As you wade into summer trip–planning and search for an Airbnb, sometimes what’s in the backyard is more important than what’s inside the house or apartment. ’Tis the season for lounging poolside, and whether you’re on a solo recharging trip, a couples getaway, or a family reunion, there are plenty of Airbnbs with pools that are perfect for taking a dip. From intimate plunge pools to infinity pools with a view, these are the hottest spots to cool off. (And if you’re craving some chlorinated relaxation but don’t need a place to stay, check out Swimply, a platform that lets travelers rent pools by the hour.) Here’s to hoping your vacation goes swimmingly!
You may recognize the pool at Villa Tasca from the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus.
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A neoclassical Sicilian villa made famous on HBO
- Location: Palermo, Sicily
- Sleeps: 8
- Book now: airbnb.com
Fans of the Sicily-set second season of HBO’s The White Lotus may remember the episode in which Daphne (Meghann Fahey) surprises Harper (Aubrey Plaza) with a night away from their husbands at a villa in Noto. The palazzo was actually “played” by Palermo’s neoclassical Villa Tasca, which dates back in part to 1565. While the sumptuous interiors include Murano chandeliers and trompe-l’oeil frescoes, the real magic lies outside in the 20-acre garden, with its swan-filled private lake, greenhouse, and grotto-like natural pool. Shrouded by palm trees and rose bushes, it’s a turquoise-green hideaway where you might feel just as likely to run into some mythological nymphs as Hollywood starlets filming a prestige HBO drama.
It’s hard to decide what’s more Instagrammable—the pool or the view?
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Colorful Palm Springs pool
- Location: Palm Springs, California
- Sleeps: 6
- Book now: airbnb.com
You might not guess from its unassuming, whitewashed exteriors, but this three-bedroom midcentury-modern abode hides a gleefully colorful pool in its backyard. Designer Alex Proba, known for her whimsical home goods and murals, painted the pool with vibrant patterns that call to mind the Memphis design movement—all squiggles and curves and polka dots. After spinning around town on the complimentary Electra cruiser bikes, relax in the mountain-view yard by playing croquet, corn hole, or bocce ball.
>> Find more Stylish Airbnbs in Palm Springs
It’s tempting to spend your entire trip poolside with a view like this.
Photo by Stephanie Veldsman
A modern South African home on a working flower farm
- Location: Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Sleeps: 9
- Book now: airbnb.com
Surrounded by fruit orchards and vineyards in the Cape Winelands outside of Cape Town, the Johannesdal Villa was curated by a pair of master gardeners and florists, Chris Willemse and Dané Erwee. The interiors convey a scrapbook-like sense of whimsy—a gnome on a nightstand here, antelope horns above the stove—but the backyard is a decidedly more simple setting: a 50-foot-long lap pool lines a manicured lawn with uninterrupted views of craggy mountains. And after your dip, you can warm up next to the wood-burning fireplace on the outdoor patio.
After a long day exploring Marrakech, relax in the private courtyard plunge pool at this Airbnb riad.
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A private four-bedroom riad in the Marrakech medina
- Location: Marrakech, Morocco
- Sleeps: 8
- Book now: airbnb.com
A courtyard plunge pool runs through the center of the lovingly restored Riad Isobel, which sits near the Dar el Bacha palace in Marrakech’s old medina and is filled with furnishings and design elements collected from Africa and Europe. As in traditional riads, bedrooms face inward, which means you’ll always have a view out toward the ornamental olive trees, sun loungers, outdoor fireplace, and burbling fountain—a reference to the water features common in Islamic gardens. The pool is especially romantic after dusk, when it’s bathed in the warm glow of lantern light.
Plan your days around sunset happy hour at Cloud Canyon Ranch.
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Joshua Tree ranch house for families
- Location: Yucca Valley, California
- Sleeps: 10
- Book now: airbnb.com
A 10-minute-drive from Joshua Tree National Park, this sprawling villa sits on 10 private acres, dotted with the area’s famed namesake plants. Out back, you’ll find a 3,000-square-foot deck with a hot tub and a roomy oval pool that can be heated for an extra charge. During the daytime, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife; after nightfall, the hot tub makes for an ideal stargazing spot. The light pollution is so minimal in these parts that it’s not uncommon to spot the Milky Way spreading its otherworldly haze across a sky blanketed in constellations.
>> Find more Airbnbs in Joshua Tree for a Desert Retreat
Take in views of the Pacific and Las Baulas National Marine Park from the infinity pool at this Costa Rica Airbnb.
Photo by Sean Davis
A tropical forest hideaway in Costa Rica
- Location: Tamarindo, Costa Rica
- Sleeps: 10
- Book now: airbnb.com
Set amid 1.5 acres of tropical forest outside the surf town of Tamarindo, Casa Blue is designed to keep you outside and engaged with the abundant nature as much as possible: Think hammocks, outdoor showers, a yoga deck, and imported Thai bungalows among the trees. The infinity-edge pool looks over the Pacific coastline and mangrove forests of Las Baulas National Marine Park, and when you’re not gawking at your lush surroundings from the water, you can relax in the shade of the palapa as you keep an eye out for resident monkeys, coatis, iguanas, and sloths.
In addition to the heated pool, this modern Canadian chalet also has a hot tub.
