pools

With another heatwave on the way, which could see temperatures hit 30C, Brits can find their nearest outdoor pool or lido using our interactive map

While the weather is looking pretty damp and miserable across the UK right now, the Met Office has predicted a return to summer very soon.

By the end of this week, it’s forecast that parts of the country will be seeing 30C temperatures again, and the UK is set to be hotter than Ibiza on Father’s Day. So, you might be wondering where you can go to enjoy a cooling dip in a safe environment, and luckily, there are lots of incredible outdoor pools and lidos that’ll give you holiday vibes right on your doorstep.

Our interactive map, based on data from the swimming enthusiasts from allthelidos.co.uk, shows a huge variety of places where you can get some lane swimming in, or just go for a splash around with the kids.

Before you set off, make sure you check the official website of the pool facility you’re visiting. While most outdoor pools are now open for the summer, some have reduced opening hours until the peak times of July and August.

Included on the map are lidos such as the Sea Lanes in Brighton, an outdoor pool opened in 2023 which offers views of the seaside town’s shingle beaches while you swim. The complex also includes a wellness hub and a selection of food and drink outlets.

If you’re in the south east, an option that’ll make you feel like you’re on holiday is the Strand Lido in Gillingham, Kent. It has drawn comparisons with pools in the Mediterranean thanks to its bright white colour scheme and fun waterslides.

Over in Cornwall, the Jubilee Pool in Penzance makes for an unforgettable swim. This classic Art Deco-style lido first opened in 1935, and it’s the UK’s largest seawater pool. Naturally heated by the ocean, it’s usually a couple of degrees warmer than taking a dip on the beach, and there’s also a Geothermal Pool that can reach 28 to 30C.

Inverclyde Leisure Gourock Outdoor Pool has the distinction of being Scotland’s oldest outdoor heated pool, and indie music fans may recognise it from the cover of Blur’s 2023 album The Ballad of Darren. The pool uses heated water from the Firth of Clyde, which is filtered and kept at a temperature of around 29C. The facility also has a kids’ pool and gym.

Many UK lidos have fallen into disrepair in the past few years, only to be brought back to life with investments from local councils that have turned them into major community hubs.

One such success story is Hilsea Lido near Portsmouth, which closed its doors to swimmers in 2022 before getting a £7.75 million renovation. In addition to its pool., the centre built a new sauna for post-swim sessions, new changing rooms and toilets, plus an ice cream parlour and food van. The pool’s operator told the BBC: “We want it to feel like a holiday at home for the local community.”

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WATER slides, themed saunas, pool bars and a spa – could somewhere be more fun?

Suntago Water Park in Poland is the biggest indoor waterpark in Europe, offering enough fun for a multi-day visit.

And now, it is even easier for tourists to head to the park as a new bus service runs directly from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the park.

Having launched on June 1, the bus service will run until the end of the season on August 31.

The service from the airport takes around 45 minutes, runs a few times a day in each direction and costs around £13.20 return.

Visitors can also hop on a bus from Warsaw taking about 55 minutes and running each hour for £9.14 return.

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Or catch one from Żyrardów taking about 20 minutes and running several times a day for £4.06 return.

Inside, the park really is huge with 18 pools, 35 slides and numerous saunas.

When it comes to the pools there are several featuring different minerals or chemical elements that have different health benefits.

For example, you could take a dip in the magnesium pool (34C), which is rumoured to help skin disorders as well as relax muscles.

On the other hand, if you want to soothe dry skin then head to the calcium pool (34C).

Other mineral pools include a lithium pool to reduce stress, a potassium pool which can help with reducing blood pressure and a sulphur pool ideal for visitors who suffer with joint issues.

If you’re not into mineral pools though and would rather go for a swim, then you can head to the outdoor pool instead, with a swim-up bar for a tipple.

Another outdoor pool even has a hot tub and – instead of a lazy river – a ‘crazy river’.

Back inside, there’s a bubbling spring pool (32C) and a wave pool, both ideal for relaxing and having a splash.

Though for a bit more fun, make sure to head on the Mamba Adventure River that’s a 130-metre long pool through a cave-like area with glowing green lights.

Little ones aren’t left out either as there is a baby pool right next to a Pirates’ Playground.

But there is more fun for kids than this, with 35 different waterslides across five floors.

These include three snake-themed rides where you even come out of a snake’s mouth.

On Anaconda, for example, you’ll be launched nearly 20 metres before racing through a number of twists and bends.

If you are brave enough there is another waterslide called Teleport, which features a fast and unexpected drop.

Families wanting to stick together can try out Toucan and Arara in four-person rafts or get competitive on racing waterslides.

If all those pools and slides weren’t enough, there’s also more than 13 different heated rooms, including saunas and a frigidarium.

There’s a classic wooden sauna with a viking-themed twist, heated to a near-boiling 95C and an Egyptian Village where there are five saunas themed around different areas of Egypt including the Sahara Desert.

If you like the idea of a sauna but don’t want it too hot, head to the Korean Sauna, that is 38C and also plays calming music.

