Dip a toe back in
TAKING a dip is at the heart of many holidays – whether it is a city break or a traditional fortnight by the seaside.
And travel writer Luke Waterson took the plunge to find the best places to go while researching his new book, The Joy of Water.
Luke says: “Wherever my wanderings take me around the globe, big city to remote back country, I have a few things I need to do to feel I have truly experienced a destination. One of these is to swim.
“For centuries we’ve been going to the seaside, taking to the waters at spas or splashing in rivers and lakes for our wellbeing.”
Here are a few of Luke’s favourites to whet your appetite for all things aquatic.
Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds London
These cold-water reservoirs in the rolling woodlands of London’s Hampstead Heath are the antidote to city living.
Everything about swimming at Hampstead Heath is magical, like you’ve been transported back in time. The people are friendly, mobile phones are banned and conditions are rustic.
Hampstead has three swimming ponds – the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond, the Men’s Pond and, on the west side of the heath, the Mixed Swimming Pond – each quite different from the others.
Arguably, the Ladies’ Pond offers the best experience (sorry, lads) with the water set in a wooded garden providing privacy for ladies who like to spend the afternoon reading, sunbathing or picnicking with friends.
Lantic Bay South Cornwall
Forego the crowds of North Cornwall and idle away an afternoon in the calm waters of South Cornwall’s favourite hidden cove.
Lantic Bay acts as the perfect pitstop on your coastal adventures. Family-friendly yet relatively undiscovered, the protected cove can be found by taking a detour on a seven-mile coastal clifftop walk between the fishing villages of Polruan and Polperro.
While North Cornwall’s coast is known for its windswept surfing spots, the southern shoreline promises sheltered sandy pockets dotted between charming neighbourhoods.
Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Follow a well-trodden island trail along the course of the River Brittle to a series of swimming pools straight out of a Celtic fairy tale.
In the shadow of the mighty Cuillin Hills – the knife-edge mountains that cut across the heart of Skye – you will find the Fairy Pools, gouged out over the course of countless millennia by the clattering Brittle.
Access the pools via a trail that winds down through quintessential Skye scenery into a glen.
Here, the river fractures into a string of mini waterfalls, creating numerous plunge pools where brave bathers can slip into the bracing Scottish water for a heart-stopping but unforgettable dip.
Ystradfellte Waterfalls Powys, Wales
These 15 idyllic falls – most of which are accessible to the public – lace woodsy ravines around the village of Ystradfellte.
Several of the most iconic – Sgwd Uchaf Clun-gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr and Sgwd-yr-eira – are incorporated in a well-marked five-mile circular trail. Heading anti-clockwise, first up is the ferocious Sgwd Uchaf Clun-gwyn.
It is more for gawking at in awe, although off-piste paths lead from the main trail near here to some superb fast-flowing stretches of river suitable for a paddle.
Sgwd Isaf Clun-gwyn may be the least dramatic, but its gurgling mini falls and plunge pools have the best swimming. Sgwd y Pannwr, tumbling over foliage-clad cliffs, has a wonderful spread-out area below for splashabouts. And at Sgwd-yr-eira, you can clamber behind the cascades to the opposite riverbank.
Thermae Bath Spa, Somerset
Bathe in natural thermal waters while gazing over a bounty of Georgian buildings in Unescolisted Bath centre. The Somerset city has always