Image: Mel Garrett

Dreaming of summer? Take the chill out of your bones by checking out five of the world’s most enviable backyard swimming pools.

1. El Campo, Texas

A small town about 150 kilometres south-west of Houston, Texas, has the auspicious honour of being the world’s largest residential pool, according to the builders, Kuykendall Custom Pools Inc. Featuring a 6-and-a-half metre water slide, two hot tubs, sunken bar, outdoor kitchen, six waterfalls and lazy river, which runs for over 150 metres, this oasis set the owners, and long-time local residents, back a cool $US3 million ($3.91 million) to construct. Holding an astonishing 600,000 gallons of water (the typical backyard pool holds 16-20,000 gallons) this aquatic masterpiece also presents as a kids’ paradise, with rock climbing wall, two additional slides and a rope swing hanging from a gunite tree which cost tens of thousands alone. To complete the look, over US$250,000 worth of Floridian palm trees were flown in to offset this perfect paradise.