A deep dive into Mexico’s 9 best resort pools

Is floating in a pool, sun showering down on your face, cares and inboxes a million miles away, not one of life’s greatest pleasures?

When vacationing in sunny Mexico, there’s no lack of enticing places to dip your toes and ditch your worries.
Still, not all pools are equal.

From custom design to standout features like lazy rivers, swim-up sushi (yes, really) and gape-inducing views, these nine resort pools up the ante.

Private parts

Prefer to splish-splash sans riffraff? Banyan Tree Mayakoba, in Riviera Maya, a five-star eco-resort fresh off of a $50 million renovation, offers each guest their own private pool for lazing in that Caribbean warmth.

With all 162 rooms, you’re sure to find something that floats your boat.

Perhaps that’s one of 34 beachfront suites with a private heated plunge swimming pool, an outdoor shower and a whirlpool bathtub.

Or perhaps it’s one of seven lagoon and sunset rooftop pool villas, complete with a two-story layout, an outdoor bathtub and an al fresco rooftop with a private, heated infinity pool tucked into the mangroves (from $625 per night).

Rock ‘n’ roll

There’s a pool for every kind of traveler at Hilton Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo. This luxurious hideaway has four distinct swimming spaces throughout the property. Take the family to the splash zone and waterslide, then head for the main pool for all ages.

Elsewhere, there are two infinity pools — one of which is adults-only. For grown-ups who crave a refreshing margarita or cerveza, rest assured there are two pools with swim-up bars, including Japanese-inspired outpost Mio where chefs deliver sushi rolls to your swim-up seat in the infinity pool. Better still, all four pools provide unique vantages of the Sea of Cortez (from $480 per night).

Sky is the limit

Another pool jewel in dreamy Los Cabos? The Sky Pool, situated on a hilltop overlooking two all-inclusive Pueblo Bonito Resorts (Sunset Beach and Pacifica). The pool is at the highest point with the 1,800-acre golf resort, providing cinematic ocean views, as well as those of the mountains.

If you’re in need of a bite, the Sky Pool terraces have a snack bar serving lunch and beverages. One of six pools at Sunset Beach, this is definitely the place to catch sorbet sunsets as that yellow orb dips below the horizon in a haze of ethereal hues (from $290 a person per night).

Sun-kissed

Another winning piscina is at Marquis Los Cabos in San Jose Del Cabo. This splashy setup is adults-only, all-inclusive and truly over the top. Whittle away the hours around the two infinity-edge pools named the Sunrise and the Sunset. They each dole out majestic scenery of the beach, ocean and the sun’s spectacular sunsets above.

Throw in overwater stepping stones and a three-story tiered waterfall and you’ll understand why “Just one more day” is the official chorus here (from $600 per night).

Raise the roof

For a rooftop experience you’ll be dreaming of on dreary NYC nights to come, head to the Wander Rooftop at Canopy by Hilton Cancun La Isla in Cancún.

There, you’ll find a delightful infinity-edge pool, panoramic city views, hot tubs, live music, stellar cocktails and bites, all overlooking the gin-clear Caribbean Sea and the Nichupte Lagoon (from $157 per night).

Big blue

For a happening scene, you’ll want to head to Thompson Playa del Carmen in Playa del Carmen, an incredible rooftop at the adults-only resort.

The pièce de résistance? An infinity pool that spans a full city block with views of both the ocean and also the lively Quinta Avenida. During your jaunt here, expect live DJ sets, craft cocktails and tasty fare from the new Umi Rooftop + Tokyo Kitchen sent straight to your sunbed. It is also an ideal spot for your post-natatorium nap (from $189 per night).

Beauty spot

The handmade Mexican tiles at the adults-only, solar-edge infinity pool at Acre Resort in San José del Cabo are a scene-stealer. The pool itself is encircled by hundreds of palms and lush gardens, an ideal backdrop for immersing yourself in, well, anything.

While you’re at it, grab a spicy margarita made with the hotel’s mezcal brand and siesta. Colorful peacocks may join you for some sunbathing, as may yogis who take morning classes poolside (from $375 per night).

Lazy Susan

A 5,000-square-foot infinity-edge swimming pool? Yes, please. But wait, there’s more: At Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort in San Jose del Cabo you’ll find what bills itself as the first lazy river in Baja California Sur, a wonderful, offering complete with a swim-up bar.

The Oasis Pool and Lazy River complex also hosts a resident DJ with tunes pumping into the water through underwater speakers, too. Satisfy your cravings for sweet or savory fare with gourmet street tacos or rolled ice cream at the adjacent Taqueria. When you’re ready to check out another scene, head over to the Beach Pool, located down the shore with picturesque ocean views and, phew, another swim-up bar (from $1,190 per night).

Give it a shot

If relaxation is the name of your poolside game, head to Casa Salles Hotel Boutique in Tequila.

When you’re done reading your book on the swinging couch or upon a chaise lounge, enjoy the Zen sound of waterfalls cascading into the pool as you blissfully paddle.

Or, sit on the sun shelf and lounge in the pool for a bit more (from $230 per night).