Best Waterfalls You Can Swim Under
Not every plunge pool is safe to swim in. Underwater hydraulics, debris, cold water shock and cliff fall risks make many famous pools off-limits. These ten are popular and (with care) safe for swimming. Always check local advice before entering any waterfall pool. All ten on the map.
1. Kuang Si Falls, Laos
Kuang Si is a three-tiered travertine waterfall about 29 kilometres south of Luang Prabang, dropping roughly 60 metres in its upper section before fanning out into a series of brilliant turquoise terraced pools. The travertine formations — built up over centuries by calcium-rich water — create natural dams that hold pools of extraordinary colour. Bathing is permitted only in the lower marked pools; the lip of the main fall and the upper tiers are off-limits for safety reasons. The water temperature sits around 20–24 °C year-round, fed by a spring-sourced stream. The best flow for swimming (enough water without dangerous currents) is November through February, during and just after the wet season. A small entry fee is charged at the park gate; a bear sanctuary adjacent to the parking area is worth a visit. From Luang Prabang, songthaew trucks make the half-hour run regularly, or you can hire a bicycle and cycle the quiet back road through rice paddies.
2. Erawan Falls, Thailand
Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi province contains one of Southeast Asia's most beloved swimming waterfalls — a seven-tier travertine cascade on the Khwae Yai tributary. Each tier has a name, and the lower three tiers (Ruang Tong, Wang Matcha, and Pha Nam Tok) hold the most popular bathable pools, complete with shoals of doctor fish (Garra rufa) that nibble dead skin from bathers' feet. The water is a clear jade-green, warmed to around 24–26 °C in the dry season. Entry to the park costs a modest fee; a single entry ticket covers access to all seven tiers, though the hike to tier seven takes roughly 1.5–2 hours one way along a well-maintained trail through dry dipterocarp forest. The park is busiest on Thai public holidays; weekday mornings in November–March offer the clearest water and shorter queues. Bangkok day-trip operators run coaches regularly from Kanchanaburi town, which is itself about 130 km from Bangkok.
3. Cenote Ik Kil, Mexico
Cenote Ik Kil is not a waterfall in the traditional sense — it is an open sinkhole (cenote) on the Yucatán Peninsula, roughly 3 kilometres east of Chichén Itzá, where thin veils of freshwater cascade 26 metres down the limestone walls into the clear pool below. Roots from the jungle overhead hang like curtains, filtering green light onto the water. The pool itself is remarkably accessible, with carved stone steps and platforms for jumping. Water temperature stays around 24 °C. Entry includes use of changing rooms and lockers. The cenote is on the tourist circuit for Chichén Itzá day tours, so arrive when gates open to swim in relative peace. The Yucatán aquifer is one of the world's largest freshwater karst systems; the cenotes are its surface windows, and Ik Kil has been a sacred Mayan site for well over a millennium.
4. Sgwd y Pannwr, Wales
Sgwd y Pannwr — "Fall of the Fuller" — drops about 9 metres over a wide sandstone lip on the River Mellte in the Brecon Beacons National Park, creating a broad, relatively shallow plunge pool ideal for swimming. It is the final stop on the celebrated Four Waterfalls Walk, a circular trail of around 9 kilometres that also passes Sgwd Clun-gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-gwyn, and Sgwd y Pannwr. Parking is at Gwaun Hepste or Pont Melin-fach; the trail itself is well waymarked through ancient oak woodland. The pool is cold year-round — expect 10–14 °C — but deep enough for a proper swim and sheltered from wind by the gorge walls. The Mellte and Hepste rivers are underlain by carboniferous limestone with porous upper sandstone, which creates the dramatic gorge topography unique to this corner of South Wales. Best visited May–September for warmer air temperatures; after heavy rain the falls are spectacular but currents strengthen significantly.
5. Sgwd Gwladus, Wales
Sgwd Gwladus — "Lady Falls" — cascades about 9 metres over a curved lip on the Afon Pyrddin, a tributary of the Neath River, in the Vale of Neath near Pontneddfechan. Unlike Sgwd y Pannwr, you can walk behind this fall on a ledge, though the pool in front is the primary swimming spot. The approach is a mossy, root-tangled trail of roughly 1.5 kilometres from the parking area at Pontneddfechan, passing through ancient semi-natural woodland. The pool is relatively deep in the centre and sheltered by high gorge walls. Water clarity is best during dry spells in summer. Children should be supervised carefully — the rocks at the pool edge are slippery and the current picks up near the fall. The Vale of Neath waterfall country collectively holds some of Britain's finest gorge-fall scenery, all within a tight geographic cluster.
