26 metres below you, the emerald water sparkles in the sunlight. Vine tendrils pitch themselves over the edge of the hole, reaching down to touch the water, and waterfalls tumble down the rock faces in misty veils of spray. The surrounding jungle buzzes in its tropical warmth, and the stairway curling around the hole\u2019s stone walls to the water\u2019s edge offers a singular invitation \u2013 Dive in!<\/p>\n
You\u2019re at Il Kil on Mexico\u2019s Yucatan Peninsula<\/strong>, one of the world\u2019s many spectacular swimming holes. This one is formed by a cenote or collapsed limestone cave that exposed the crystal groundwater beneath. It\u2019s a place of sublime beauty. (In fact, such is its setting that it was a stop on the 2010 and 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series<\/strong>, of which arena was a co-sponsor).<\/p>\n Swimming holes are nature\u2019s way of combining pristine water with stunning backdrops to give outdoor and water lovers an experience that tantalizes and heightens your senses. There\u2019s just something about swimming in a natural pool in a natural setting \u2013 it\u2019s thrilling, liberating, daring, calming, inspiring, dreamlike, \u2026 not to mention invigorating and refreshing, given the bracing temperatures of some of them.<\/p>\n They\u2019re not all cenotes like Il Kil<\/strong>. They could be hollowed-out pools at the base of a waterfall, like the Grand Canyon\u2019s Havasu Falls<\/em>, an inlet from the ocean like Jamaica\u2019s Blue Lagoon<\/em>, a natural spring like the River Loue<\/em> at Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, France, hot springs like Pamukkale<\/em> in Turkey, outlets for underground aquifers like Namibia\u2019s Crystal Pools<\/em>, disused quarries such as Dorset Quarry<\/em> in Vermont, or simply a natural river pool like Willamette National Forest\u2019s Opal Pool<\/em> in Oregon.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also no shortage of evocative swimming hole names, such as Italy\u2019s Grotta della Poesia<\/i> (Grotto of Poetry) in Apulia, Zambia\u2019s Devil\u2019s Armchair atop the ridge of Victoria Falls, the world\u2019s highest waterfall, God\u2019s Bath<\/em> in California, Devil\u2019s Punch Bowl<\/em> in Colorado, and Palau\u2019s Jellyfish Lake<\/em>. You\u2019ll have noticed the exotic locations as well \u2013 the list goes on: Iceland, Hawaii, Thailand, the Bahamas, Samoa, Belize, Japan, Laos, the Philippines, Azores, \u00a0\u2026<\/p>\n In many places, such is the attraction of the swimming hole that have become destinations in and of themselves, and their popularity among nature and water lovers has spawned active communities sharing their \u201cfinds\u201d. For example, check out www.swimmingholes.org<\/a> for a growing list of personal favourites in the US, as well as other parts of the world. Then there\u2019s www.wildswimming.co.uk<\/a>, which also has a section on France.<\/p>\n But for the sheer excitement of discovery and the sense that you\u2019re a pioneer of sorts, there\u2019s something special about finding your own swimming hole, whether it\u2019s on your local river or on a trip far from home. For me, the nameless spring bubbling up from the underground aquifer in the remote dusty reaches of Damaraland in northern Namibia, will forever be etched in my memory. In the baking heat, the sharp freshness of the water\u2019s shimmering welcome erased the day\u2019s hardships and my parched throat, as the blazing sun set in the desert silence.<\/p>\n This is precisely what swimming holes are all about \u2013 the setting, the moment, the sensation.<\/p>\n So what are you waiting for? Go find your own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 26 metres below you, the emerald water sparkles in the sunlight. Vine tendrils pitch themselves over the edge of the hole, reaching down to touch the water, and waterfalls tumble …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1266,"featured_media":16884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10060],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n