Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
A Mediterranean pool design is less about the pool itself and more about everything around it: whitewashed or plaster walls, warm stone underfoot, olive trees in big clay pots, and loungers set out like you are on holiday. The look travels well, from a tiny city courtyard to a cliffside villa.
Below are sixteen Mediterranean pool design ideas across five styles: modern courtyard, Greek coastal, Moroccan riad, Spanish hacienda and cliffside infinity. After the designs there is a guide to Mediterranean pool landscaping and a short FAQ.
To bring the look home without a full rebuild, start with a faux olive tree in a terracotta pot, a natural beige market umbrella and a pair of white resin chaise loungers. Those four pieces instantly read as Mediterranean around almost any pool.
What Makes a Pool Design Mediterranean?
- Warm, light surfaces: limestone, travertine, lime plaster and pale concrete that stay cool underfoot
- Simple pool shapes: rectangles and plunge pools, often with wide steps or a sun shelf
- Water color: blue green or deep teal tile, or zellige in Moroccan designs
- Planting: olive trees, cypress, lavender, rosemary and bougainvillea
- Shade and texture: fringed umbrellas, linen drapes, rattan chairs and terracotta
Modern Mediterranean Courtyard Pools
1. Olive Tree Courtyard Pool
SaveA minimal courtyard pool framed by whitewashed walls, olive trees and smooth pale paving. Oversized clay planters give the olives height, and low loungers with linen throws keep everything relaxed. It is the modern Mediterranean backyard in its simplest form.
Steal it: plant olives in pairs to frame the pool, and repeat one pot shape everywhere for a calm, designed look.
2. Courtyard Pool With Flowering Pots and Daybeds
SaveThe same courtyard idea, softened with flowering pots and deep daybeds instead of loungers. Purple and pink blooms against white walls are pure Mediterranean summer, and the daybeds make the pool deck feel like an outdoor living room.
Use fluted ceramic planters for a cleaner modern look, or terracotta if you want it to feel more rustic.
Greek Coastal Pools
3. Santorini White Infinity Pool
SaveSoft curved walls, bright white plaster and the sea stretching out beyond the pool edge. This Greek pool design is all about the view, so the pool deck stays simple: white loungers, white cushions and nothing to block the horizon.
4. Greek Caldera Pool With Linen Drapes
SaveWarm wood loungers and white linen drapes blowing in the breeze bring a softer, more textured version of the same idea. The drapes add shade and privacy without walls, and they photograph beautifully.
Steal it: an outdoor curtain rod or pergola with sheer white outdoor drapes gives any pool a Greek island feel.
Moroccan Riad Pools
5. Moroccan Zellige Courtyard Pool
SaveEarthy plaster walls, pointed arches and a pool lined in deep green zellige tile. The handmade tile gives the water a rich, shimmering color that plain plaster cannot match. Rattan chairs, palms and lanterns finish the riad feel.
6. Arched Riad Pool With Lanterns
SaveA big arch frames the pool like a doorway, and clusters of lanterns make it glow after dark. This is a design to copy for a small courtyard, because the arch and the lanterns do most of the work.
Group black metal decorative lanterns in different heights by the steps, or use solar lanterns if there is no outlet nearby.
Pools With Built In Lounges
7. Curved Built In Lounge and Outdoor Shower
SaveA curved built in bench wraps around a round table beside the pool, with an outdoor shower tucked against the wall. It turns a modest footprint into a full outdoor living space, which makes it perfect for smaller backyards.
Soften built in seating with outdoor waterproof pillow covers in cream, sand and olive.
8. Sun Shelf With In Pool Loungers
SaveA shallow sun shelf lets you lie in a few inches of water on hot days. Here it holds two in pool loungers, with an L shaped built in lounge alongside. It is one of the most useful features you can add to a new pool.
Modern Villa Pools
9. Long Minimal Villa Pool
SaveClean lines, a long rectangular pool and a wide pale deck. Gray loungers in a row and a few olive trees keep it calm and a little luxurious. This is the look for a modern Mediterranean house with a flat roof and big glass doors.
10. Villa Pool With Dark Tile and Wide Steps
SaveDarker tile turns the water a deep, reflective teal and makes the pool look more like a natural pond. Wide steps run across one end so you can sit in the shallows, and olives soften the modern house behind.
