FT readers: your favourite outdoor urban swimming spots around the world
Gordon Pool, Tel Aviv
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A natural spring-water (salty) pool which is replaced daily, and at 50m long is great both for training and chilling. There is a funny mix of people with regulars (old and young), proper swimmers and sometimes backgammon players. Avoid Saturdays when it gets too busy and getting a lounge chair is impossible. Website; Directions
— Michael Wechsler, consultant, Düsseldorf, Germany
Shelly Park Ocean Pool, Sydney
© Clara Nila/Getty Images/iStock photo
Built in the 1930s and refreshed daily by the high tide, this ocean pool has changing rooms and shelter. The regulars — a diverse, friendly and welcoming lot — update the water temperature in the shelter each morning. The pool is about 30 metres and reached along a 10-minute walkway from Cronulla, in south Sydney. The real charm of this place is to swim out to the back when the waves are crashing over and you’re tossed in natural sparkling water. Website; Directions
— Tom Cutbush, Sydney, Australia
Highgate Men’s Pond, Hampstead Heath, London
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It has to be the Highgate Men’s Pond. I moved to West Hampstead in 2019 and have been going ever since, throughout the year (as pandemics allow!). It’s amazing to pass through the seasons here: spring is fresh, summer is hot, in autumn the drop starts and it’s crisp, and winter is an adventure. I swim early in the mornings, and the vibe is very friendly and welcoming. During the day in the summer it becomes a party scene. It has lifeguards, changing facilities and a cold shower, and I’m assured they check the water quality. It’s £4.50 to enter. Website; Directions
— Ben Levitt, lawyer, London, UK
Alte Donau, Vienna
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A freshwater swimming oasis with paid and free bathing beaches. Surrounded by nature and wildlife, this exceptional swimming spot is accessible by public transport and easily reached by bicycle. Rent boats, dine in a shoreline restaurant or grab a beer from a pop-up bar. It’s the best way to spend a hot summer day. Website; Directions
— Lynn des Rosiers, training co-ordinator, Austin, US
Forty Baskets Beach, Sydney
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A secret place, a view of the harbour, a shark net and swings. The ferries to and from Sydney and Manly float by, there is shade, loos, seahorses and a tiny chance of seeing a penguin. It’s on one of the great city harbour walks in the world, the Bondi to Manly. It’s small, in the bush, in the city, on the harbour and around the corner from a waterfall. Everyone is welcome, you can see the fireworks on New Year’s at Manly and cook your dinner on the (council-supplied) barbecues. Why do we love it? It’s the first secret beach we found when we came here, with warm water, great views and you go there in the knowledge that just around the corner is the vastness of the Pacific. A wonderful, mysterious place. Website; Directions
— Amanda Chapman, consultant and counsellor, Sydney, Australia
The Serpentine, Hyde Park, London
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You can swim year round in this central London lake by joining the Serpentine Swimming Club (a £20 annual membership fee). It is one of the oldest swimming clubs in the UK. Every morning members can swim from 5am to 9.30am. During the pandemic, a friend and I got into meeting there at 7.45 most mornings. We never wear a wetsuit; below 5C, we wear neoprene gloves and socks, and adapt our swim length to the temperature.
The views from the water back to the park and out to the city beyond are very special. Overhead a big sky embraces you. The light is gorgeous, regardless of the weather. Mornings that drop below freezing are really treasured. It’s not a long swim but it is an immersion that powers you through the day. A steady flow of smiling members are always there, come rain or shine. Occasionally home-baked cake is on offer. There’s always a coffee afterwards in the Serpentine Lido Café. We are welcomed into the lake by its primary residents, the ducks, swans and crayfish. Spring brings with it low-flying swans that perform spectacular water landings. Coots nest on the buoys, squawking if you get too close. This is their space; we are only visitors. Website; Directions
— Chris Romer-Lee, architect and author, London, UK
Piscine Molitor, Paris
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The Molitor is next to the stadiums of Roland Garros and the Parc des Princes, at the southern end of the Bois de Boulogne. Every morning before work, I head here for my kilometre crawl. Nothing in life has prepared me for such a feeling, each and every day. After my exercise, when I ask for a café crème, the staff serve it with a friendly disorganisation, as if it has never been ordered before. During summer, it is an inner-city escape for those who can’t head to Pampelonne Beach. Website; Directions
— Jef Van In, CEO, Paris, France
Bains des Pâquis, Geneva
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This protected area at the end of Lac Léman is swimmable year round (reaching 25C in summer and plummeting to 3C in winter). It is a very popular spot with many special events: the Christmas Cup, a fun 120m swim in December with 4,000 people (and extensive support from the police and lake- safety teams); live classical music at dawn in summer; plenty of picnic space; and New Year dips.
