Las Vegas may be on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but that doesn’t mean the city lacks aquatic diversions. It’s almost like a show of decadence to have fountains, rivers, lakes and water parks in the midst of this arid climate. Here, a look at nine of our favorite watery respites.
Lake Mead
1. Lake Mead
The 16th largest man-made lake in the world is created by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. Find paddle boating, swimming and camping at this park designated a National Recreation Area by the National Park Service in 1964.
2. Fountains of Bellagio
Music and water flying 460 feet in the air in an elegant, choreographed dance is one of those only-in-Vegas moments. More than 30 different songs find their way through the rotation here, so if you don’t care for Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” will soundtrack the next performance.
3. Mandalay Bay Beach
Life can be a day at the beach with the 1.6-million-gallon wave pool surrounded by 2,700 tons of sand. Rent one of the 100 cabanas, daybeds, bungalows or villas or head to the Beachside Casino. Next door, Moorea Beach Club offers topless tanning.
Gondola Rides
4. Gondola rides
Let the famous gondoliers at The Venetian serenade you with Italian tunes at this indoor and outdoor ride. Wind your way through The Grand Canal Shoppes to admire the Italian architecture that includes a replica of St. Mark’s Square or take the outdoor version for views of the Strip.
5. Lake Las Vegas
Head out to this 320-acre artificial lake in Henderson for shopping and dining at Aston MonteLago Village with its charming cobblestoned streets. The 18-foot dam that creates this lake has as much dirt as the Hoover Dam has concrete.
6. Wet ‘n’ Wild and Cowabunga Bay
Water parks have become de rigueur in Vegas with the arrival of two water havens. Wet ‘n’ Wild features 25 slides and attractions including the Tornado, a 45-foot-wide funnel slide, and The Rattler, with its 360 feet of twists and turns that end at a splash pool. The newest, Cowabunga Bay, offers up Wild Surf, a giant slide with four-person rafts dropping 55 feet, the 32,000-square-foot wave pool and the largest lazy river in Nevada.
7. Focus Water Wall and Lumia
The watery features at Aria’s porte cochere include Lumia, a dancing fountain with six different shows. LED blocks create the vibrant colors within, making Lumia “the only fountain in the world where you can see color infused into the water even in direct sunlight.” The Focus Water Wall can change from a delicate trickle to a cascading waterfall in seconds.
“O”
8. “O”
While eau is French for water, the Cirque du Soleil show at the Bellagio has a little fun with its name. Here, the dazzling acrobatics, divers and synchronized swimmers put on their splashy show in a 1.5-million-gallon pool with a 25-foot surface that can become dry land in a seconds.
9. The Tank
You can swim with the sharks at this waterslide at the Golden Nugget. The three-story slide winds its way through the shark tanks here, home to more than 300 inhabitants such as sharks, rays and bony fish. While the sharks can’t take a nip at you, the casino tables served up poolside can.
