Venere Travel Blog - It's our business where you sleep!

Summer in London usually means a sticky, oppressive heat that seems to come at visitors as much from the buildings all around as the sun above. The less said about the tube during the famous London heat-waves the better. The ideal way for visitors to refresh themselves after traipsing through the dusty streets is with a swim in one of London’s excellent pools. These can also be used in winter of course but the appeal of outdoor pools is greatly reduced when it is cold, grey and raining.

Easily the best located of the swimming pools in London is the Serpentine Lido, which is situated right in the middle of Hyde Park. The lido itself is over one hundred years old but thankfully the facilities and changing areas have been updated and are modern and comfortable. The water is freshwater rather than chlorinated so the swim should be refreshing and healthy. The lido is open from June to September and has a small charge for entrance which is reduced after 16:00. The closest tube station is Hyde Park Corner although there are several others that give the chance for a relaxing stroll through the park as well as a swim.
Another very central option for swimming is the Oasis Sports Centre on Endell Street, near Tottenham Court Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. There are both indoor and outdoor pools available and they are both heated, making this a great place to swim outdoors even in winter. The pools are equipped so that disabled people can easily use them and there are a host of ancillary activities such as massage, a sauna and gym.

Slightly out of the way but a fun place to come with kids for a longer swim is the pool and leisure centre in Finchley, north London. The leisure centre is actually on top of what was once a large outdoor pool which has been sacrificed on the altar of consumerism, but smaller outdoor and larger indoor pools remain. There is a terrace outside for sunbathing and a wave machine for the more adventurous. East Finchley, the nearest tube stop, is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line.

There are several bizarre incidents each year of tourists deciding that the River Thames itself is a good place for a swim to freshen up during hot days in London. It is difficult to explain just how bad an idea this is. Firstly, the water in the Thames is so polluted that the only things that can live in it are the type of bacteria that cause very nasty diseases when introduced to a human body. Secondly, although the water may look placid there are very strong currents which can drag swimmers halfway to Denmark before they know it. Thirdly, some very large boats and barges ply the river through the centre of London and they have limited maneuverability. They cannot stop or turn around if a swimmer is in their path and they will mow them down, with potentially fatal consequences.

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Photo by davidhc.