Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia

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A shore thing. Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia

Ever wanted to swim in the ocean without accidentally drinking half of it? Enter Mona Vale Rockpool in Sydney, Australia—a watery paradox where the ocean is wild beyond the walls and well-behaved within its calm, contained edges. Perched in Sydney's Northern Beaches area—this rock pool feels more like a natural wonder than a human-made one. Built in the 1930s during the Depression, it was carved out of a natural rock shelf as part of an unemployment relief scheme. Upgraded over time, the pool is nearly 100 feet long and flanked by a smaller children's pool. The pools are free, open year-round, and cleaned regularly by both council crews and the ocean itself. So next time you are in Sydney, make a splash where the waves meet the wall. It's a shore thing.