Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World

Algarrobo, Chile


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Algarrobo, Chile

Coordinates: 33 20 S 71 39 W

Pool Area: 19.8 acres (8 hectares)

New York City hasn’t really heated up yet, but given that last Friday was the First Day of Summer, I thought I’d choose today’s place accordingly. Thinking about one of my favorite ways to spend a torrid afternoon, I decided on a swimming pool. But not just any pool, the world’s largest. Stretching over a kilometer and containing 66 million gallons (2.5 million liters) of crystal-clear water, this man-made lagoon just north of Algarrobo, Chile literally dwarfs the competition. Built to lure more vacationers to the San Alfonso del Mar resort, the massive natatorium is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a thin strip of sand and is 115 feet deep in places. The boaters that ply its surface may not notice the warmth of the sea water steadily circulating beneath them, but for swimmers, an average temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) probably feels just right.


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Ben Keene is the editor of Oxford Atlas of the World. Check out some of his previous places of the week.

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