Sydney's best outdoor pools

Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Pool

Sydney

So much more than your average lap pool, the ABC is a tranquil retreat set on the shores of Woolloomooloo Bay. Perfect for serious swimmers and socialising alike, the pool offers yoga and karate classes and a therapy suite for massage and massotherapy. Reward yourself with a cheeky glass of vino and a homemade peanut butter macaron while you take in the panoramic Sydney Harbour views at the Poolside Café.

Bondi Icebergs Club

Bondi

Arguably as iconic as the beach itself, these Bondi baths have welcomed swimmers year-round since 1929. Come summer you can expect to battle it out for your poolside position – your worthy competitors are a glamorous blend of tourists, locals, hipsters and celebrities. If you fail to bag a spot you can always cool off with a cocktail at the bar upstairs.

Bronte Baths

Bronte

It’s a simple cycle: lie with your bare skin against the rocks until you feel warmed from the inside out, slip into the baths letting the cool wash over you, then repeat when ready. An ample size, the pool has room enough for serious swimmers and a shallow end for kids.

Collaroy Rock Pool

Collaroy

Collaroy prides itself on being a venue accessible to all ages and abilities, offering a 50m lap pool and two 25m children’s pools. Freewheeler wheelchairs are available from the surf club allowing access to the pool and free movement on the sand. A wheelchair-friendly Liberty Swing can be found in the all-abilities precinct behind the Surf Club.

Dawn Fraser Baths

Balmain

The oldest pool and swimming club in Australia, it is large enough to accommodate swimmers and a water polo game at the same time. The harbour pool is all but fully enclosed, leaving it to rise and fall with the whims of the tides. At low tide a beach appears for some good old-fashioned sand castle building fun.

Dee Why Baths

Dee Why

At Dee Why Rockpools learners and golden oldies casually paddle at their own pace, surfers leap off the adjacent rocks into the wild swell, and visitors and locals alike sprawl across the tiered seating, watching the beach-loving community embark on their daily ritual.

MacCallum Pool

Cremorne

For this harbourside pool it’s all about quality, not quantity. The free pool is narrower than most and has no lanes – better designed for a peaceful paddle than an Olympic-grade training session. For a carefree afternoon in the sun, plant yourself on the waterside timber decking, gaze across to the Opera House and watch the ferries go by. So. Very. Sydney.

Mahon Pool

Maroubra

If you are looking to have your lazy days by the seaside kicked up a gear or two, then Maroubra’s Mahon Pool is for you. Cut into the natural rock face, it’s dubbed the “impossible pool” and can be a bit like a washing machine on spin cycle when there is a big swell.

North Sydney Olympic Pool

Milsons Point

Talk about prime location: North Sydney Pool is dug in slap-bang in the middle of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks – Luna Park, Sydney Harbour and the Opera House. But the view of the pool itself is lovely, too: art deco designs and decorative plasterwork. A proven recipe for inspiration, over 86 world records were set in this Olympic pool, including from Aussie sport stars such as Shane Gould and Lorraine Crapp.

Wylie's Baths

Coogee

Ocean pool by day, wedding venue by night, these heritage-listed baths below the Maroubra to Bondi coastal walkway have changed little since they were built in 1907. They were born from one man’s passion for the ocean: champion long-distance swimmer Henry Wylie obtained a special lease below the high-water mark to build the seawall and raised boardwalk. It became one of the first mixed gender baths in Australia.