While it may a tad early to think of the the summer months when the weather is warm and the beaches are overcrowded, it's important to remember there's a lot more to Cornwall than that.
From Bude to Penzance there are plenty of safe bathing sea pools to choose from to enjoy cold water swims without the dangers of the sea.
Cornwall is blessed with one lido - Jubilee Pool in Penzance, which is one of the most iconic swimming spots in the UK, and now features geothermal heated waters too, one heated outdoor public swimming pool at Hayle and eight sea pools still in use from the award-winning huge 1930s Bude Sea Pool to the much smaller and secluded Chapel Pool in Polperro on the opposite coast.
A lido is an outdoor swimming pool near a beach or even in a city where people can swim and relax. At the height of lido culture, Britain had more than 300 of the outdoor pools. The trend really took off in the 1930s, influenced by Germany’s Volksparks, which were dedicated to healthy outdoor pursuits.
Lidos gave coastal communities a sociable, open air place to swim, protected from the rigours of the harsh sea. They're effectively swimming pools but with a twist.
Instead of a shallow chlorinated puddle, the water is deep and crystal clear, with a salty tang. The changing room doors tend to be painted in bright, primary colours and face onto the deck with bravado.
All tend to have art deco terraces, some have fountains while the pool itself will be round, or triangular, or just simply vast. The azure water might be warm, or absolutely freezing, but one thing is certain – the view often out to open seas will be spectacular as it is over Mount's Bay in Penzance.
The majority of Cornwall's tidal pools date back to the early part of the last century, before the widespread availability of indoor swimming pools, and all share the advantage of being a safe place to enjoy the sea without any of the potential dangers.
If you feel like taking up swimming in style this New Year, here's where you can go.
Jubilee Pool - Penzance
Opened in 1935, the Jubilee Pool off Penzance Promenade is triangular in shape, offering an approximate depth range of 0.9m to 2.25m, which fluctuates with the tides. The kids' pool has a depth of 0.6m – perfect for little swimmers. The main pool temperature is typically one or two degrees higher than the surrounding sea which will be cold in winter but if warm water is more your thing, Jubilee Pool boasts the first geothermal pool of its kind in the UK.
The natural salt water is heated to a comfortable 28-30 degrees via a geothermal well, offering a uniquely rejuvenating experience. In 2024, the team at Jubilee Pool added a new sauna experience. Located next to the geothermal pool, the sauna is a place to warm up after a dip in the main pool, or simply a place to unwind and embrace the numerous health benefits they offer.
Bude Sea Pool
The award-winning pool off Summerleaze Beach in Bude was opened in July 1930 following a spate of drownings on the coast. In the late 1920s, medical advice was that exposure to seawater was a health benefit - it remains good for you!
Suddenly people were able to travel to the coast by train or car but for many of those living in Britain's big cities, they knew little of the dangers of the sea and the coast and the tides. As the numbers of deaths off the coast of Bude increased dramatically local estate owners, the Thynnes decided to invest in a safe environment for the general public to take to the waters.
Pledging just over half the total budget (around £4,000 at that time), they designed and created what we now see as Bude Sea Pool. Their only condition was that the amenity should be free to everyone, irrespective of their income, so all can come and safely enjoy it. The pool has remained free to use for anyone all year ever since.
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It is managed by the Friends of Bude Sea Pool who keep it clean, in a good state of repair and safe. Last year, Bude Sea Pool was voted the best in the country by The Times beating Walpole Bay Tidal Pool in Kent to the top spot.
The pool, which is managed by a team of incredible volunteers with support from local businesses in the North Cornwall seaside town, is not your average sea pool dug into the rocks. Measuring 90 metres long and 45 metres wide, it's big enough to swim lengths but you could just lounge around and soak up the sun if you prefer.
At the time, Josie, manager of the Friends of Bude Sea Pool, said: "Bude Sea Pool definitely has that rough around the edges feel but it fits well with the rugged cliffs and rocks around.
"It is battered by the Atlantic Ocean. But the quality of maintenance and work to make it safe that goes on behind the scenes is incredible. Yes it's not glossy but people don't realise the amount of work and fundraising needed to keep it going that goes on. The rough edge look is also what makes it attractive.
"Bude is officially the most remote town in England in terms of access to train stations and other services like a hospital. We're not on the map. But that's also what gives our pool and our town its charm. The town without the pool wouldn't be the same."
Hayle swimming pool
Hayle outdoor swimming pool is not quite a lido as it doesn't have any of the hallmarks of a lido - especially the Art Deco look and rounded shapes or brightly coloured changing cubicles - but it remains a little gem of a pool that's much loved by locals and visitors alike.
Situated at the beginning of the Discovery Trail, adjacent to the sub-tropical gardens, Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve, the new promenade and three miles of golden sandy beaches that stretch to Godrevy Lighthouse.
