1000 Places To Swim Before Your Die

Our Most Recent Podcast 2 April 2019

Our Original Podcast   17 May 2017

I may never get to visit 1000 places to swim before you die, and I may never get a publisher to run with my idea, but I can at least start a blog post and keep adding to it as I go.

This site is meant to be crowd sourced.  If you have a great beach, pool, swimming hole, hot spring or an exceptional swimming site, please contact us.   

If you see an error (or a typo, as I am horrible at self editing) please contact me also.  I call it crowd source editing. 

THE TOP 5


1. The Antique Pool of Pamukkale, Turkey - aka The Cleopatra Pool

    I was lucky enough to visit this pool as a child when my dad was stationed in Turkey at a US Air Force Base.  I have never forgotten the white cliffs of Pamukkale (Turkish for 'Cotton Castle') or the Antique Pool
   According to legend, this pool was made as a gift by Mark Anthony to Cleopatra. An earthquake in the 7th century toppled the marble columns into the pool, and today you are allowed to swim among the ruins.




2. The King's Pond - Hualalai Resort, Kona Hawaii

   This man made pond  carved into the lava rock on the Hualalai Resort is filled with water from the adjacent beach and stocked with a variety of aquatic life.  It's literally like swimming in a giant aquarium.

Swim Note:  The Rainbow Reef at Disney's Aulani Hawaii Resort was modeled after the King's Pond.


           

3.  Piscine Molitor - Paris, France

   The Piscine Molitor is noted for the introduction of the bikini in 1946 by designer Louis Reard. It is also the inspiration for the name of the main character in the book and film 'The Life of Pi."
   The pool and hotel were built in 1929 but fell into disrepair  and was closed in 1989.  It was rebuilt and reopened in 2014.
   The Piscine Molitor is also famous for the introduction of the bikini during a fashion show in 1946 by designer Louis Reard

The World's First Bikini, introduced at a fashion show at Paris' Piscine Molitor

The Piscine Molitor at it's low point. 

The Piscine Molitor today

4.  Waikiki Beach and the The War Memorial Natatorium - Waikiki, Hawaii

 Waikiki Beach might be the most famous beach in the world. Once an outpost in the pacific, jet travel opened up the islands to beach lovers from all over the world.   With the iconic Diamond Crater in the background, it's  been the set of countless movies, TV shows and ad campaign. 

Swim Note:  Surfing pioneer Duke Kahanamoku once was a beach boy on Waikiki beach. 

On the Diamond Head side of the beach is the War Memorial Audtorium. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Natatorium is in disrepair and awaiting redevelopment.  The pool was built in 1927 in the Hawaiian Beaux Arts Style in honor of those who perished in World War I. 

   

Swim Note:  Olympic Swimmer Duke Kahanamoku took the first swim in this ocean fed pool. Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weissmuller won events at the first swim meet held there. 

Swim Note: The Natatorium is the starting point for the famous 2 1/2 mile Waikiki Rough Water Swim.  The route was used in the world's first triathlon and the 2 1/2 miles became the standard distance for Ironman triathlons. 

   

5  The Spas of Budapest

    The City of Budapest sits on numerous thermal hot springs. Some of the baths go back to the days of the Ottoman Empire.  Two of the most popular are the 100 Gellert Spa with it's incredible indoor pool and an outdoor wave pool

     The Szechenyi Baths is one of the largest and has numerous indoor and outdoor pools. It also host a part on Saturday night that lasts till 4am.  

    Other baths include the Rudas Baths, Lukacs Bath, Kiraly Baths and the Casaszar Baths. 

The incredible 100 year old indoor pool of the Gellert Spa

The Szechenyi Baths.  Take the Yellow Line, one of the oldest subways in the world to the city park.

Beaches - 

The Americas

Hidden Beach at Marieta Island.  22 Miles off the Coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 

   My high school friend Lori Roman wrote me about this amazing place; " Great boat ride to get there and then you jump into the water and swim to the island, but to get to the beach you actually have to swim through a large tunnel to get inside. It is absolutely AMAZING!!"

   After doing more research, there is some speculation that this beach may have been created back in the day when this remote island was used by the military for bombing practice. Regardless of how this crater was formed, this now National Park is a spectacular site.

