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Vancouver pool is North America's longest and one of world’s best oceanside pools

kitsilano-pool
VANCOUVER – July 10,2017: Adults enjoy a morning swim in the Kitsilano outdoor pool in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 10, 2017. (via Vancouver is Awesome)

CNN Travel has included Kitsilano Pool in Vancouver in its round-up of the world’s best tidal and oceanside pools.

From man-made baths to natural bodies of water, the list covers the perfect places to cool off during a heat spell. For those who aren’t looking to brave the surf, the pools offer the ideal vantage point to soak in beautiful scenery while staying out of the way of kayakers and kite-boarders.

CNN Travel selected 12 pools from across the world, but noted some of the destinations are susceptible to tides and rough waters. As such, it’s best to seek them out when conditions are calm.

Located along Kitsilano Beach, the opening of the Vancouver outdoor pool marks the unofficial start of summer for many residents of the Lower Mainland. The popular pool measures in at a whopping 137 metres in length, which makes it the longest swimming pool in Canada (and all of North America). It also has three slides and offers breathtaking views of the ocean, the mountains, Kits Beach and the skyline of Vancouver’s West End.

Other selections, such as the natural swimming pools Porto Moniz, in Madeira, Portugal, formed naturally in cooling lava. Similarly, Giola, in Thassos, Greece, is a natural lagoon which is accessible only via a dirt track. It measures approximately 15 meters across and 20 meters long, and has an eight-meter-high wall from which adventurous swimmers can jump or dive.

CNN Travel: World’s best tidal and oceanside pools

  • Porto Moniz, Madeira, Portugal
  • Treyarnon, Cornwall, England
  • Giola, Thassos, Greece
  • Queen Joan’s Baths, Sorrento, Italy
  • Queen’s Baths, Eleuthera, Bahamas
  • Saunders Rock, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Kitsilano Pool, Vancouver, Canada
  • Plage de Bon Secours, Saint-Malo, France
  • Bogey Hole, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
  • Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Cliftonville, England
  • Copenhagen Harbor Baths, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Azenhas do Mar, Sintra, Portugal

Elana Shepert, Vancouver is Awesome