Steal it: ask for a darker plaster or tile finish if you want a more dramatic, mirror like pool.
Spanish Hacienda Pools
11. Spanish Terracotta Courtyard Pool
SaveWarm terracotta paving, patterned tile on the pool edge and a lush inner courtyard. A fringed umbrella and rattan chairs make it feel like a hacienda terrace. Small pools suit this style, so it is ideal for tight spaces.
12. Hacienda Plunge Pool With Mustard Chairs
SaveThe same courtyard with a bolder palette: mustard chairs, an arched wood door and potted olives. Color is what makes the Spanish style pool courtyard feel so joyful, so do not be shy with it.
A beige market umbrella is the easy shade option, and a few terracotta pots with saucers bring the warm clay color in.
Cliffside Infinity Pools
13. Cliffside Infinity Pool With Teak Deck
SaveFor the drama of a luxury villa, a cliffside infinity pool pulls the ocean horizon right up to your loungers. A warm teak deck balances all that blue, and cushioned loungers line up along the edge.
14. Ocean View Deck Pool With Curved White Walls
SaveCurved white walls and a wood deck bring a softer, more organic take on the infinity pool. The shapes echo the Greek island houses, and the deck keeps it warm underfoot.
Small Mediterranean Plunge Pools
15. Modern Mediterranean Plunge Pool With Pergola
SaveShort on space? A compact plunge pool under a slatted pergola gives you the resort feeling in a tiny yard. A built in bench with hidden lighting and a vertical garden make it feel lush and private.
16. Courtyard Plunge Pool With a Lit Bench
SaveA second take on the small courtyard plunge pool, with more planting and a deeper bench. It is low maintenance, cools you down fast on hot days and feels like a spa after dark.
For more ideas like this, see these small backyard plunge pool ideas.
Mediterranean Pool Landscaping
Planting is what really sells a Mediterranean pool. Most of the classic plants love heat and sun and need little water once established, which makes them ideal around a pool. Check your hardiness zone first, because olive trees and bougainvillea need mild winters to live outdoors year round.
- Olive trees: the signature tree. In cold climates, grow them in large pots and move them inside for winter, or use a faux olive tree on a covered patio.
- Italian cypress: tall and narrow, perfect for framing a pool or a view.
- Lavender and rosemary: low, fragrant and tough. Plant them in drifts along paths.
- Bougainvillea: the pink and magenta color on white walls, for warm climates.
- Citrus in pots: lemon trees in terracotta are classic around a Mediterranean pool.
- Gravel and stone: use pale gravel between plants instead of lawn for an easy, dry garden look.
Keep plants that drop lots of leaves or flowers a few feet back from the water so the skimmer is not working overtime. For more planting ideas, see these backyard pool landscaping ideas.
Mediterranean Pool Design FAQ
What is a Mediterranean style pool?
A Mediterranean style pool is usually a simple rectangular or plunge pool surrounded by pale stone or plaster, whitewashed walls, olive trees, terracotta pots and relaxed loungers. The style draws on Greek, Italian, Spanish and Moroccan homes.
What color tile is used in Mediterranean pools?
Blue green and aqua tile are the classics, giving that clear sea water color. Moroccan designs often use deep green or blue zellige, and Spanish pools add patterned tile around the edge.
What is the best decking for a Mediterranean pool?
Travertine and limestone are the traditional choice because they stay cool underfoot and have a soft, warm color. Pale concrete and porcelain pavers that look like stone are good lower maintenance alternatives.
Can you make an existing pool look Mediterranean?
Yes. Add olive trees or cypress in large pots, switch to white or natural linen cushions, add a fringed or beige market umbrella and bring in terracotta. Painting nearby walls white or a warm plaster color makes a big difference too.
More pool and patio ideas
- 17 European Patio Ideas Straight Out of an Italian Villa
- 15 Concrete Courtyard Ideas
- 16 Mexican Patio Ideas That Feel Like a Sunlit Hacienda
- 21 Inground Pool Ideas That Feel Like a Luxury Hotel
- 18 Concrete Pool Deck Ideas
All designs featured here are imaginative visual concepts. Every image is original and thoughtfully created by Shinku Studio.