This is an ideal base to spend the day discovering Hayle’s hidden and fascinating past and look at the developments taking shape on the waterfront.
The Rock Pool at Treyarnon Bay
Treyarnon tidal pool in the Seven Bays, near Padstow, is a beautiful spot to relax and unwind, this area is popular with surfers and tourists relaxing on the beaches and enjoying family time.
The rock pool is hidden on the right hand side of Treyarnon Bay Beach and would be unknown to passers by especially on high tide when its not accessible due to the sea overtaking the area. Take the short walk along the coastal path from Constantine Bay toward Treyarnon Bay near Padstow and you will find a large, pool-sized tidal lido hidden in the rocks.
A long wall of concrete has been built to maintain the water level inside the natural rock pool throughout the tide. A deep plunge pool also known as Bunny's Pool can also be found just below it – perfect for swimming, diving and paddling.
Perranporth tidal pool
The small tidal pool at Perranporth beach is not at all obvious and can be completely missed by the casual beachgoer. The pool is situated among the rockpools on the far side of the iconic Chapel Rock.
The pool itself is replenished by the sea twice a day, during the high tide and at this time the rock becomes an island.
During the summer the pool’s tidal water can reach almost Mediterranean temperatures in the late afternoon and is very popular with families and young children as it shallow enough and safe.
Take a dip then have a hot drink or a pint and watch the world go by from the dunes at the Watering Hole. Bliss.
The Tidal Baths at Portreath
A small tidal pool can be found to the far right of Portreath Beach, up against the harbour wall. Rumour has it, a creative local blew the tidal pool out using dynamite borrowed from the local mine workings.
To the left of the beach are six smaller bath-shaped pools that were carved out for Lady Frances Bassett during the 19th century.
Created in the 1800s the pools still provide hours of fun for all the family but make sure to venture into the surrounding caves and find the hidden bath which can only be reached by a metal ladder.
Children’s Pool at Priests Cove
Priest’s Cove at Cape Cornwall is one of those places that you can only find in Cornwall: a rocky beach with the remains of the Victorian mining industry all around and fishermen’s sheds overgrown by wildflowers.
In the winter, the Atlantic storms batter the beach and surrounding cliffs, whilst off shore the Brisons rocks stand firm, despite everything thrown at them by the elements.
Sitting below the impressive heights of Cape Cornwall lies England’s most westerly tidal pool. The Children’s Pool at Priests Cove was built in the 1950s and is only accessible at low tide. Ocean currents around the Cape can be exceptionally strong and the man made pool offers safe swimming conditions for younger ones.
Mousehole rock pool
If you walk along the sea wall to the left-hand side of Mousehole harbour itself, you will reach Mousehole rock pool at low tide after a five-minute stroll.
It’s not very deep, but still a fascinating place to find some little sea creatures, and not too much climbing from the path either and remains safe to use when it is obviously not covered by the tides.
Over the past few years, the community has rallied round to preserve and enhance it and make sure it remains an asset for both locals and visitors alike.
Last year the tiny sea pool was featured in one of the most influential design and architecture magazines in the world for 'encapsulating the social significance of tidal pools within society'.
Mousehole Rock Pool was one of the six sea pools worldwide to be chosen by architect Chris Romer-Lee in a feature in Dezeen, a leading architecture, interiors and design magazine.
Support for the pool has come from TV adventurer and environmentalist Steve Backshall and his wife, local Olympian Helen Glover, who have been regulars at the pool with their two children.
Chapel Pool, Polperro
The small Chapel Pool hides beneath the cliffs at the picturesque fishing village of Polperro.
The south-facing natural pool basks in sunshine during the summer months and offers bath-like paddling conditions from about mid-tide. Built in the 1940s, it is reached via a steep flight of steps which are in not for the fainthearted.
The sea pool at Porthtowan
This is a beautiful secluded tidal pool set among the cliffs, 300m to the north east of the main beach. At low tide you can walk along the sands to Chapel Porth.
The pool is covered at high tide - this is where the water comes from. At lower tides, though, it is a supposedly safe spot to splash around in without the dangers of the Atlantic Ocean from which it fills.
However, to get to the pool has more than a few risks. You can take the perilous 'steps' down the cliff side or clamber over the large rocks on the beach.
Fowey sea pool
The century-old sea pool, which has been used by generations of families in Fowey, was saved from the brink of collapse a few years ago thanks to mammoth efforts by the community.
The Whitehouse Pool was built in the 1920s. It is owned by Cornwall Council but has been closed for a number of years after falling into disrepair.
A crowdfunding campaign by Alan Giles and Matthew Akrigg raised £25,315 to repair the much-loved paddling pool.
We could have mentioned the sea pool at Towan beach in Newquay but it is in such a bad state of repairs that it is no longer used as a pool.
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