The best outdoor pools in Sydney

What sets this very, very central blue lagoon apart from many others is that it's fully heated, accessible and open year-round. The nine-lane, 50m pool has a ramp enabling swimmers of all abilities to enjoy a CBD paddle, and a toddler splash pool making life easier for parents. And there's a big focus on sustainability: we're loving the energy-saving measures, all the grass for poolside lounging and the green roof which features native plants and grasses that conceal the centre from the street.

As you’re strolling past a baseball game or languishing under the Whomping Willow-style trees lining the footpaths of Petersham Park, you may hear gleeful water-soaked cries. That’s because the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre is tucked away within this unassuming Inner West green space. The centre is home to a sunny 25m heated pool, plus a splash deck and toddler pond, making it perfect for all the hip families who inhabit this region of Sydney. It's also fully accessible, with ramps and hoists readily available. Come hungry – the on-site café is beyond excellent.

Perched above Sydney Harbour on the corner of the Royal Botanic Gardens with views across the water to Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf, this eight-lane pool takes gold for spectacularness. At 50 metres in length, it’s great for lap fiends working on their form, but there is also a smaller pool for young flippers, sunbeds for heat-seeking lounge lizards and a very good harbour-view café (offering bottomless brunch, if you're looking for that kind of pool day). There's an action-packed fitness program here too, with swimming fitness sessions and regular yoga classes. Note: ABC operates seasonally, closing each year between early May and the end of August.

Within the nine lush hectares of Victoria Park, you'll find a sunny eight-lane 50 metre Olympic pool – busy with uni students clearing their head with a few lunchtime laps, and group fitness classes playing out in the fitness studio and the surrounding parkland. If you're serious about your swimming, you can book a lane for exclusive use via the website. Otherwise, rock up and get wet, then refuel with a panini or a protein shake at the poolside café.

Outdoor pools in Sydney have been under threat as larger, indoor aquatic centres (that include gyms) have come on the scene, so a gem like the family-friendly Botany Aquatic Centre is to be truly cherished. There are three pools spread across lush green lawns peppered with trees, for plenty of shade. You can choose from a shaded, shallow baby pool, a waist-deep pool for bigger children and an Olympic pool for well-versed merpeople.

This $88.6 million aquatic centre comes complete with four multi-purpose pools, a high-tech fitness centre, a spa and sauna, a café and more than 200 parking spots. The outdoor pool is 50 metres in length, and there's a smaller one indoors if the weather isn't opportune. The sparkling new facility seamlessly blends into Parramatta Park’s lush natural surroundings and is a short ten-minute stroll from the city centre – making it the perfect place to cool off before or after you hit the town.