Waikiki Beach and the The War Memorial Natatorium - Waikiki, Hawaii

   Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Natatorium is in disrepair and awaiting redevelopment.  The pool was built in 1927 in the Hawaiian Beaux Arts Style in honor of those who perished in World War I. 

   Olympic Swimmer Duke Kahanamoku took the first swim in this ocean fed pool. Buster Crabbe and Johnny Weissmuller won events at the first swim meet held there. 

   As for the Waikiki Beach,  it's the most famous beach in the world where Duke Kahanamoku once was a beach boy.  

Beaches - Asia and The Pacific

Coron Palawan - Philippines

Sone say this may be the most beautiful place on earth. This island in the Philippines with a number of beaches and lakes is truly spectacular.  Divers can explore Japanese shipwrecks from WWII. Jungle and kayak tours of the lakes, cliffs and beaches makes this paradise for the adventurous.

Pools

Piscine Molitor - Paris, France

   The Piscine Molitor is noted for the introduction of the bikini in 1946 by designer Louis Reard. It is also the inspiration for the name of the main character in the book and film 'The Life of Pi."
   The pool and hotel were built in 1929 but fell into disrepair  and was closed in 1989.  It was rebuilt and reopened in 2014.
   The Piscine Molitor is also famous for the introduction of the bikini during a fashion show in 1946 by designer Louis Reard

The World's First Bikini, introduced at a fashion show at Paris' Piscine Molitor

The Piscine Molitor at it's low point. 

The Piscine Molitor today

    

The Venetian Pool - Coral Gables, Fla

   From the City of Coral Gables Website - The Venetian Pool is an aquatic facility unlike any other in the country. It has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, and is still one of the main tourist attractions for those visiting the City of Coral Gables.

The pool was created in 1923 from a coral rock quarry, where much of the original coral rock was used to border and further accentuate the pool. It also features two large historic lookout towers, with a view to the City Beautiful.

The 820,000 gallon pool is fed with spring water from an underground aquifer. In the spring and summer seasons, the pool is filled and drained daily!

Hot Springs

The Spas of Budapest (6)

    The City of Budapest sits on numerous thermal hot springs. Some of the baths go back to the days of the Ottoman Empire.  Two of the most popular are the 100 Gellert Spa with it's incredible indoor pool and an outdoor wave pool

     The Szechenyi Baths is one of the largest and has numerous indoor and outdoor pools. It also host a part on Saturday night that lasts till 4am.  

    Other baths include the Rudas Baths, Lukacs Bath, Kiraly Baths and the Casaszar Baths. 

The incredible 100 year old indoor pool of the Gellert Spa

The Szechenyi Baths.  Take the Yellow Line, one of the oldest subways in the world to the city park.

Berkely Springs - WestVirginia    Coming Soon

San Antonio Hot Springs - New Mexico          Coming Soon

Jerry Johnson Hot Springs - Idaho    Coming Soon

Travertine Hot Springs - California   Coming Soon

Tolovana Srpings - Alaska      Coming Soon

Banff Upper Hot Springs - Alberta, Canada   Coming Soon

Harrison Hot Springs - British Columbia, Canada   Coming Soon

Must See It To Believe it

The Antique Pool of Pamukkale, Turkey - aka The Cleopatra Pool

    I was lucky enough to visit this pool as a child when my dad was stationed in Turkey at a US Air Force Base.  I have never forgotten the white cliffs of Pamukkale (Turkish for 'Cotton Castle') or the Antique Pool
   According to legend, this pool was made as a gift by Mark Anthony to Cleopatra. An earthquake in the 7th century toppled the marble columns into the pool, and today you are allowed to swim among the ruins.




The King's Pond - Hualalai Resort, Kona Hawaii

   This man made pond  carved into the lava rock on the Hualalai Resort is filled with water from the adjacent beach and stocked with a variety of aquatic life.  It's literally like swimming in a giant aquarium.
   Side Note:  The Rainbow Reef at Disney's Aulani Hawaii Resort was modeled after the King's Pond.


