The temperature may have dropped, but that doesn’t mean you need to pack away your swimming costume. A balmy outdoor swim is very much possible in winter – even here in the UK. One of the best places to take the plunge? The recently reopened Jubilee Pool in Penzance – a lido filled with seawater that sticks right out into the Cornish waves with views across to St Michael’s Mount, heated by geothermal energy.
The triangular, art deco lido has been popular with locals and visitors in the summer months since it opened in the 1930s. Now it’s open all year round, thanks to a section of the pool that is being naturally heated to a toasty 35C (95F).
Jubilee Pool is already the largest lido in the UK and now it can call itself the first geothermally-heated lido in the UK too, using warmth from underground hot water springs. According to a spokesperson for Geothermal Engineering Limited, this is one of the lowest-carbon, most sustainable forms of heating available.
The geo pool is big enough for 50 people and a ticket gets you an hour in the waves. The opening of the balmy pool last year marked the completion of a huge regeneration project, which also saw Jubilee Pool get new changing facilities and a café. It now hosts poolside yoga sessions and will run its first ‘geothermal and dine’ experience next week.
So it’s a warm, sensory experience that’s also good for the environment? That’s reason enough to jump right in at the deep end.
Love a lido? Check out the best ocean pools in the world.
Prefer some good old fashioned waves? Here’s our pick of the best beaches in Cornwall.