6. Cascada de la Cimbarra, Spain
La Cimbarra is the most impressive waterfall in Andalusia, dropping roughly 20 metres over a wide basalt lip on the Guarrizas River in the Sierra Morena foothills near Aldeaquemada in Jaén province. The plunge pool is wide and sandy-edged, making it one of the friendliest swim spots in southern Spain. In summer (June–September) the pool is popular with families from the surrounding towns; water temperatures reach a comfortable 20–22 °C. Access is via a short footpath from the car park on the JV-6011 road, roughly 5 kilometres from Aldeaquemada. The surrounding landscape is dehesa — open cork oak and holm oak savanna — with chances of spotting imperial eagles and Iberian lynx in the wider natural park. Flow is highest in late winter and spring (February–April) when the Sierra Morena receives most of its rainfall; by August the cascade is thinner but the pool is perfectly warm for swimming.
7. Saturnia Hot Springs (Cascate del Mulino), Italy
The Cascate del Mulino at Saturnia in Tuscany's Grosseto province are a series of travertine terraced cascades fed by a sulphurous geothermal spring. The water emerges at a constant 37 °C and flows year-round, day and night. Admission is free and the pools are open 24 hours — meaning it is perfectly possible to soak under the stars in January. The falls are only a few metres high, but the multi-level terraces and the milky-turquoise colour of the mineral-laden water make them photogenic in any light. The site is about 2 kilometres from Saturnia village, off the SP10; a car is practically necessary as public transport links are sparse. The nearest sizeable town is Manciano, about 20 km north. Busy at weekends in summer; winter mornings and weekday evenings are quietest. The sulphur content is mild enough for extended soaking without discomfort, and the water has long been considered therapeutic.
8. Cascada El Salto, Mexico
Cascada El Salto is an 8-metre plunge fall on the Río Tampaón in the Huasteca Potosina region of San Luis Potosí state, known for water of an astonishing bright turquoise-blue colour caused by dissolved calcium carbonate. The plunge pool is large and relatively calm in the dry season (November–April), warm enough for extended swimming at around 22–25 °C. Several other famous swimnable falls are within a day's drive: Tamul (105 metres, with rope-swing access from a canoe), Tamasopo (multi-tier falls with calm pools), and the Edward James surrealist garden at Las Pozas. Huasteca Potosina is a major ecotourism hub, and local outfitters in the town of Ciudad Valles organise guided day trips combining multiple falls. Arriving with a local guide is strongly recommended — both for orientation and because some access roads are unpaved and difficult without local knowledge.
9. Sambawan Beach Falls, Philippines
Sambawan Island in the Biliran group (Eastern Visayas) has a small coastal waterfall that drops directly onto the beach, mixing freshwater with the clear saltwater shallows. The effect is a layered, brackish swimming environment unique among waterfall swim spots. Water temperature in the Eastern Visayas averages 27–29 °C year-round. Access to Sambawan requires a boat from Naval, the capital of Biliran province, roughly 45 minutes away; bangkas (outrigger boats) depart throughout the morning. The island is part of an emerging adventure-tourism cluster that also includes dive sites around the Biliran coral reefs. Camping is possible on the beach with permission; fresh water and basic supplies are scarce, so bring your own food and water for the day.
10. Tegenungan, Bali
Tegenungan Waterfall drops roughly 25 metres on the Petanu River in the Gianyar Regency, about 12 kilometres south of Ubud. The plunge pool at the base is wide and deep enough for a proper swim, with a rope-swing on one side. A small entry fee is charged. The fall faces south, so mornings offer the best light for photography. Tour buses begin arriving around 09:00–09:30; if you arrive by 08:00 you will often have the pool largely to yourself. The walk from the car park down to the fall is about 10 minutes via a steep staircase cut into the river bank. Water temperature is a pleasant 22–24 °C. The Petanu is considered a sacred river in Balinese Hinduism, and a small temple sits adjacent to the falls — dress respectfully (sarong available to rent). Combine with a visit to Kemenuh Butterfly Park or Goa Gajah elephant cave, both within a 15-minute drive.
See them all in one view
All of these are pinned on our interactive map.