           

NLand SurfPark - Austin, Tx

     The Size of 11 football fields, this man made wave runs thru the middle of the lagoon and has three different skill levels.  Multiple people can ride the wave at one time.
    The best part is that after the wave passes, you can literally walk back to the line up and wait for the next wave, eliminating the exhausting swim back.
    If you are learning to surf, this artificial wave will allow you to catch more waves in an hour than you would catch in three days. You'll be amazed how quickly your form will improve



Make Waves from NLand Surf Park on Vimeo.

Willamette River - Portland Oregon

   There aren't many cities in the US that have reclaimed their rivers for swimming. Portland is one of the few.  In 2010, a $1.4 Billion public works project diverted sewage from spilling into the river.  Since then the Human Access Project  has worked to clean up the shoreline and promote urban swimming.   The HAP even has a swim team, the River Huggers,  that swims across the river 5 days a week

Kuang Si Falls - Laos

Most travelers stick to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia when exploring Southeast Asia.  But many have ventured into Laos to discover some the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.  Perhaps the most famous and best for swimming in Kuang Is Falls.  Make sure you discover all the different levels. 

Swimming Holes 

Nature made this inland swimming holes and often man improved upon it. Regardless, pack you suit and towel and don't miss this great swimming holes

The Swimming Holes of Central Texas  (5)

   The San Antonio - Austin corridor host some of the most unique urban pools in the USA.  

   San Antonio's San Pedro Park is one of the oldest parks on the continent, appointed as public land by King Phillip V of Spain in 1729.  The park hosts the recently rebuilt San Pedro Springs pool.  The cypress trees that surround the rebuilt pool originally surrounded the original spring fed pool. 

Old Postcard featuring San Antonio's San Pedro Springs

   Landa Park in New Braunfels and Barton Springs in Austin offer to unique urban spring fed oasis' in the middle of modern communities. 

   Austin also features 2 other spring fed pools with traditional structures, the Deep Eddy Pool and the Big Stacy Pool, the later that is fed with warm Artesian Well Water and is open year round. 

   

Barton Springs - Austin

Balmorhea State Park, Texas.  World's Largest Spring Fed Pool

    The amazing thing about the oasis in the middle of West Texas, is that it's deep enough to scuba dive. If you live in El Paso, this is the nearest place to get certified. If you're not aware of the pool's existence, it's kind of surprising to see Scuba shops along the dusty highways of West Texas. 

   The pool also has it's own species of pupfish that can only be found at the springs of the state park.

The Spring Fed Pool, (72 Degrees year round)

Hamilton Pool - Dripping Springs, Texas

One of the most unique swimming holes in Texas is Hamilton Pool near Dripping Springs. Because of the popularity of this spring filled natural pool complete with waterfall, reservations are required for this public park

Hamilton Pool near Austin, Tx

Rooftop Quarry - Monroe County, Indiana

   Made famous in the Oscar Nominated film Breaking Away,  the quarry is actually on private property and still owned by the Indiana Limestone Company. Swimming in the quarry has become a rite of passage for undergrads at Indiana University along with Bloomington townsfolk, albeit, an illegal rite of passage and you are trespassing on private property

Homestead Crater - Utah  

   This beehive dome east of Park City,  Utah,  hides a one of a kind geothermal spring,  

consistently heated at 96 degrees. 

   Deep enough for scuba divers, you might find yourself floating next to someone from nearby Salt Lake City getting certified. A tunnel (and a seemingly out of place door) through the rock provides access to the therapeutic waters.  You might also recognize the crater from the movie '127 Hours'

Umauma Falls  - Big Island, Hawaii

   More known for it's ziplines that pass over 22 falls, you can also spend the day down below enjoying a variety of pools at the bottom of one of many waterfalls.  Note: the water can often be cold, as much of it originates from melted snow atop the 14,000 ft Mauna Kea

      

The Waterfall Used in the Movie 'South Pacific' - Kauai, Hawaii. On Private Land

   For many years, this spot was not only open to the public, it was on tourist maps.  Used in the filming of the movie South Pacific, this spot is known for it's flume / waterfall. 

   The spot is on private land but a few years ago is was on the market for a mere 7 Million Dollars.

Ahalanui Warm Pond and the  Pokoiki Hot Pond - Big Island, Hawaii (2)

   The Ahalanui Warm Pond is safely separated from the ocean with by a retaining wall.  The pool features a mixture of salt water and spring water that is heated from underground lava (actually Magma). How often is your swimming experience enhanced by newly formed molten hot rock from an active volcano  (water temp, a comfortable 90 degrees). 

