San Alfonso del Mar Algarrobo Chile. San Alfonso del Mar: the largest outdoor swimming pool in the world (Chile)

Valparaiso is a region in Chile. In its western part, washed by the Pacific Ocean, is the resort town of Algarrobo. This is one of the popular and favorite places on the Pacific coast of Latin America. The coast of this town attracts beach tourism lovers like a magnet. But it is not the beach that is the object of attention for vacationers. The reason lies in the tourist complex of San Alfonso, or more precisely in its basin - San Alfonso del Mar.

The San Alfonso del Mar swimming pool is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest swimming pool in the world. It received this status in 2006, and so far no one has surpassed its stunning size. Its surface area is 8 hectares! The pool stretches along the shore for 1013 meters!

For Chile, San Alfonso del Mar has become a significant landmark and treasure of the nation. Now people come to the country not only for Atacama or Chilean wine. The pool opened its doors to a large flow of tourists.

Well, you probably immediately had a question: “Why build a pool if you can swim nearby, in the Pacific Ocean?” The parent of the San Alfonso del Mar project, Fernando Fishman, a businessman and part-time biochemist, can answer this. Before the implementation of this project, Algarrobo was a town where only a few who had heard of the local beaches came to relax. This was not the best place for swimming. The ocean waters here are not warm due to the cold Humboldt Current. And in order to somehow try to open the town to the world, Fernando decided to make a lagoon with crystal clear and warm water.

Since 1997, the scientist plunged into the world of searching for the necessary technology that could help realize his dream. After weighing all the pros and cons, Fernando Fishman found only one solution - building a swimming pool.

San Alfonso del Mar cost Fishman a significant amount of $3.2 million. 250 million liters of water are taken from the ocean, filtered and raised by 9 degrees Celsius. Fishman’s brainchild has this technology. Every month it costs 6.5 thousand US dollars to maintain such a pool.

Of course, it takes a lot of imagination to build a giant pool a few meters from a natural body of water - the ocean, but from a commercial point of view it doesn’t matter where it is - its size invariably attracts many tourists. The secret of this neighborhood is simple - “San Alfonso” was conceived as a kind of “ocean by the ocean”, the water in it is taken from there and heated to 26 degrees, while “overboard” is on average nine degrees less. So the popularity of the place is explained not only by the size of the artificial reservoir, but also by quite formal “greenhouse” factors.

Large two-section lift-up gates allow visitors into the grounds. In order to get closer to the pool, you need to go around one of the nine hotels located on its kilometer-long “coastline”. The pleasure of swimming in the purest filtered ocean water, supplied by pumps controlled by a computer system, is available not only to hotel residents, but also to visitors, for a fee. In the “water area” of the pool, where you can sail on a small sailboat, there are “paddling pools” for children, indoor pools and closed areas. On the shore there is all the infrastructure necessary to please tourists.

The San Alfonso del Mar hotel complex, which includes the largest swimming pool in the world, opened in December 2008. It is located in the resort town of Algarrobo (the center of the commune of the same name), which is part of the province of San Antonio, Valparaiso region. It cost $2 billion to build and requires $4 million annually for maintenance. The pool arithmetic is as follows:

Area – 80,000 m2

Length – 1,013 m.

The deepest point is 34.5 m.

Total water volume – 250,000 m3

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

“San Alfonso del Mar” – the largest swimming pool in the world (Chile)

Santiago, the largest swimming pool (lagoon) in the world is located, “San Alfonso del Mar” in the Algarrobo resort in Chile. Its dimensions are impressive, its length is 1013 meters, and its area is 77 thousand square meters! Agree, such a pool can hardly be called a pool, rather a very large lake. The capacity of the pool is 250 million liters, and the maximum depth is 35 meters. Although the water is taken from the Pacific Ocean, it is so clean that the bottom is very clearly visible, as if it were a couple of meters from the surface of the water. Don’t be surprised if you see a catamaran, boat or even a yacht sail by; the size of this pool allows you to use such a swimming vehicle, as well as engage in any type of water sport.

