Parliament Hill Lido, London. Yui Mok/PA Images/Getty Images
It may be famously cold and rainy, but summer temperatures have been soaring in the UK capital, which is why Londoners are embracing outdoor swimming with an enthusiasm that borders on cultish.
And, just in time for the latest heatwaves, a temporary – free – swimming venue has opened in the Royal Docks to help keep city dwellers from melting down.
Swimming isn't just a summertime activity in London though. Many of the following pools, lidos and open-water venues are open year-round. Some are heated in winter, but others are open for swimmers who swear by the benefits of cold-water plunges.
One thing to note, London is a busy city and all of these swimming spots are popular in summer. For many you need to prebook to get a slot, which means registering to create an account first. If you look online and the day you want to swim is fully booked, check again in the morning as a lot of Londoners book a swim ahead of time, and then cancel on the day, freeing up last-minute slots.
Here are the best spots to beat the heat – or get your heart racing in winter – with a refreshing outdoors dip in London.
1. Swim among high-rise buildings at Canary Wharf or Royal Victoria Docks
Bang in the center of London’s Docklands, swimmers at this fresh-water swimming spot are surrounded by high-rise office buildings and apartments. It's managed by the NOWCA group, which runs over 40 open-water swimming spots including lakes and rivers, across the UK.
The Canary Wharf venue has a 250m (850ft) or 600m (1970ft) loop, plus changing rooms and toilet facilities. There’s a similar set-up not far away at Royal Victoria Docks, right where the IFS Cloud Cable lands, so you can combine two London adventures in one day out.
Both venues take safety very seriously so you'll be given a briefing and a tow float before you're allowed to enter the water. And I'd recommend keeping your mouth closed to avoid any potential stomach bugs.
Planning tip: You'll need to get a membership via the NOWCA website to be able to book your swim.
2. Enjoy the bucolic romance of Hampstead Heath ponds
Perhaps London’s most storied swimming location, Hampstead Heath has three lush ponds (don’t be fooled by “pond”, these are deep cool spring-fed waterholes) to swim in.
The trans-inclusive Kenwood Ladies’ Pond is a secluded swimming spot shaded from the heath by trees and gardens, where visitors can spread out for a post-swim picnic (highly recommended).
Since the pandemic there's an online booking option, but many turn up and chance it on the day. Unless you’re there at 7am on a sweltering summer’s day you’re probably going to have to queue.
In winter there are a few community events like a Christmas Day and New Year's Day swim, where volunteers put on tea and coffee and Londoners from far and wide come for the camaraderie. The Ladies' Pond also runs a strict, no photography policy (you've been warned).
Nearby the Highgate Men’s Pond was the subject of a fascinating documentary into the benefits of wild swimming and the community that coalesces around these venues. It has changing rooms, cold showers, and managed numbers on hot days. The Men's Pond also has a diving board and anyone can watch swimmers diving and splashing in here from across the water.
Finally, on the west side of Hampstead Heath you’ll find the Mixed Pond. Of the three ponds, this the most accessible by public transport and has similar facilities. On a hot day the line is long, with a one-in-one-out policy so get there early if you're swimming with friends.
Planning tip: While theft is not a huge issue, there are not many places to secure valuables here, so it's best to leave them at home.
3. Frolic in the unheated Parliament Hill Lido
If you’re at Hampstead Heath but not a strong enough swimmer to tackle the deep-water ponds, head down to the art deco-era Parliament Hill Lido instead. Swimming in the 60m (197ft) pool needs to be prebooked in summer via an online ticketing website (life belongs to the organized!), but out of season you can just turn up.
Facilities include changing rooms, toilets and a sauna (although that requires a separate booking). The vibe is relaxed with friends mingling in groups in the water, and local kids having fun.
Planning tip: The cafe here is another good reason to make this your London swimming destination, with delicious Lebanese, Moroccan and Indian dishes.
4. Brockwell Lido is the place to be seen in Brixton
Another Grade II-listed art deco gem, Brockwell Lido – nicknamed Brixton Beach – was saved by locals in the 1990s, after several years of neglect, to become a summertime magnet for south Londoners. It tops many a best list.
