12 Vacation Rentals with Stunning Pools So You Can Stretch Out Summer
With summer officially coming to an end in a few weeks, and Labor Day already here, it’s hard not to have a little FOMO about soaking up what’s left of the sunshine by the pool. Fear not, we poked around the interwebs and found a dozen swoon-worthy, Pinnable-for-later getaway ideas, all booking now for fall and holiday vacays so you can spread out the leisure. Because, you know, winter — it is coming.
Here are just 12 completely secluded, private house rental pools that are just begging for a spontaneous getaway. While there were listings with dreamy private dives on nearly each continent — not surprisingly, zero listings for Antarctica exist, and the pool options for Iceland/Scandinavia were scant (though the hot tubs were plentiful) — these dozen favorites from around the world are, on the whole, surprisingly affordable and worth planning a getaway around. Just make sure to pack your flamingo floatie for Instagram.
1. Lake d’Iseo, Italy (from $85/night, Airbnb)
Think of it as Lake Como on a beer budget, or the famous celeb-spotting Italian lake’s more low-key younger brother: Lake d’Iseo is what National Geographic called “The Pearl of Italy’s Lakes District.” Set into the Italian Alps about equidistant from Milan and Verona, near Brescia and Bergamo, this picturesque 2-bedroom getaway in the medieval Lombardy village of Riva di Solto is what the panorama function on your phone was invented to capture. If you (ever) grow tired of lounging by the pool, art lovers can venture out to view where Christo’s recent Floating Piers installation was featured, and fans of Italian vino can sample local “sparkling wines that blow prosecco out of the water.”
2. Mykonos, Greece (from $826/night, TripAdvisor Rentals)
Since the star-powered, American Royalty days of Jackie O and Princess Grace, in-the-know celebrities have always flocked to this majestic Grecian isle —but Travel+Leisure said that this may be the most star-powered year yet for Mykonos. For about the price of a hip hotel when split between friends, you can live like the rich and famous, too — if only for a week — in this four bedroom, six bathroom villa that sleeps 8. Reenact scenes from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with a group of girlfriends, sleeping in one of the most chic bunk rooms we’ve ever seen, or host a family reunion that will go down in history — not for its drama, but for its lack of dysfunction, because who could possibly be dysfunctional (for too long, anyway) with private, constant access to a pool like this? Equally swoon-worthy yet more affordable options also abound on less-traveled Grecian islands like this listings on Crete — and even more luxury options are available on nearby Santorini.
3. Surat Thani, Thailand (from $350/night, HomeAway)
Thailand’s natural beauty has become an increasingly popular option for adventure seekers, yogis, and groups of friends as a more affordable yet equally stunning alternative to Bali —and in this month’s SmarterTravel Asia Best in Travel poll, spotted in The Nation, Thailand earned nearly 70 awards — including three spots on the Top 10 Holiday Travel Destinations list. Fly into Bangkok and head South, halfway to Malaysia, for this private retreat where bucket lists are fulfilled and maid service and breakfast are included.
4. Marrakech, Morocco (from $92/night, Airbnb)
A charming, renovated 3-bedroom in the Dar el Bacha riad — one of “the most pleasant and safe areas to live in,” on what CondeNast Traveler called “The Coolest Street in Marrakech” — Dar Ahwach is an affordable Marrakech rental getaway that comes with a housekeeper at your service, and babysitting potential should you want to wander around the storied, eponymous palace or shop the souks and modern shops in Jamaa el Fna square unencumbered. For those who book a week or more, an airport welcome is also included. But the best part is clearly the romantic and totally private tiled patio and pool, where one can sip tea and snack on Moroccan pancakes — also provided by your gracious hosts.
5. O’Okala, Hawaii (from $350/night, HomeAway)
Ocean Soul is paradise within paradise — a 13-acre private estate perched on the Waipunalei cliffs of the Big Island of Hawaii, with its own private rocky beach on the Hamakua Coast and stunning Pacific Ocean views from its private lap-swimming pool. Live like Polynesian royalty for the week with five of your favorite people (housekeeper included), taking off for daily adventures like zip-lining or hiking to Volcanoes National Park, around the Waipio Valley, to the waterfalls of Umauma and Akaka, or leisurely strolls around the Onomea Botanical Gardens, then relax in style back at your dreamy 3-bed, 3-bath, 3,500-square foot retreat.
