Distant shores and meandering rivers are the first things that spring to mind when it comes to a soothing wild swim. But if you can’t escape the city come summer, or simply don’t want to, you can find amazing urban options that have just the same wow factor as wilder outposts, but with the added benefit of superb hotels, great food and good coffee close to hand. This is our pick of the 10 best cities in the world for outdoor swimming.
Cities to swim in
Bondi Icebergs in Sydney, Australia
Belle Co
Sydney
The ocean around Sydney can be unforgiving and not always safe for swimming. While you can have a paddle at stunning beaches such as Tamarama, those who want to do more than get their feet wet have tons of options thanks to the city’s stunning array of ocean pools. Unquestionably the most famous is Bondi Icebergs, where the waves crash over the rocks below and you can enjoy views of Australia’s most famous beach. But there are so many others to choose from. Check out Wylie’s Baths, an incredible pool built in 1907 by champion long-distance swimmer Henry Wylie, and Bronte Pool, a curving sweep of a pool which is safe for kids. Early swimmers are rewarded with remarkable sunrises over the ocean.
Stay: Paramount House Hotel. paramounthousehotel.com; rooms from £163 per night
London
London is home to some of the best outdoor swimming of any city in the world. And we’re not just talking about its iconic art deco lidos in Tooting Bec, Parliament Hill and Brockwell Park. Fans of something more rustic can choose from the three ponds available for swimming on Hampstead Heath: Kenwood ladies’ pond, Highgate mens’ pond and Hampstead mixed pond. Each one is burrowed deep within the woodland of London’s most untamed park. Spotty phone reception and basic changing facilities make it seem unbelievable that you’re never more than 15 minutes away from Zone 2. For something even closer to the centre of town, Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lido is a year-round classic.
Stay: Chateau Denmark. chateaudenmark.com; rooms from £350 per night
Antwerp
Antwerp is an easy-to-miss gem. Reachable by Eurostar and a connecting train from Brussels, this historic port’s cathedral and Flemish architecture make it ripe for a long weekend. Make time to ride the tram out to the suburb of Deurne for a dip in the natural swimming pond in Boekenberg Park. Reed filtered, 73 metres wide and surrounded by broadleaf woodland, with striking wooden changing rooms, it’s open to the public from June to September, although you can become a member if you’re here during the cooler months and are craving a swim. Stay at August, a converted convent on the edge of town, and you can indulge your love of the water in the hotel’s private swimming pond.
Stay: August. august-antwerp.com; rooms from £161 per night
New York
Neither the Hudson nor East Rivers hold any appeal for even the most hardcore of swimmers. Leaving aside the legality of doing so, the churning depths are very much not for taking a dip. Yet when the city gets to the point of losing its mind due to searing summer heat, it throws open the doors to over 50 pools across all five boroughs. From late June through to August, you can swim for free in incredible locations, including Queens’ Astoria Pool, once used for US Olympic trials, Barretto Floating Pool in the Bronx, set on a barge overlooking Rikers Island maximum security prison and Hamilton Fish Park Pool in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Things can get busy, so why not check into The William Vale in Brooklyn for some laps of its rooftop pool before brunch in Williamsburg?
Stay: The William Vale. thewilliamvale.com; rooms from £208 per night
Hiroshima
Jeremy Depuis
Zurich
The fact you can drink the water in Lake Zurich is just one reason to get yourself here in summer for a proper outdoor break. Forget the architecture, the art and the killer food scene, once it gets hot there’s only one thing to do here: swim. You can drop into the lake wherever you fancy, but you should definitely opt to hang out at one of its lakeside baths. Seebad Enge and Seebad Utoquai are the pick of the bunch, within easy walking distance of the centre and with excellent restaurants, lounging areas and changing facilities making them every bit as good as any Mediterranean beach. For something more visceral, slide into the pool at Unterer Letten, where the river surges you forward and you can swim like an Olympian thanks to the current, before scaling the metal ladders and doing it all over again.
Stay: Ameron Zurich Bellerive Au Lac. ameroncollection.com; rooms from £283 per night
Berlin
The German capital is surrounded by over 3,000 lakes, extending beyond the city’s edge into the state of Brandenberg. The result makes Berlin a paradise for outdoor swimmers, whether those craving an ice-breaking dip in winter or a leisurely afternoon by the water come midsummer. Wannsee is home to one of the largest dedicated inland swimming areas in Europe, while gorgeous Schlachtensee, surrounded by woods and with small sandy beaches at every turn, is just a half-hour ride on the S-Bahn from the city centre. For a proper insight and a guide on the very best Berlin swimming holes, pick up a copy of Turning by Jessica J Lee, in which the local author swims in 52 lakes across one year.
Stay: Soho House Berlin. sohohouse.com; rooms from £200 per night
Vancouver
Vancouver’s status as the outdoor lovers’ city has long been assured thanks to the rambling paths of Stanley Park and ready access to some of Canada’s most spectacular landscapes. For swimmers, it has heaps to offer. English Bay Beach is perhaps the most popular place for a wilder dip, with a dedicated swimming raft with a slide in summer. It also has water wheelchairs designed to make the water accessible for all. For views of the city while you swim, hop across to Kitsilano Beach for a sea swim or, even better, a stretch in Kitsilano Pool. At 137 metres, it’s the longest outdoor pool in North America. It’s heated, with salt water ensuring you get that ocean feel without the need to weigh up tides, currents or waves.
Stay: Auberge Hotel. aubergevancouver.com; rooms from £184 per night
Hiroshima
Jeremy Depuis
Bern
Trust Switzerland to create a vision of the future where using a river to swim to work isn’t seen as crazy but as part of everyday life. Each summer, Bern’s water-loving locals take to the Aare, stuffing their suits and work things into dedicated ‘Aare bags’ before heading downstream. You don’t need to be a commuter to take part though. Simply drop in at any of the dedicated entry/exit points, marked by red poles, and float downstream. You can hop out at any of the riverside pools and kick back. We recommended the Marzili, right below the parliament building. It gets busy in summer, but will leave you buoyed up by the fact everyone is here to swim in a clean and clear river and have a great time.
Stay: Hotel Schweizerhof. schweizerhofbern.com; rooms from £280 per night
Cancun
The Yucatan Peninsula’s cenotes are the stuff of legend; abyssal pools below which submerged caves and passageways are carved deep into the earth. Swimming in them is a must if you’re stopping off in Cancun for some Mexican sun. You can book onto a tour or head out yourself on a swimming adventure. Follow the Ruta de los Cenotes south of the city and you can plunge into a series of superb swimming holes, including Cenotes Kin Ha, which are ripe for diving and snorkelling above colourful marine plants, and Cenote La Noria, a spot beloved by locals where the water is much cooler and the thrills greater as a result.
Stay: Intercontinental Presidente Cancun. ihg.com; rooms from £428 per night
Hiroshima
A short boat ride south of Hiroshima, Miyajima (also known as Itsukushima) is most famous for its Shinto shrine and ‘floating’ Torii gate, which sits close to the shore as you arrive. Work up a sweat by clambering to the top of Mount Misen before heading down to the water for a dip just west of the Torii gate. This sheltered spot affords unforgettable views of the forests rising towards the sky on the main island of Honshu, as well as giving you a sense of what Shinto priests and monks would have seen daily when the island’s shrines were first built in the 12th century.
Stay: The Knot Hiroshima. hotel-the-knot.jp, rooms from £42 per night