It has a beautiful basic restaurant (around SFr15 (about £13) for the menu of the day) with log-fired heaters and an outdoor terrace, a sauna and changing and shower facilities. Watch the lake cruisers sail past, drift past the lighthouse, dive to see the giant catfish and swim alongside swans and waterbirds. The water quality is impeccable (hey, it’s Switzerland), but you need to shower afterwards at the peak of summer, as duck fleas are possible. Website; Directions
— Peter Ransome, diplomat, Nyon, Switzerland
Wylie’s Baths and Bondi Icebergs, Sydney
Wylie’s Pool, Sydney © Galit Seligmann/Alamy
My favourite pool in Sydney is Wylie’s Baths nestled at the southern end of Coogee Beach. It’s a 50m ocean pool surrounded by old-world wooden platforms where you can enjoy a coffee at the café and laze in the sun. The water is always clear (temps depend on the season as it is ocean water) and you can swim among the fish and octopus. Swimming doesn’t get much better than this. Website; Directions
Second favourite is Bondi Icebergs — a 50m ocean pool with marked lanes. At high tide the pool can become a wave pool, which adds to the thrill. It’s a people-spotting pool and many spend more time out of the pool taking selfies than in it doing laps. It’s got everything you need: changing rooms, sauna and a café on the deck. Website; Directions
— Justine Nolan, professor, Sydney
The Rhine, Basel
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A 3km stretch of the Rhine right through the centre of Basel, starting at the Tinguely Museum. The river’s current takes you swiftly down to the Johanniter Bridge. You’ll need a Wickelfisch (waterproof swimming bag) to pack your clothes in as this is a one-way swimming trip. Nice snack stalls at the end. If you don’t feel like drifting with the current, go to one of the Rhine Badi at Breite or St Johann — open May—September. Website; Directions
— Kirsten Gassen, M&A manager, near Basel, Switzerland
Stade Nautique du Port Marchand, Toulon
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A blast from the past, this no-frills pool has a very working-class vibe, miles away from the typical bobo-sportif style typical of the Côte d’Azur. Friendly people of all shapes and sizes. There are palm trees and high-rises all around the 50m pool. In winter it’s like stepping out into summer for a couple of hours. Warm and clear water, great lifeguards and changing facilities that are impeccably clean — a rarity in these parts! Website; Directions
— Audrey Zemiro, teacher, Aix-en-Provence, France
Széchenyi Baths, Budapest
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At the Széchenyi Baths, I love the Neo-Baroque architecture, countless indoor pools and outdoor “adventure” and “relaxing” pools with their various sprays and Jacuzzi-like pumps, not to mention a pool in the middle to swim. The place offers ample changing rooms and poolside space to relax, with no time limit for staying in the pools. The clientele is relaxed, and the baths are used by a good mix of locals and tourists alike. Website; Directions
— Erkan, economist, Istanbul
Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas
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Super-clear water, cold on a summer day, filled with happy folks and surrounded by lovely foliage. Dogs welcome downstream of the pool [and not in the pool itself]. Website; Directions
— Sarita Williams, commodity trader, Houston, Texas, USA
Oberwasserkanal, Werdinsel, Zürich
The Oberwasserkanal (part of the Limmat river) at Werdinsel in Zürich is my favourite spot because you can simply throw down a towel with friends on the grassy island, flanked by the beautifully blue-green crystal-clear water on both sides. You can jump into the canal and enjoy an easy float (or swim against the current for some exercise) for 100 or so metres surrounded by lush greenery. The water is fresh but very comfortable in high summer. Although this area is less central than the popular Letten part of the river in downtown Zürich, there are options for snacks and drinks nearby, as well as outdoor showers and toilet facilities on the island. Arriving by bike is easy, and public buses run regularly from here to Altstetten station, as well as nearby neighbourhoods. Directions
— Guillaume D, self-employed consultant, Zürich, Switzerland
Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts
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Walden Pond is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Boston. This historic pond where Henry David Thoreau built his cabin and wrote his classic book on naturalism and philosophy is a mecca for open-water swimmers. There are no houses around the pond, so you swim in the wild, in the morning sharing the water with loons and occasionally seeing a bald eagle dive to catch a small trout. Approximately half a mile long, over 100 feet deep in places with no power boats or jet skis, it is ideal for training for a triathlon, a leisurely paddle or something in between. Wetsuits are recommended before June and after September. Paid parking is ample but fills up quickly on weekends, and restrooms are available. Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day for certain cordoned-off areas, but open-water swimmers are on their own and are required to wear float buoys. On a warm summer Sunday morning, you may see over 100 colourful float buoys on the water. Website; Directions
— Michael Duffy, adviser and mentor, Lexington, US
Aquatic Park Cove, San Francisco
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There are two great swim clubs at Aquatic Park Cove. Swim year round, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Amazing for sunrise swims when the sun comes up behind the Golden Gate. For a small fee you can use the changing rooms at the [Dolphin] swimming club, which also has a sauna to heat you back up. Very welcoming and a strong open-water-swimming history. Website; Directions
— Keith Garry, MD, Dundalk, Ireland
Zoo Lake Pool, Johannesburg
Arriving here is like finding a secret spot that has been whispered in your ear. This 1930s swimming pool is a local favourite. It’s 30 metres by 30 metres square — a rarity in a world where every gym pool is 25 metres long. Look up at the tree-covered Westcliff [suburb] and mansions on the ridge — you can easily imagine Harry Oppenheimer gazing down at you. Directions
— Nicholas Kunze, portfolio manager, Johannesburg
Share your favourite place for open-air urban swimming in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
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