As temperatures rise here in Los Angeles, I find myself more and more having to write in what my partner and I begrudgingly call “the freezer”—the one room in our apartment we allow ourselves to turn on the window A/C unit. To keep the cooling integrity of this room, we have to use blackout blinds.
The architectural villa-style home sits on a flat lot with a swimming pool and cascading fountain. (Inmobiliaria Rimontgo)
Reader, the heat has banished me to a cold, dark room.
At times like these, it’s hard not to fantasize about a better, less dreary way to cool off.
Courtyards and garden terraces are found throughout the luxury property. (Inmobiliaria Rimontgo)
This morning, when I entered my car, which had temperatures hot enough to bake a loaf of bread, I could only think about one thing—a swimming pool.
There are few experiences as instantly relieving as jumping into a pool on a hot day—beneath the surface, all of your over-heated woes dissolve. That’s why this week, I’m going to get lost in luxury properties with swimming pools.
Custom iron doors connect the indoor-outdoor living spaces. (Inmobiliaria Rimontgo)
The summer climate in southern Spain is not unlike that of southern California—hot days bursting with sunshine and cooler nights with breezes rolling in from the coast. Thankfully, for those hot days, I’m living at a villa in San Pedro de Alcantara with a large outdoor swimming pool.
In the morning, I eat my breakfast out on the terracotta-lined patio and marvel at the Italian Cypress trees that stand next to impressive clay-colored walls. My breakfast was a heavy one, so I have to wait an hour to swim (this may be a fantasy but you can’t break the golden rule of swimming).
Above the living spaces is a large library and reading area. (Inmobiliaria Rimontgo)
I walk upstairs, where rows and rows of books line the walls of a library with a unique, open design that overlooks the downstairs and grab a book of poems by Lorca.
When noon arrives and the sun is high in the sky, I finally head to the pool. Accented by a cascading fountain, the pool is a refreshing oasis. The cool blues and greens of the tile juxtapose perfectly against the warm colors of the house. Before I know it, I’ve spent the whole day swimming.
Talle hedges and mature trees make the estate completely private. (Inmobiliaria Rimontgo)
Temperatures cool as night approaches so I exit the pool and shower in one of the five bathrooms in the villa. For dinner, I hop in the car and drive east about 10 kilometers to Marbella to enjoy world-renowned Spanish cuisine.
