The 10 Largest Swimming Pools in the World

Size is probably the most compared attribute of anything in the world, and swimming pools make no exception from that. While for most people a pool is something you’ve got in your backyard, at a hotel or at an all inclusive resort, the 10 largest swimming pools in the world are beyond comprehension.

Here we’ll take a look at the 10 largest pools in the world, from places like Sharm el Sheik in Eqypt all the way to San Alfonso del Mar, Chile. After reading about these pools, the swimming pools you usually have on your mind will simply pale in comparison.

So, let’s take a closer look now at the 10 largest swimming pools in the world:

10. Hansen Dam Recreation Center, California – 1.5 acres

The Hansen Dam Recreation Center is situated in Los Angeles, California and comes with a swimming pool to amaze. It’s 1.5 acres in size, with two waterslides and five feet deep everywhere. The pool sits right next to an actual lake, one not suitable for swimming anymore, so it takes on the appearance of the lake with its sandy areas and all. So you can get a better idea of the pool’s size, imagine 3,000 swimmers in the water at once. Quite large a pool, isn’t it?

9. Piscine Alfred Nakache, France – 1.8 acres

Going to France for number 9, a 1.8 acres pool named Piscine Alfred Nakache. Built back in the 1950s with Art Deco architecture, this is one of the oldest pool complexes still in use in the world. The complex features both indoor and outdoor pools and offers plenty of space for a lot of visitors.

8. Dreamworld Fun Lagoon, Pakistan – 2 acres

You’d think that only the western world has the best and the largest, but Pakistan is here to prove you wrong. The Dreamworld Fun Lagoon in Pakistan comes with a 2 acres swimming pool, but that’s not everything.

The resort and theme park actually host the largest freshwater swimming pool in the world, containing around two million gallons of local well water. Among the activities, there’s rowing boats, swings and inflatable slides ready for guests to have plenty of fun.

7. Hayman Island Resort Pool, Australia – 2.2 acres

Nearby Australia’s Great Barrier Reef there’s the Hayman Island Resort Pool, which was recently renovated and grew its size to a good 2.2 acres. They take pride for having the largest pool in the southern hemisphere. True or not, it’s still an impressive sight.

The resort’s pool is like seven Olympic pools put together, but there’s more to it. Imagine a freshwater pool with bar and all, surrounded by a giant salt water pool. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

6. Laguna Bahia, Chile – 3.5 acres

From Australia we jump to Chile, where the luxurious Laguna Bahia resort offers a pool that spans over 150,000 square feet. In total, it’s around 3.5 acres, big enough for plenty of water fun with kayaking and windsurfing. There’s a shallow area for kids and a long beach with plenty of room for lounging.

5. Las Brisas, Chile – 5 acres

The Las Brisas luxury condominium complex in Chile comes with a nice five acre saltwater pool. To get an idea, it’s around the size of 16 Olympic sized swimming pools. And the best part it’s that it overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its clear blue waters.

4. The Orthlieb Pool of Casablanca, Morocco – 8.9 acres

While some might think this shouldn’t be on the list, it’s a story worth knowing. For a long period in the past, the Orthlieb Pool of Casablanca, Morocco was thought to be the largest pool in the world, covering an amazing 8.9 acres and measuring 1,574 feet in length and 246 feet in width. It sounds impressive, but even more impressive than that is that there’s little sign of its existence today.

With the only reports remaining about it being several decades old and no photos to prove its existence, this sounds more like a myth than reality. The only thing that might prove the pool existed are some ancient postcards.

3. MahaSamutr, Thailand – 17 acres

The last three entries on our list make all the other pale in comparison with their huge sizes. The number 3, Thailand’s MahaSamutr (‘the ocean’ in translation), is an impressive 17 acre pool part of an exquisite and opulent country club.

The size isn’t everything here though, since the pool is like a personal mini sea for the members of the country club, and offers beaches and water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding and even sailing. There’s also an island in the middle, filled with luxury villas.

2. San Alfonso Del Mar, Chile – 20 acres

Measuring around 20 acres and holding 66 million gallons of water, the San Alfonso Del Mar, Chile is comparably the size of 6,000 backyard pools. The pool was built by the same company as the Citystars lagoon at the top spot so they share some similarities.

The San Alfonso del Mar is situated right next to a beach and is filled with salt water, but constantly regulated and always warmer than the sea nearby.

1. Citystars Sharm El Sheik – 23.9 acres

At 23.9 acres, the Citystars Sharm El Sheik is the largest pool in the world today, holding the Guinness World Record for the largest man-made body of water. It’s situated in an Egyptian resort town and resembles a natural body of water which makes it an impressive sight.

Built in the middle of the Sinai desert three miles from the Egyptian coast, the Citystars lagoon costed $5.5 million and given its huge size, it takes several weeks to fill it with salt water.

Video