Best outdoor swimming spots near Bristol

With the warmer weather making an appearance, it’s time to put on your shorts, dig out your flip flops and take a trip outside.

Instead of heading to a crowded beach why not try one of these outdoor swimming spots? From luxurious lidos to family friendly areas we’ve got all of the best outdoor swimming spots for you to explore.

Lido

Located in residential Clifton and one of the oldest Lido pools in the country, this pool is the perfect place to relax in the sunshine.  

Children are welcome from 2pm-4pm, Monday to Friday but as there is no lifeguard in attendance they must be accompanied by an adult aged 17 or over. For opening times and prices check here.

Portishead open air pool

With a 33m heated pool, a toddler pool and a community run café this pool offers something for everyone.

Portishead Pool is open all year round but offers little shade, so remember the sun cream for those hot days.

The pool is located on Esplanade Road at the end of the lake grounds and has free on street parking available.

Water Adventure Play Park, Weston-super-Mare

Sitting close to the beach front this spot is perfect for families. The adventure play park has a splash pad for children to run around in with fountains and interactive water displays. There is also a wooden play area next to it for those who don’t want to get wet.

The area is council run and is open all year round.

Victoria Park Splashpad, Cardiff

The brand new £400,000 new Splashpad in Victoria Park has 33 exciting features for children to enjoy including sprays, jets, a tipping water bucket and a tunnel which are spread across three zones designed for toddlers, juniors and families. The is a cafe, playground and basketball and tennis courts within the beautiful setting of the grade-2 listed park. 

Greenbank Heated Pool, Street

Surrounded by a grass area with picnic tables and shade under trees Greenbank Pool offers a safe, enclosed area for those with children.

Alongside the main pool there is an area for younger visitors with slides and a splash zone to play in. 

Shepton Mallet Lido

Using recycled heat from the cider factory next door, this pool is kept at a nice warm temperature all year round.

After a revamp last month the Shepton Mallet lido is back in business.

Brean Splash, Burnham-on-Sea

Offering an indoor and outdoor splash this waterpark is perfect rain or shine.

Both pools have a huge range of slides and interactive water features and with areas for toddlers and older kids to enjoy.

Cotswold Country Park, Cirencester

Cotswold Country Park is made up of two lakes but also boasts a huge range of activities from wakeboarding to crazy golf.

It has open water swimming and even a beach but it gets very busy so check the website before you set off.

Clevedon Marine Lake

After major renovation works in 2015, Clevedon Marine Lake was reopened by the charity Marlens. It has a more shallow paddling area and a deeper area which is used for water sports. As this lake sits right on the sea front, it’s the ideal spot for enjoying the sunshine.

Read more: Wild swimming spots near Bristol