Or for something more exciting, head into the Aquarium Sauna with a number of fish tanks to watch.

You could also be transported to the Maldives in the Paradise Beach sauna or to Mont Blanc in the chilly frigidarium which is -7C.

Last but not least, there is a salt grotto which has a “seaside-like microclimate” and blocks upon blocks of salt ideal for helping your nervous system.

If you want to level up your wellness experience, there is a spa onsite too.

After all the splashing about and relaxing, if you want a bite to eat there are a number of restaurants and cafes onsite.

You can make even it a whole weekend event by staying at the Suntago Village, just five minutes from the park.

Kids can only access the Jamango zone where you’ll find pools and the slides, costing from £20.10 a day.

On the other hand adults can access the Jamango zones, as well as the Relax and Saunaria zones from £33.30 a day.

THE premise was sound, I still insist. Whisking sociable teens Reggie and Stanley away from distractions in the run-up to their A-levels and GCSEs for a week of intense relaxation and revision.

And so we headed to Tui’s Magic Life Jacaranda beach-front complex in Antalya, the jewel of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

I realised my “no distractions” argument was a mistake as soon as the boys’ jaws dropped when we rolled up outside the stunning, marble-floored hotel and glimpsed our new home for the week.

We might as well have checked into Alton Towers, or Chessington World of Adventures.

Only those popular family theme parks don’t boast 5H opulence, eight swimming pools, a thrilling aqua park, sandy beach, huge buffet diner and six à la carte restaurants.

And for sports-mad youngsters, the complex — the size of 18 football pitches — boasts a gobsmacking array of facilities which makes it feel like you’re living in an Olympic Village.

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From tennis, beach volleyball, basketball, badminton and table tennis, to football, archery, darts and cycling, there’s something for everyone.

The hotel puts on daily group sessions and courses, with expert coaches on hand if guests want to pay for extra tuition.

There’s also canoeing or windsurfing, catamaran sailing, water-skiing or wakeboarding off the “Turquoise Coast”, aptly named for its stunning blue waters.

A well-equipped gym is open for more than 12 hours a day — a dream for an 18-year-old and 15-year-old needing to let off steam between hitting the books.

There’s a big indoor pool and spa offering treatments, while classes can also be booked for zumba, Pilates, yoga, aqua aerobics, spin cycling, shuffleboard and trampolining.

And dedicated kids’ and teens’ clubs leave parents free to soak up the sun.

With the boys finding a window between the fun activities to do some revision, I tried out the “abs-blast workout”.

Despite the language barrier between the different nationalities, we were united in grunting and groaning as we were put through our paces in an outdoor fitness hut overlooking the sea.

Meanwhile, the Nordic walking class had a dozen intrepid guests gripping poles and striding off down the beach for a 45-minute cardio-busting thrashing.

Teenagers love their food — and with so many activities going on it’s easy to work up an appetite.

The main buffet was a dream for Reggie and Stan, with chefs rotating special cuisine nights including Turkish, Italian or Tex-Mex.

The fresh salads were incredible and cooks prepared pasta, grilled meats and flatbreads while we waited, mouths salivating.

With breakfast from 7am till 11am, lunch from 12.30 till 4pm, and dinner stretching from 6.30pm till 9pm, it’s hard to imagine ever feeling hungry.

But a coffee house, beach and pool bars offer snacks all day, and the dedicated Wunderbar opens 24 hours, providing drinks and food to insomniac guests.

It’s tempting not to leave the complex. But for guests choosing a break from the idyllic swimming pools, there are day trips offering a chance to learn some of Turkey’s incredible history.

I chose a half-day trip to the nearby ancient port city of Side and its 1,400-year-old ruins.

There’s a huge Roman amphitheatre which used to seat 20,000 locals cheering on gladiators, while the 2nd-century seafront shrines, the Temples of Apollo and Athena, were simply awesome.

Strolling through the modern-day Side, stopping to browse the bazaars selling sizzling kebabs and chunks of delicious Turkish Delight, we stepped on glass walkways, revealing the ancient Roman streets below.

Back at the hotel, the rooms are airy, bright and comfortable.

The vast, five-floor main building offers beds close to the buffet and gym, and glorious views across the sprawling complex.

Smaller, quieter rooms are available, spread throughout the gardens and closer to the gorgeous beach.

Some lucky guests can even opt for “swim-up” apartments, with a balcony stepping into one of the many shared pools.

The staff are friendly and happy to help.

A huge amphitheatre hosts professional shows at night, as well as movie nights and live music.

There are also themed parties and discos on site, and an indoor nightclub for guests wanting to boogie into the early hours.

Magic Life Jacaranda offers a classic “something for everyone” heavenly holiday — even for youngsters preparing for exams.

What the boys missed out on study hours, they more than made up for in memories that will last a lifetime.

Like most guests who have been lucky enough to experience this perfect holiday destination in southern Turkey — boasting blazing sun for more than 300 days a year — we’ll be returning as soon as possible.