What is the largest swimming pool you have ever seen in your life? Now, imagine something bigger. Imagine an above ground swimming pool that is 1000 times the size of that. This si what the average person would have to do to conceive an idea of how big of a swimming space is at the San Alfonso del Mar. This Chilean Apartments & Resort has set the record for the world’s largest swimming pool and you can sail a boat inside these waters.
The Designer Who Gets ‘Em Wet
That’s not a polite question to ask, some might say. However, the man who made this pool does not mind. The founder of Crystal Lagoons, Fernando Fischmann, really wanted to ‘lay pipe’ that would change the life of anyone lying down in a San Alfoso del Mar Resort. He wanted the vacationers to see something that would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The pool-man wanted women to get wet with excitement and men to explode with vigorous joy.
The result, Fischmann laid piping that was bigger than anyone before him. He then went out on the hunt for pump that could handle enough water to fill a lake. It came down to him choosing an above ground pool vacuum more powerful than most pool designers would even think of. This was chosen because he knew he had embarked on an idea to create the world’s largest swimming pool. His eyes were set on changing a beach the size of 15 football fields into a saltwater pool that looks more like a ‘Bay’ than a man made design.
How big is it exactly?
The apartments & resort in Chile’s backyard pool is a whopping 871,200 square feet. It is more than 3,200 feet long. How much water does it hold? Try 250-million liters of filtered ocean water, according to People.com.
Depth wise, the average person will not be touching the bottom of this pool without special equipment. At its deepest point it is 115 feet deep. It’s the same turquoise color as the ocean water outside it, just clearer because of filters. At the deepest parts you can still see the bottom of the Fernando Fischmann designed swimming pool.
This aquatic design sits just a few quick steps from the actual ocean itself. It’s separated by a large sandbar, that could be overlapped easily in the event of a tsunami or rising of sea level. However, with the pumps and filters used, the ‘15 football fields long’ swimming hole should be okay after the flooding subsides. The system is already built to handle the ocean’s water.
Maintenance is the Price of a Mansion
If you think you have heard of luxury before, this swimming pool may break some people’s ideas of that word to shambles. Just to operate this pool’s vacuum and pump system, keep it clean and well maintained, the property management has to spend the price of a mansion annually. Each year an estimated $2-million-dollars is spent on keeping the San Alfonso Del Mar’s pool clean.
The cost to build this pool would probably rival the price of the Panama Canal in it’s original creation days (not modified to meet inflation of today). According to snopes, this pool cost more money to build than what it would take to feed some Caribbean islands for a month. A cold $1-billion-dollars is what was spent to make this vision of Crystal Lagoons happen. How much of that was kept for their ‘services,’ is unknown. However, few hotels or resorts will be able to compete with such grand price tags of luxury.
So big! It’s for More Than Swimming
With the man made water hole being so large, of course it is for more than swimming. Large boats can fit and even sail inside of this pool, logistically. However, visitors cannot have motorized technology inside of the San Alfonso Del Mar apartments’ pool.
What is allowed, includes everything else a typical tourist would love to see and more. There are fantastic waters slides for kids and adults to enjoy. For those that like aquatic workouts, there are fitness classes and kayaking. Most are aware, crossing such a distance in a kayak will give a body a serious workout that burns energy during your time in the boat. However, most do not know it’s an exercise that continues to burn calories after you stop.
Other watersports are also available. For those who wish to pick up scuba diver training, this is also a great stop. One can learn the art of deep sea diving with tanks in this controlled environment between enjoying luxury meals and partaking in local culture. Get over the fears of giant man-eating sharks after you defeat the fear of your breathing tanks malfunctioning, learning the craft in Chile.
A last thrilling water sport to learn on the 3000-plus feet long pool is sailing. There are actual sailboats available for guests at the Apartments & resort, for those wishing to learn how to fly with the wind. There are very few swimming pools on earth where such a thing can be done.
The Apartments are 4-stars
According to the real people reviewing at Tripadvisor, the SADM is a 4-star resort. Nearly 500 people have reviewed the resort. The pool is the main point of conversation for most as it’s shocked nearly all staying for visit. However, many also say views from the Apartments rooms are also just as spectacular, as you can overlook mountain sides and ocean water.
Located in the city of Algarrobo, there is nothing ‘too hot’ about this cityscape. Year round temperatures generally stay between 60 to 75 degrees fahrenheit. The best times to visit appear to be between December and March, based on the weather.com analysis of the past year (see here).
The Apartments was completed in 2006. It was far ahead of its time with the idea for the world’s largest swimming pool by area. It is noted for this achievement in the Guinness Book of World Records.
This is not a hotel resort. To stay here you must either own an apartment or rent an apartment from an owner. Luckily this can be done via the internet in 2019 and likely on AirBNB as well. The romance novel worthy scenery is well worth the search to find someone with ownership.
0 Comments