Barceló Maya Grand Resort and a Muriwai Beach Guesthouse Pool
Two lodging properties with swimmable pools were Pools of the Month for December 2021: the Barceló Maya Grand Resort in Mexico, with a 70-meter pool, and a guesthouse in Muriwai Beach, New Zealand, with a retractable roof.
The Peninsula Aquatic Center in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, uses two Endless Pools to give a remote small town year-round swimming. It was our Pool of the Month for August 2026.
indoor · 2 pools · $30.00 per hourRead the feature
Raa Atoll, Maldives (Republic of)
Why the Barceló Maya Grand Resort stands out
The Barceló Maya Grand Resort is a mega-resort made up of six hotels in Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo. It has a 70-meter pool and three 25-meter pools. A swimmer who reported on the resort said he swam 2,500 meters a day in the 70-meter pool, early each morning, for two weeks.
The 70-meter pool is on the grounds of the resort's one adults-only hotel, which may be how he was able to get his laps in. We like to list hotels, but being able to swim laps at a resort depends on how busy the pools are, so check the listing before you book.
Why Only Fools and Horses stands out
This listing is at the other end of the scale, almost at the other end of the world. It is a guesthouse in Muriwai Beach, in New Zealand's Auckland region, with an outdoor pool that becomes an indoor pool when its transparent, semicircular, sliding roof segments are closed.
The accommodations are two bunkrooms, one with four beds and one with six, which may be shared with other guests. There are also stables for several horses, if you bring them.
The Barceló Maya Grand Resort and Only Fools and Horses were Places2Swim's Pools of the Month for December 2021. Check each listing above for current rates and schedule before you go.
Joali Being in the Raa Atoll of the Maldives lets guests jump into the ocean from their own bedroom and offers a choice between 25-meter and 30-meter pools. It was our Pool of the Month for July 2026.
Three unheated venues in England show the range of cold-water swimming: a floating pool deck in the Thames, a Portsmouth lido and an open water course in Uxbridge. They were our Pools of the Month for June 2026.
50m outdoor · One hour sessions: Swim only: £10.00Read the feature
Riviera Maya