Photo by Stephane Brugger / Charlevoixchalets.com
A modern chalet in the Québec woods
- Location: La Malbaie, Québec, Canada
- Sleeps: 14
- Book now: airbnb.com
An award-winning architectural marvel from Viviane Zhang at Architecture 49, Le Littoral is set in the Canadian woods overlooking the St. Lawrence River, some 90 miles northeast of Québec City. Clad in eastern white cedar, this modernist reinterpretation of a local farmhouse includes a room with five capsule beds for kids and a Finnish wooden dry sauna that add to the minimalist Scandi vibes. Outside, a hot tub and a heated pool offer fantastic spots to recuperate after hiking or kayaking in the Charlevoix region right on your doorstep.
The pool at Villa Mika has a hot tub in one corner.
Photo by Tristan Laurens Bernard
A luxury villa on the west coast of Sri Lanka
- Location: Negombo, Sri Lanka
- Sleeps: 4
- Book now: airbnb.com
Staffed by a house manager who stays overnight in separate quarters, Villa Mika is a simple but luxurious rental property surrounded by a coconut palm grove on Sri Lanka’s west coast. The walled backyard is overflowing with tropical plants and accented with Buddha statues and a cushioned hanging nest chair. Days are best spent cooling off in the pool or grilling lobsters from the local seafood market. Be sure to ask for your complimentary breakfast—which includes fresh fruit and pol sambol (a local coconut-based condiment)—to be served in a floating basket in the hot tub.
This pool is shared with three other Airbnbs on the property—rent them all with friends to turn it into a private pool area.
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A city getaway in the heart of Austin
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Sleeps: 2
- Book now: airbnb.com
Only four blocks from the shops and restaurants of South Congress, this Travis Heights guest suite offers access to a heated saltwater pool (95 degrees Fahrenheit year-round) that’s shared with three other rental units on the property—perfect if you’re traveling with a bigger group and can snag them all. The backyard is a landscaped oasis with cushioned daybeds, a sail-like shade over the pool for respite from the Texas sun, and flowing waterfalls for a spa-like soundtrack.
This three-bedroom house in Montauk, New York, is a five-minute walk to the beach.
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Montauk backyard oasis
- Location: Montauk, New York
- Sleeps: 6
- Book now: airbnb.com
Montauk transformed seemingly overnight from a humble fishing village and artists’ colony into a see-and-be-seen party spot. If you need a break from all that energy, there are few better spots to decompress than this three-bedroom house, which sits just a few minutes’ walk from Culloden beach. The expansive backyard includes a deck with a gas grill, an outdoor shower, Adirondack chairs and hammocks, and a kidney-shaped swimming pool surrounded by an invitingly lush lawn.
This Deepwell Estates house has one of the best backyards in Palm Springs.
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Stylish midcentury home in Palm Springs
- Location: Palm Springs, California
- Sleeps: 6
- Book now: airbnb.com
This midcentury gem brims with groovy design elements that would make Don Draper or Frank Sinatra feel right at home—a vinyl collection, a retro bar cart (complete with Trader Vic’s coasters), abundant kitschy owl tchotchkes. In the backyard, the pool and hot tub sit under towering palm trees, surrounded by a succulent garden; other outdoor highlights include two fireplaces and a kitchen and shower. Note that there’s an additional fee (from $55 a night) to heat the pool.
Pile up to 15 friends in this eight-bedroom beach house in the posh Venetian Islands.
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Miami Beach waterfront villa
- Location: Miami Beach, Florida
- Sleeps: 15
- Book now: airbnb.com
Located on the Venetian Islands along the causeway between South Beach and Downtown Miami, the eight-bedroom Villa Venetia is all about waterfront views—and there’s perhaps no better place to take them in than from the rectangular pool overlooking the bustling, yacht-filled waters of Biscayne Bay. Inside, the decor skews toward stark whites with attention-grabbing pop art prints by the likes of Andy Warhol. Keep a special eye out for the photograph of Surrounded Islands, a 1980s project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who wrapped the perimeter of islands in Biscayne Bay with bright pink fabric.
>> Find more Airbnbs in Miami
Escape the Texas summer heat at this Hill Country Airbnb’s private pool.
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Texas Hill Country dream house
- Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
- Sleeps: 8
- Book now: airbnb.com
Known as the gateway to Texas Hill Country, Dripping Springs takes its name from the natural limestone springs that dot the region outside of Austin. But you don’t need to head into the wilderness to take a dip surrounded by nature: The free-form pool behind this rustic-chic rental (Pottery Barn leather sofa, lots of rough-hewn wood) sits on the edge of a sloping hillside, encircled by bushes and trees that will make you feel at one with nature. Bonus points for the screened-in detached porch, which comes equipped with yoga mats and blocks for a morning session in which you can focus more on achieving inner peace and less on swatting away gnats and mosquitoes.
The newly remodeled Aquatini midcentury-modern Airbnb comes with a saltwater pool and desert mountain views for days.
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Midcentury-modern Palm Springs home with fruit trees
- Location: Palm Springs, California
- Sleeps: 8
- Book now: airbnb.com
Home cooks and cocktail fans will love going “shopping” in the backyard, where fruit trees seasonally hang heavy with grapefruits, oranges, and limes. (Nothing beats the California desert heat quite like a margarita.) The midcentury-modern home opens up onto a walled-in oasis, where an enormous saltwater pool provides views out toward the surrounding mountains, and a firepit offers a lovely spot for catching up with friends after sunset.