How did the idea for such a project come about? The fact is that previously the city of San Alfonso del Mar was not a resort, because the water on the Pacific coast is full of dangers, predatory sharks swim off the coast and there are often storms. And also the water temperature usually does not exceed -17 degrees, which does not allow you to be comfortable in it. But one Chilean entrepreneur and biochemist, Fernando Fishman, nevertheless decided to change the situation and make San Alfonso del Mar a resort town, creating an unusual pool that, in its capabilities, would replace the cold and dangerous ocean, but at the same time was very comfortable for people who come to this resort. And he did it perfectly, the pool is so huge that being there, it seems that it is simply endless, also due to the fact that it is very close to the ocean. And from the outside it seems that there is no pool, but this is the ocean. Fernando also developed and patented a system for purifying water from the ocean into the pool. It is fully computerized and the water is constantly updated, while it is saturated with oxygen and heated to 26 degrees. Therefore, the water in the pool is always clean and warm. This cleaning system, due to its manufacturability, is also very economical, since it consumes little electricity, cleaning occurs without the use of chemicals that have a detrimental effect on the environment, and the water flowing from the pool back into the ocean does not harm living organisms living in it. The construction of the San Alfonso del Mar facility cost the entrepreneur $1.5 billion. And about 3-4 million dollars are spent annually on the maintenance and upkeep of the pool.

There are nine hotels on the lagoon, the room rates of which vary depending on the season, for example, from November to the end of March, the cost of a double room starts from $300 per night. In other months, accommodation is slightly cheaper. If you rent housing in other houses that are not located on the territory of San Alfonso del Mar, you will have to pay to enter the complex and use the pool and services. In addition to hotels, there are also restaurants, Jacuzzi bars, fitness centers, and cinema halls on the territory.

The resort of San Alfonso del Mar, Chile, is one of the most famous holiday destinations in the world, and is a huge unique complex with the largest pool on the Pacific Ocean in the form of a lagoon with mirror-clear water.

Due to its unique size, the pool was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 2007:

Capacity – 250 thousand cubic meters of water;
area – 8 hectares;
length 1 kilometer and 13 meters;
greatest depth -35 m.

The pool is so huge that you can swim in it like in a big lake. Hotel guests can rent small boats, sailboats, and sail through the expanses of an artificial reservoir. Of course, the local views and natural landscapes here are boring, not like in Crimea, which you can read about at www.tourister.ru/world/europe/russia/region/krym, or the coast of Australia and Thailand, but it also has its own zest. In the Crimean latitudes you will find the warm Black Sea, mountains, forests, lush vegetation, historical sights, and in San Alfonso del Mar all this will be replaced by one beautiful and huge swimming pool that will delight you throughout your entire vacation.

The water temperature in the pool is maintained at 26 degrees, which is 8-9 degrees higher than the temperature of the ocean water. At the same time, the water is salty and enters the pool directly from the ocean. It would seem, why build such a fable if the hotel is already located on the ocean. However, there is an important argument to this remark. The thing is that not so good “sharks” fish constantly swim near the ocean coast, and the water does not rise above +17 degrees. All these conditions are not entirely comfortable and pleasant for relaxation. And in order to somehow attract the attention of vacationers to the resort of San Alfonso Del Mar, biochemist and businessman Fernando Fishman decided to correct the current situation in this way.

Today it is one of the most popular and expensive resorts in the world, which is never empty, although ten years ago few people knew about it.

Where to stay

There are 9 hotels on the territory of the complex, in which the cost of living depends on the season. The most expensive accommodation is November-end of March, and in other months it is slightly cheaper. On New Year's Eve, rooms are booked 2-3 months in advance. Vacationers also have access to: restaurants, cafes, a jacuzzi bar, fitness centers, a cinema hall, a sauna and a giant aquarium 25 m high.

During the Christmas holidays, the pool is completely decorated with garlands and glowing balls: it all looks fabulous, especially when viewed from a bird's eye view. How to get there

Getting to the complex will not be any problem for you. The resort is located 100 km west of Santiago, from where direct transfers are organized for guests from the airport directly to the hotels. You can drive your own car along the Ruta 68 and F-90 highways.