10 Best Wild Swimming (Costs & Tips, 2026)

A sinkhole plunges 26m straight down into turquoise water, vines hanging from the rim all the way to the surface — you climb down stone steps to reach it. Entry runs about $5, and it's steps from Chichen Itza if you're combining both in one day.

No entry fee — the only real cost is the ferry over from Malta or Gozo (~€15–20 return). The water genuinely looks photoshopped, a shade of turquoise that seems designed rather than natural. Go early; by midday the small bay fills with day-trip boats.

A section of an ancient underground river collapsed here thousands of years ago, leaving a natural pool under a 50-foot limestone overhang. Entry runs about $15 and reservations are required online — they cap daily visitors to protect the site, so booking a spot the week before is genuinely necessary, not optional caution.

Mineral-rich water has been depositing calcium along a cliff edge for thousands of years, creating what looks like a frozen waterfall — and two natural infinity pools right at the edge of a genuine drop. Entry costs about $2; the mineral water is cold and mildly petrifying to swim in, in the best way.

Free, and calm enough to swim in summer despite being one of the biggest wave surf spots in the world come winter — the same bay, two completely different personalities depending on the season. The rope swing off the rock ledge is genuinely famous, though check conditions before jumping.

Europe's answer to the Grand Canyon, except you can actually swim in the river running through it. Free to access at most points along the gorge; the Lac de Sainte-Croix at the canyon's mouth is the easiest entry spot if the steeper canyon trails feel like too much.

Three separate ponds — mixed, men's, and women's — where Londoners have been wild swimming since Victorian times, in weather that would stop most people. A swim costs about £3, and yes, some regulars swim through winter; you don't have to be one of them to enjoy the summer version.

The river turns a genuinely unnatural-looking sky blue at the exact point two clear streams meet, a chemical reaction between minerals rather than dye or pollution. Park entry costs about $12, and the hike in takes roughly an hour each way through rainforest before you reach a swimmable section.

A short, easy rainforest walk gets you to a waterfall dropping into a pool genuinely emerald green from the surrounding moss and vegetation. Park entry runs about $5, and unlike some of the more famous swimming holes on this list, you'll often have long stretches of it to yourself.

Free, and Britain's wild swimming culture arguably starts here — a loch large enough that you can find a quiet bay even on a busy summer weekend. Bring a wetsuit unless you're genuinely committed; Scottish lochs stay cold well into July.