   Nearby in the Isaaac Hale State Park is a collapsed Lave tube that offers a much smaller but similar experience.  The Pohoiki Hot Pond provides a refreshing dip abut 100 feet from the shore. 

The Ahalanui Warm Pond

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park - Week Wachee, Florida 

   The spring fed pool with its white sands and limestone walls is so popular that the park often fills up on summer days.  The source of the spring is so deep that it's never been found and is so strong that it can knock off a scuba divers mask.  A number of thrilling water slides have been built that empty into Weeki Wachie Springs. 

   Perhaps this park is better known for they Mermaid Show. Once one of America's favorite roadside attractions, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Mermaid Show in the Submerged Theatre has been convincing motorists to pull off the highway since 1947

The Swimming Holes of the Mad River Valley, Vermont

Lareau Swim Hole - Waitsfield, Vermont

   Located in the Mad River Valley, this watering hole off the Mad River is a longtime summer gathering place.  However, it wasn't until 2002, that the city developed this the local watering hole into a city park after a State salt shed nearby flooded. The state gave the land to the city, who made Labeau Swim Hole more accessible.

Warren Falls - Warren, Vermont

   Located just off scenic Route 100 in the Mad River Valley,  Warren Falls is known for its crystal clear waters and a variety of jumping spots. The falls is just one of many swimming spots along the Mad River, but it is perhaps the most popular do to its depth and the granite cliffs the surround the swimming hole.  There is a small parking lot at the trail head, but the spot can get crowded on a warm day 

Slide Rock State Park - Sedona,  Arizona - Coming Soon

A Cure For The Blues

Blue Lagoon   -  Iceland  Coming Soon

Blue Hole  - Santa Rosa, NM     Coming Soon

The Great Blue Hole - Belize   Coming Soon

Writer Bonnie Tsui - Author of Why We Swim - 

Her 5 Places to Swim Before Your Die. 

We recently had Bonnie Tsui on our Travel Podcast and asked her to come up with her top 5 places to swim before you die. 

Neptune Pool - Hearst Castle - California

   Perhaps the world's most opulent pool experience. Built by William Randolph Hearst, it will cost you about $1000 to swim in this pool, which is only open a few times a year and only as a fundraiser  for the upkeep of the castle. The pool recently was renovated and restored to it's former glory.  

Swim Note:  When the weather wasn't perfect, Hearst could choose to swim in his indoor Roman Pool which was even more opulent 

Ala Moana Beach - Oahu, Hawaii

Perhaps the most popular beach on Oahu,  not only does it offer perfect sands and warm ocean waters, it's located in the heart of Honolulu across from the famed Ala Moana Shopping Center

Roof Top Pool  - Intercontinental Hotel - Hong Kong

Only available to hotel guest, this amazing pool with its infinitely edge makes it seem possible to swim out into Victoria Harbor.  Bonnie Tsui said it was like swimming among the Hong Kong's skyscrapers 

Tunnels Beach - Kauai, Hawaii

This crescent shaped moon on Hawaii's Garden Isle is an ideal spot for surfing, snorkeling, windsurfing for just hanging on the beach. 

Cyclades - Greece

   Situated in the Aegean Sea, these islands draw millions of visitors a year.  The names refers to the fact that the islands form a circle (in English it literally means "circular islands."  Not only do the islands offer incredible beaches, they also offer stunning architecture and a rich example of Greek life. 

 

And the 1000 Place to Swim - The Final Listing

1000 - The Devils Pool at Victoria Falls in Africa

   On Livingstone Island in Zambia,  high atop the world's highest falls, Victoria Falls,  is an amazing swimming spot, the Devil's Pool. At the very edge of this natural infinity pool is the Devil's Armchair, a ledge that keeps you from going over the edge and falling over 300 feet.  A guide must take you to the exact spot and there is only a few months a year you can access the Devil's Pool.  

    Watch the video and I think you'll agree why this is our final place to swim before you die.

        

    

Listen to our Travel With Hawkeye Podcast where we discuss our favorite places to swim 

And please leave a comment of places to add to the list