Whenever I arrive in a new place, my antenna goes up for opportunities to partake in what the English call “wild swimming”: plunging into any body of water that’s not a man-made pool. Whether the Pacific Ocean or a murky Vermont pond, local waters offer opportunities for both mindful presence — you’re literally submerged in your environment — and a bit of adventure. “There’s an energy to it,” writes the journalist and lifelong aquatics enthusiast Bonnie Tsui in “Why We Swim,” her 2023 history of the sport and pastime, “an element of danger that requires a giving over of the self.”
A good swim can also serve as an indelible souvenir. My strongest memory from a recent Antarctic cruise, for example, was the polar plunge into the just-above-freezing waters of the Southern Ocean, which lasted all of 10 seconds. In the mixed ponds of London’s Hampstead Heath, you might be joined by ducks and foxes. Immersed in the Bronte Baths in Sydney, Australia, you can watch as the swimming hole, carved into the rocky shore, is continually filled by the tide. And at Helsinki, Finland’s harborside Allas Pool, a dip in the bracing seawater can serve as the perfect counterpoint to a hot sauna.
Perhaps the ideal vacation swimming experience, then, is staying at a good hotel where unspoiled beaches and lakes are just steps away. Here, a few places to get your feet wet, all of which I’ve visited, except for the last, which is next on my list.
Rockhouse Hotel, Negril, Jamaica
With thatched-roof villas perched on volcanic cliffs, this spot in Negril’s West End has served as the backdrop for everything from James Bond films to Jay-Z videos. The best feature: its location on Pristine Cove, where guests can jump off the rocks about 15 feet and directly into the aquamarine sea. Not a thrill seeker? There’s also a ladder. Rooms from about $200 a night, rockhouse.com.
La Réserve Eden au Lac, Zurich, Switzerland
Philippe Starck’s 2020 redesign of this waterfront Belle Époque hotel — the only luxury property on Lake Zurich — resembles a modern yacht club, with subtle nautical décor, including blue-and-white striped awnings and guest rooms marked by photos of numbered sailboats. About half a block away is Seebad Utoqua, a more than century-old wooden bathhouse where guests can access the sun decks and diving boards as well as a cozy cafe and bar. Swim out to one of the lake’s fixed platforms and take in the city from a refreshingly new perspective. From about $700; lareserve-zurich.com.
Hotel Helvetia, Sestri Levante, Italy
The Italian Riviera — a stretch of coastal Liguria running from the French border to Tuscany — is filled with commendable lodging options, one of the most charming being the Hotel Helvetia, in the not-quite-overrun town of Sestri Levante. The cheery, sun-soaked 21-room property has water views and its own beach on the Bay of Silence, with chaise longues, umbrellas and a lifeguard. (If you’re lucky, an extremely tan and fit septuagenarian will be on duty and he’ll chat with you about his time living in the Garden State.) In relatively off-season September, the crowds are mostly gone and the water is still warm. From about $450 a night; hotelhelvetia.it.
Hotel Nestor, Korpo, Finland
This six-room property on Finland’s Turku Archipelago is a showcase for the chef William Hellgren’s new Scandinavian cooking. After tasting his creations, grab one of the hotel’s free bikes, ride a short way down a quiet dirt road to a small dock and plunge into the brisk archipelago waters. Doing so after a late dinner, in the spectral summer light of a Finnish white night, makes it all the more magical. From about $125 a night; hotelnestor.fi.
The Fife Arms, Braemar, Scotland
As you pack for the Scottish Highlands, where the summer temperatures tend to hover in the 60s, a swimsuit might not be at the top of your list. But one of the most beguiling aspects of a stay at this art-filled Victorian coaching inn (now owned by Iwan and Manuela Wirth of the international gallery Hauser & Wirth) is an outing with the local naturalist Annie Armstrong of Wild Braemar, a local company that offers swimming excursions as well as guided walks. After you take a brisk dip in the trout-filled streams and moody lochs, she’ll set you up with a waterside sauna accompanied by a snack of Scottish oat bread, cheeses and a wee dram of the Fife’s own whisky. From about $700 a night; thefifearms.com.
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