AlUla’s Most Beautiful Pools And Outdoors Escapes For A Serene Summer

While as temperatures rise across the region, the ancient Saudi destination of AlUla offers shaded oases, open-air terraces, sandstone-framed pools and clear desert evenings that invite travellers to unwind outdoors.

With more than 50% of AlUla designated as nature reserves, the destination brings together protected landscapes, living heritage and luxury hospitality, where outdoor spaces are as memorable as the interiors.

Here are five of AlUla’s most popular outdoor pools and spaces, each designed for a slower, more restful pace.

1. Dar Tantora The House Hotel infinity pool

Set within the mudbrick alleyways of AlUla Old Town, Dar Tantora The House Hotel offers a calm, contemplative retreat rooted in sustainability. Named on TIME’s list of the World’s Greatest Places 2024 and thoughtfully integrated into historic architecture, the boutique hotel’s serene infinity pool mirrors the unhurried pace of the heritage site it is located within. Looking out over the AlUla Oasis, guests can enjoy views of towering date palms while cooling down in shimmering waters.

2. The Chedi Hegra personal villa pool

Located within Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Chedi Hegra offers high-end villas, each with its own private, outdoor swimming pool and terrace from which guests can admire the area’s golden sands and majestic red rock formations. Visitors can ease into the soothing waters of their personal oasis after a day of heritage exploration, experiencing for themselves the merging of holistic wellbeing and thousands of years of history.

3. Our Habitas AlUla pool

Tucked into the dramatic rock formations of the Ashar Valley, one of AlUla’s most recognisable infinity pools at Our Habitas AlUla is framed by dramatic sandstone canyons sculpted over millennia. The turquoise water appears to dissolve at the edges into the landscape, creating a sensation of floating between land and sky. For a truly peaceful moment, visitors can partake in a yoga session by the pool, immersing in the silence that can only be found in this expansive natural valley.

4. Somewhere in the AlUla Oasis

Somewhere is a popular restaurant positioned at the edge of the AlUla Oasis, where palm-shaded pathways guide visitors into one of the most peaceful locations in the destination. The eatery’s outdoor terrace is the perfect place to have the best of both worlds – the comfort and rich flavours of a MICHELIN Guide-recognised restaurant and the multi-sensory sounds and scenes of the outdoors.  

5. Cinema AlJadidah

For those who unwind best with a film and fresh air, Cinema AlJadidah in the AlJadidah Arts District transforms an evening’s relaxation into a communal activity. As the sun descends and AlUla’s celebrated dark skies – among the top five per cent in the world for natural darkness – begin to unveil its secrets, this open-air cinema brings together art, storytelling and the simple pleasure of sitting beneath the stars.

AlUla’s outdoor spaces are never far from history, nature, adventure, wellness and more: heritage tours of Hegra, wildlife and stargazing experiences, high-end spa treatments at luxury resorts, and the living traditions of the oasis offer depth to every moment spent in the destination.

Visit experiencealula.com to learn more.