What Is the Largest Pool in the World
The largest pool in the world by surface area is the San Alfonso del Mar resort pool in Algarrobo, Chile, which holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest swimming pool ever built. The facility opened in 2006 and covers approximately 19.8 acres (8 hectares) with a total water volume of about 66 million gallons (250 million liters), making it larger than many public lakes and significantly bigger than Olympic-sized pools.
The pool was developed by the Chilean resort company San Alfonso del Mar and designed by the Chilean biochemist Fernando Fischmann through his firm Crystal Lagoons. The project cost an estimated $1.5 billion to $2 billion in initial investment, with ongoing maintenance expenses reportedly reaching several million dollars per year, according to public statements and coverage by Forbes and other business outlets. Crystal Lagoons has since expanded its patented lagoon technology to multiple countries, positioning the company as a major player in the artificial lagoon and large-scale pool market.
Key Dimensions, Water Source, and Technology
The San Alfonso del Mar pool stretches roughly 3,324 feet (1,013 meters) in length and spans an average width of about 115 feet (35 meters), with a maximum depth of around 11.5 feet (3.5 meters). It uses a proprietary suction and filtration system developed by Crystal Lagoons that circulates seawater from the Pacific Ocean, reducing the need for fresh water and chemical treatments compared with traditional pools of similar size.
How Crystal Lagoons Technology Works
Crystal Lagoons' patented system reportedly uses a combination of pumps, filters, and biological treatments to maintain water clarity and quality in large-scale lagoons, enabling the company to build and operate massive pools in coastal and inland locations. The technology has been licensed to real estate developers and hospitality groups worldwide, and the company has filed patents in multiple jurisdictions, as noted in public filings and business coverage available on Forbes.
Largest Pools by Other Metrics and Global Market Context
While San Alfonso del Mar leads in surface area, the largest pool by volume is the Orthlieb Pool in Casablanca, Morocco, which measures about 480 meters long and 75 meters wide, and the largest rooftop pool in the world is often cited as the Marina Bay Sands infinity pool in Singapore, operated by Las Vegas Sands. These facilities highlight how developers use large pools as premium amenities to attract high-net-worth residents and tourists, with projects often requiring significant capital expenditure and long-term maintenance commitments.
The global market for large-scale pools and aquatic attractions has grown as luxury resorts, mixed-use developments, and destination cities compete for attention, with companies such as Crystal Lagoons and Six Flags partnering with real estate and hospitality firms to integrate massive water features into their projects. Investors interested in this sector can track public disclosures from companies involved in water parks, resort development, and water treatment technology, including filings available on the SEC, which provide data on capital spending, revenue, and project timelines for large aquatic facilities.