet high — sipping a glass of Rose´ and gazing out over the sparkling skyline as the sun sets, a row of palm trees and sunbathers serving as your backdrop. Most visitors report it as being a breathtaking, surreal experience.

#2 Santorini, Greece

If I were instructed to shut my eyes, run my index finger across a map and, at random, land on my next vacation destination, I would silently pray that my flesh and Santorini had somehow found each other.

To lean over the edge of the Caldera cliff, overlooking the Aegean Sea, while submerged waist-deep in a body of water, has been on my bucket list for several years. There are roughly 60 pools inhabiting the area, so I found it difficult to narrow it down to one. I’d rather splash inside of them all.

#3 The Iconic Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills, United States

Way up in the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills, amidst the ferns, cactus gardens and Bentleys, and overlooking Sunset Boulevard, there exists a more obscure movie, television and music video icon: the Stahl House. In 1999, it was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. From films like Why Do Fools Fall in Love to Galaxy Quest to Where the Truth Lies, and the Wilson Phillips music video for the song “Release Me,” some rather iconic scenes have been filmed on its grounds. Although most famous for its modern architecture, the pool view is as red carpet-worthy as they come.

#4 Shangri-La Boracay Resort and Spa in Malay, Philippines

Can you picture it? A luxury hideaway resort surrounded by palm trees, with a fully-stocked Tiki bar, overlooking the white sands and vivid blue shorelines of Boracay Island? This is no figment of your imagination, but a manifestation of ambiance, beauty and peacefulness.

Sadly, at the time of this writing, the island is closed due to environmental rehabilitation. We hope it will be ready to visit again soon.

#5 Wuling Farm in Taichung City, Taiwan

Where the air is pure and the waters house a precious species of salmon, there exists a mecca of calmness, quietude and endless nature. Surrounded by maple trees and alpine roses, where cherry blossoms and peach blossoms fill the landscape in abundance, one can go for a swim at Wuling Farm, meeting gaze with the mountains.

#6 TikiVillas Rainforest Lodge & Spa in Quepos, Costa Rica

I hope you have your bucket list handy. Tucked in the mountains of Quepos, burrowed inside of the steamy jungle, this resort’s Infinity Pool sits amidst Balinese-style bungalows and offers a stunning panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Every year, its beach attracts a swarm of hikers, surfers and generally gorgeous tanned bodies from all over the world. Try to keep your cool out there if you can.

Lacey Johnson

Madam Wonder: Founding Editor

Lacey Johnson is an award-winning editor, essayist and journalist who earned her degree from Belmont University in 2011. She has worked with a broad range of celebrities and entrepreneurs — including the likes of Betsey Johnson, Deepak Chopra, Shark Tank's Daymond John and Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson. She is editor-in-chief for The Connect magazine, and her work can be read in a variety of print and digital media sources including Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Woman’s Day, Mirabella, PopSugar, and others. With a deep intrigue for human beings, and fiery passion for smacking her readers in the face with the truth, she writes and reports boldly about topics that challenge the status quo — in the realms of love and relationships, popular culture, travel, spirituality, women’s issues and the nuances of a fulfilling life. She is also deep in the process of co-authoring her first book, which is a gutsy exploration of the illusions of fame, power and success, told through narratives involving some of the people the world most idolizes.