Swimming tips

When I first signed up to try CBK Adventures' ‘Ice Dip Social’ experience I thought it sounded fun.

Whether they are naturally formed, cast in concrete on a rock shelf or hewn from the rock itself, tidal pools solve a problem by providing safe access to the sea. Plunging into rich saltwater in a sheltered area protected from the turbulent waves, yet still refreshed by the tide twice a day, is an unfettered joy.

“Après ski” in New England is commonplace. But in the heart of Boston? Not so much. 

I was about to go kayaking on Long Island’s Nissequogue River eight years ago when I met a middle-aged couple gifted in the art of discovery. The two were eager to show me their marked-up and laminated map of New York state and walked me through their summer plans—which, as it turned out, involved journeying from one swimming hole to the next.

The popularity of wild swimming in UK rivers has boomed in recent years — especially since the pandemic, when people sought a closer connection with nature. But as our interest has taken off, so too have headlines about poor water quality from sewage and chemical pollution. So what exactly is happening, and how safe is it to take a cooling dip this summer?

Paris will allow people to swim in the Seine following the 2024 Olympics for the first time in more than 100 years.

There’s only one place on Earth where you can see swimming iguanas, lava lizards, and giant tortoises: the Galápagos Islands. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, the archipelago off the shore of South America is a must-visit destination for anyone with a passion for fauna and flora, and their protection. 97 percent of the land was designated as a national park in 1959, and over 51,000 square miles of ocean around the islands have been a protected marine reserve since 1986, making for a destination where you’re a guaranteed to be immersed in nature and observe unique wildlife.

Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula is riddled with cenotes, natural limestone sinkholes that are perfect for wild swimming. Our pick of the bunch is Cenote X’keken, a huge vaulted cave with an icy but irresistible turquoise pool in its centre. Nearby, at Cenote Samula, the roots of a tree strain through a peephole in the roof of the cavern towards the moodily-lit pool beneath.

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is famous for its beautiful Caribbean beaches but, as Shafik Meghjidiscovers, the most memorable – and unusual – places for a swim are found inland and underground in a series of spectacular cenotes.

Travel writer and wild swimmer Joe Minihane travels from London to the Isle of Skye — featured in our reader survey of the most beautiful places in Scotland — in search of one of Britain’s most remote wild swimming spots.

During the pandemic, when Miriam Leitko couldn’t swim because pools were closed, the lifelong swimmer built a lap pool at her home in Willis, Texas. As soon as travel restrictions were lifted in 2021, she signed up for a weeklong trip to Hawaii with SwimVacation, a Maine-based tour operator that specializes in open-water swimming.

You can listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News.