The 50m (164ft) unheated Olympic-sized pool is open year-round (albeit with limited hours in winter) and there's an onsite sauna for winter swimmers. The cafe overlooking the pool leans more upmarket than at your average London lido. There's room for sunbathing after a dip, or you can decamp to Brockwell Park next door.
Planning tip: You'll need to register with the management group, Fusion, to prebook your swim here.
5. Marvel at Hyde Park's Serpentine Lido
Can you get more “London” than swimming in Hyde Park? The Serpentine Lido is a freshwater lake open for public swimming in summer only.
For the rest of the year only the Serpentine Swimming Club members can take to the water between 5:30am and 9:30am, all the way through winter. If you're in London at Christmas you can watch the spectacle that is the Serpentine Christmas Day race, which has been drawing plenty of spectators since 1864.
Planning tip: There’s also a great cafe on the south side of the Serpentine with an outdoor terrace to soak up the central London action.
6. Step back in time at Beckenham Place Park swimming lake
In London's southeast, you'll find an open-water swimming lake inside the rolling green fields of Beckenham Place Park, a former Georgian estate. The 285m-long (935ft) lake was created as part of a regeneration in 2019 that reintroduced some of the estate's original features to the park, including pleasure gardens and a carriage drive to its Grade II-listed mansion.
As with all open-water swimming venues in London, you need to be a competent swimmer to enter the water and you have to wear a tow float. There are no facilities on the grassy verges beside the lake except a wooden gazebo, but toilets can be found near the cafe in the Homestead Courtyard a 5-minute walk away. Book simming sessions online in advance.
Detour: If you want to make a day of it, the park also contains 20 hectares (49 acres) of ancient woodlands. The mansion hosts yoga, markets, art classes and various events throughout the year. Check the online schedule.
7. See the UK’s largest public swimming pool at Tooting Bec Lido
The largest swimming pool in London at 91.5m (300ft) long and 30m (98ft) wide, the unheated Tooting Bec Lido is another South London favorite with a strong community spirit.
Brightly painted changing cubicles in red, yellow and green give this much-loved lido an iconic turn-of-the-century vibe. And with a paddling pool, plus shallow end of the main pool, it’s a great option for families with young kids.
Planning tip: An onsite cafe serves food and drinks, or BYO and sprawl out on the grassy picnic area surrounded by trees.
8. Enjoy East London’s idyll at London Fields Lido
Until it was resurrected in 2006 by local campaigners, this popular 50m (164ft) public swimming pool on the east side of London Fields parkland was squatted with raves held in the empty swimming pool during the 18 years it was closed. Now London Fields Lido is a magnet for Londoners near and far, mostly for swimming laps but there is a small “general swim” area for pootling about.
There's a small section of concrete by the shallow end for sunbathing or head out to the green spaces of London Fields, which can be mistaken for a festival site in summer.
London Fields Lido is operated by the Better group (prebook your swim via the app or website), or chance it on the day. It has changing rooms, indoor and outdoor showers, accessibility facilities and a small cafe.
9. Dive into central London's secret pool and sauna at Oasis Sports Centre
One of London's best kept secrets, the Oasis Sports Centre is a stone's throw from Tottenham Court Road in central London hidden behind city apartment blocks. It's also run by the Better group and prebooking on its app or website is recommended.
There's an outdoors heated pool (27.5m/90ft) plus a sauna (open limited hours, so check those times ahead) and an outside terrace area for soaking up some summer rays. The downstairs changing rooms have hot showers, and the center, which is open year-round, closes late on weekdays. It really is surprising how few people know about this one.
10. Dip in London's cleanest swim spot at the West Reservoir in Stoke Newington
Also managed by a health and gymnasium consortium, Better, the West Reservoir Centre in Stoke Newington once supplied drinking water to the region, and today the water quality remains pretty fresh.
Swimming is by prebooked sessions only. There is a mixed changing room as well as outdoors space, toilet facilities and small lockers to store valuables.
The 9 hectare (23-acre) reservoir shares the space with a watersports club, so after swimming the 400m (1312ft) circuit, you can watch learners trying out kayaking, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding over coffee and a melt-in-your-mouth pastel de natas from the family-run cafe facing the water.
Planning tip: In summer 2025, the West Reservoir began renovations which has reduced the outdoors space and limited the indoor changing areas.