The pool is one of the biggest and most popular pleasures when it comes to holidays and relaxation .
There are many types: Olympic, inflatable, thermal, saunas and so on and so forth.
Some pools are well-known architectural masterpieces but still others are jewels of nature, invaluable rarities that attract thousands of tourists every year.
Some of these pools are open to the public, which can dive and bathe, while others are protected sites and this is prohibited, although often even a simple visit is worth a trip.
We visit the 5 most beautiful natural pools around the world in Italy, Turkey, China, Ecuador, Iceland.
The natural pool of Pamukkale, Turkey
The wonderful site of Pamukkale is located in Turkey, in the province of Denizli. The name, which literally means " cotton castle ", perfectly describes the feeling you get from visiting this site: it is a natural system of white travertine pools, a calcareous sedimentary rock typical of thermal springs .
After millennia of bathing freedom, in the last century (1988) the site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is therefore forbidden to dive there to avoid damaging it .
Pamukkale is located near Hierapolis, a marvelous Anatolian archaeological city, founded in Roman-Hellenistic times and full of beautiful ruins.
The immaculate white travertine terraces are literally breathtaking, a true fairytale landscape, especially in the morning at dawn and in the evening when the sky is colored.
Terme di Saturnia, Italy
Italy also has its wonderful natural spas. These are the thermal baths of Saturnia, in the municipality of Manciano, in the province of Grosseto. It is a beautiful system of natural pools, near a mill (they are called precisely the cascade of the mill), open to the public 365 days a year, generated by the thermal source of hot sulphurous water, known for its beneficial properties for the body and for the nerves. Loved by the Romans since ancient times and dedicated to the god Jupiter, the Terme di Saturnia are the top of the natural pools in Italy and often tourists from abroad come here to come and camp to enjoy the experience.
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Huanglong Natural Pool, China
In the north-western part of the Sichuan province, in China, in one of the most beautiful areas of the whole country if you are interested in mountain trekking and nature, there is a splendid natural thermal pool composed of white pools placed on various levels, on the mountain Minshan.
Since 1992, this sit oil whose name literally means " yellow dragon ", is a world heritage site under the aegis of UNESCO, also because it is surrounded by a natural sanctuary for pandas and golden rhinopithecus.
The unique landscape, immersed in greenery, dug by millennia of geothermal activity, composed of thousands of small and large pools and about forty kilometers of route. It is one of the most accessible Chinese wonders, able to really leave you breathless.
Natural pool of Las Grietas, Ecuador
Now let's go to Ecuador, or better, to the Galapagos Islands, a dream of all travelers worthy of the name. In the island of Santa Cruz there is a site called Las Grietas, or the cracks, the cracks, the large pools, if we can define them as such, of fresh and sweet water (due to some underground springs), which flow into the sea mixing with the salt water.
This wonderful place, located in Puerto Ayora, is a must for those visiting these places, and is suitable for swimming . Not only: taking a bath, we will discover many points from which to have fun making dives from the steep edges and a system of caves filled with sapphire-colored water.
The Blue Lagoon, Iceland
A land rich in volcanic and geothermal activity like Iceland cannot be ignored if we are interested in natural pools.
One of the most beautiful, visited and photographed by tourists due to its beauty is the so-called Blue Lagoon, the blue lagoon, a picturesque and fascinating lava landscape, rich in v hot water (can reach 40 degrees), particularly nutritious for the skin thanks to the presence of numerous mineral salts.
It is located in Grindavik, in the Reykjanes peninsula . Because of its ability to heal skin problems such as psoriasis, it is possible to bathe in the Blue Lagoon, following a hygienic code that includes a shower before diving.
