It was officially the height of summer – June 21st – when I headed to Ilkley Lido for a nice and sunny swim. Despite it being the longest day of the year and one with the sun high in the sky, the water temperature was 16.4 degrees C and the air temperature 18.9 degrees C, […]
Taking a dip in an iconic view: Sao Miguel’s Lagoa Verde
When it comes to wild swimming in The Azores, it’s safe to say you’re spoilt for choice. The island group’s main landmass Sao Miguel alone offers everything from river dips and natural waterfall pools to sea swimming and splashing about in its world-famous lakes. Looking down on the twin lakes of Sete Cidades from one […]
An early morning swim at the Edwardian Bramley Baths
There’s not many things I’d get out of bed for at 6.30am on a Sunday morning, but a swim at Bramley Baths is one of them. This stunning Edwardian bathhouse dates back to 1904 and is still open to the public due to the commitment of the local community and it was pleasing to see […]
3 very different dips at London Fields Lido
London has a wide selection of open-air pools, but a number of factors have led to me returning to the same one three times. London Fields Lido is open later than the others – until 9pm each night – and is heated, which when added to its convenient location means I’ve been back time again. […]
The best swims of 2018
Looking back at 2018, it’s clear that it’s been a fantastic year for swimming. A hot summer saw lidos thrive and many people trying wild swimming for the first time. Since the swimming community are so warm and friendly, I thought I’d reach out to them and find out what their favourite swims of a […]
Swimming at Budapest’s Szechenyi Thermal Baths
It’s probably not surprising that the one word I learnt in Hungarian on my recent trip was ‘furdo’, which means ‘baths’, as I spent most of my time swimming. It’s even less of a shock when you realise that I decided upon Budapest as a destination almost entirely on the reputation of its swimming pools […]