6. Santorini, Greece (from $8,000/night on TripAdvisor Rentals)
Put this on your bucket list (in the style of Queen Latifah’s Last Holiday) or pin for your future lottery winnings: Nafsika Estate is truly a lifestyles of the rich and famous property. The private helipad welcomes you to the hilltop minimalist design mansion, with five master bedrooms (each with en-suite) that comfortably sleep 10 people, and two professional kitchens — one indoor, one outdoor — allowing for endless entertaining overlooking Santorini’s famous volcano, sunrises and sunsets in either direction.
7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico (from $308/night, Airbnb)
This private, architect-designed “World Famous Seashell House” is a modern day Atlantis named Casa Caracol, with two bedrooms and infinite Instagram potential from the absolute fantasy of a pool deck, where you can indulge every mermaid/merman inclination you’ve ever had — not limited to belting out the entirety of Ariel’s catalog from start to finish, because it’s your party and you can Disney musical if you want to.
8. Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica (from $1,965/night, TripAdvisor Rentals)
Before you scoff at the by-the-night price to rent Casa Fiesta, consider this truly family-friendly, Balinese-style compound, featuring 15 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms across three separate, secluded, adjacent homes, plus a pool house, which easily accommodates 42 people — between not one but four private pools, one with a waterfall. Most of the bedrooms have Pacific Ocean views, and all but one has an en-suite bathroom. The outdoor living spaces are set into the Manuel Antonio National Park, and free daily entertainment is provided by its resident monkeys. The property rental also comes with its own private chef, panoramic views from a bird’s nest room that has an indoor pool, and a billiards room with an indoor jacuzzi. This is a party pad for dreamers and doers.
9. Bali, Indonesia (from $135/night, Airbnb)
“This is Bali from 25 years ago,” the listing boasts — offering peace and tranquility in a secluded, less-touristy area of Indonesia just steps from the beach and waterfalls of the port town of Singaraja in Northern Bali. Not to mention this infinity pool and its 180-degree views of the sea, surrounded by a timbered and tiled open floor plan outdoor living and dining space just begging for yoga at dawn and convivial gatherings at dusk. Live out all your Eat, Pray, Love fantasies at Villa Sanglung, which sleeps 8 guests, includes staff and security, and features two bedrooms, each with two beds and en-suite bathrooms, plus a fully equipped kitchen. You really have no reason to leave. TripAdvisor travelers also voted Bali the world’s best tourist destination for 2017 in their recent Traveler’s Choice awards, so now really is the time to go.
10. Rincon, Puerto Rico (from $491/night on HomeAway)
Whether your idea of paradise includes surfing, loafing, or sipping on tropical drinks with your toes in the sand, this 3,500-square-foot private estate in the popular Puntas neighborhood of Puerto Rico’s idyllic western coastline has it all. Grab eight of your favorite people and head to Little Malibu, a four-bedroom, three-bathroom modern vacation villa just down the street from Tamboo Tavern — one of the world’s 50 best beach bars. That is, if you can ever find the motivation to leave the property for happy hour.
11. Rhone Valley, France (from $171/night on Airbnb)
Carpe diem, lovers of all things culinary and Francophile, at Chateau Colombier in the Drome Provencal. With its walled garden, pool with integrated jacuzzi, and “the character of an old country house but with all the modern comforts you expect nowadays,” this 200-year-old stone getaway is just kilometers away from wineries, butchers and bread shops, creperies and markets, providing your gateway to the good life — if only for a week. Rent the studio for a couple’s getaway while host (and local blogger) Clare is there to be your guide, or rent the entire property for a rustic family retreat in a terroir of France that Forbes recently called “Destination Nature” as well as one of the country’s first organic farming areas, where “one has the sense of the good, of what does good to the body and the head.”
12. Sedona, Arizona (from $758/night on HomeAway)
For a wine tasting (and stargazing) weekend a little closer to home, bask in the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert from the pool on this idyllic four-acre property. Grab a group of friends or the entire family and luxuriate among the three separate living areas of this 5,000-square-foot, 4-bedroom and 5-bathroom private estate, with the Oak Creek and hiking in the red rock mountain foothills on the popular (and Instagram-scenic) West Fork Trail just steps away.