With the summer season fast approaching, travelers are seeking private luxury accommodations with stunning pools to help beat the summer heat. Luxury villa specialists The Thinking Traveller offer exclusive access to the most exceptional villas in the heart of the Mediterranean, many of which feature state-of-the art pools for guests in need of a refreshing dip.
From a panoramic, 30-yard d-shaped infinity pool, to a three-tiered pool with a glass infinity edge, we’ve rounded up The Thinking Traveller’s villas with the most impressive pools.
Zu Nillu, Favignana, Italy
Located in Favignana, Italy, best known for its crystalline waters offering excellent swimming and good scuba-diving possibilities, The Thinking Traveller’s Zu Nillu villa features an impressive pool carved into a Roman stone quarry. Just beyond the pool area at Zu Nillu is a private outdoor theater, and an inspirational al fresco bathroom. The villa itself starts on ground level and descends into the moving spectacle of the colorful quarry garden. Paths weave through the fig, pomegranate and carob trees towards the glorious water structure.
Forte San Giorgio, Capraia, Italy
The grand Forte San Giorgio sits on the small Tuscan island of Capraia, Italy, home to just two villages. The property’s swimming pool, known as the Piscina della Torre, is constructed with stainless steel, a remarkable piece of design and engineering including a shallow beach-effect area suitable for young children, a hydromassage corner, and an infinity edge. The luxuriously restored fortress is a work of art with impeccable taste seen throughout. The sea views from this multi-dimensional villa are nothing short of extraordinary.
Artelia, Zakynthos, Greece
Over in Zakynthos, Greece, Artelia is an exquisite stylish villa offering bird’s eye views out to sea. Sitting proudly at the center of the garden of villa Artelia is a dreamy infinity pool, divided into two parts by a central sitting area featuring a sunken firepit. The main section of the pool is equipped with water jets and a hydro massage system, while the other section boasts a shallow pool. This magical property is tucked away by wooden hills and spans 250-acres including a manège of rare-breed horses. The design of the villa is a pleasing mix of clean lines, contemporary elements, and nods to traditional island architecture.
Penio, Lefkada, Greece
On the Greek island of Lefkada is villa Penio, featuring contemporary designs with direct sea access through the property’s garden gate. Villa Penio is home to an infinity pool that cuts in two halves, bisected by a walkway that connects with steps leading down to the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea below. Guests can admire the sparkling waters from the pool or walk to the sea in just seconds.Penio’s walls of floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors flood the interiors with light and views creating an effortless indoor-outdoor experience. Lefkada is just a short drive away from the village, harbor and seafront tavernas of Sivota.
DolceVita, Vendicari, Sicily
DolceVita is a stylish, architect-designed home with beautifully configured spaces, located in Vendicari, Sicily. The contemporary home features indoor spaces that flow seamlessly outside into extensive sea-view terraces, Arabian-inspired walled gardens granting privacy, the gracefully sleek cobalt pool, and views of Vendicari Nature Reserve all tempting guests to explore their surroundings. Gorgeous and slender, the pool at DolceVita is a slatted structure that extends from the house over the center of the pool to the perimeter wall, providing not only shade but also, divertingly, a support for a swing above the water of the pool.
Cala d’Istria, Corsica, France
The Thinking Traveller’s villa Cala d’Istria sits on a little beach-flanked promontory on the south coast of Corsica. This section of the coast is characterized by a series of little coves and bays, many of which have lovely little sandy beaches. At Cala d’Istria a unique, three-tiered heated pool, whose west-facing, glass infinity edge, suspended over the gardens, looks directly out to sea and the sunset. The smaller top two tiers have shallow water, ideal for younger children. Within the villa one’s eye is immediately drawn to the two sets of room-wide, floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors. On one side, these open onto a large, decked terrace with sea views; on the other one may access a Japanese-style garden with an outdoor kitchen, large al fresco dining table and an ornamental pond.
Lo Iazzu, Puglia, Italy
The Lo Iazzu villa in Puglia hosts a panoramic, over 30-yard, d-shaped infinity pool. Lo Iazzu is ideal both for those wishing to do some real swimming and, thanks to the beach-effect shallow end, ideal for young children who like paddling. Set amongst the shady Mediterranean pines of its extensive grounds, Lo Iazzu is a classic example of how Puglia’s old farmhouses can be transformed into luxurious 21st century homes. Views take in the gently rolling surrounding countryside and, to one side and below the pool are some natural grottoes where massages can be arranged and, a little further down at the bottom of the valley, a small lake.
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