Wild swimming: once viewed as a niche, eccentric hobby for adventurous types in bobble hats. Now there’s a renewed collective urge to reconnect with nature with seasoned urbanites deserting their local pools and lidos in search of a more elemental experience. For many of us, sun-dappled memories of childhood holidays cement a link with the water that feels intrinsic and essential (but might not have you itching to jump into your local lake). For others, there’s nothing like a dip in cold water to reboot mind and body and bring us right back to ourselves. It’s an experience that can’t be captured by the results of scientific studies, and is hard to adequately describe in words, but writers Freya Bromley and Orla Thomas share their thoughts, personal experiences and pick their favourite wild swimming spots in the coming pages.
Here, we explore some of the most wonderful wild-swimming spots on the planet, selected from the collection in Lonely Planet’s new book The Joy of Wild Swimming. Suitable for newcomers and experienced wild swimmers alike, each location delivers something unique: from Dublin’s favourite outdoor swimming spot, made famous by James Joyce’s Ulysses and featured in Apple TV’s Bad Sisters, to the relatively unknown oasis of Bagni Regina Giovanna in Italy, where Queen Giovanna of Naples allegedly took lovers to bathe in the 14th century.
01
RICH IN MINERALS SWIM
Kyrgyzstan
Issyk-Köl means ‘warm lake’ – warm in the sense that the whole lake doesn’t freeze over during the harsh Kyrgyz winters, although some bays and inlets do. In the summer, waters can reach up to 22°C (72°F), and this is the time to take the plunge into the clear depths. Fed by rivers, streams and glacier melt, the lake is rich in minerals and saline. Local legend says these come from the tears of a snow leopard; more prosaically, Soviet-era sanatoriums still operate along the shores.
The lake is worth more than it’s restorative minerals though. This is a sacred place for Kyrgyz tribes since time immemorial. Sunken Silk Road cities and settlements remain largely unexplored, mostly near present-day Cholpon Ata. Bronze -age artefacts turn up sometimes and, with a pair of goggles and a bit of luck, you could uncover a piece of pottery or a coin? In the marshes, it’s not uncommon.

Scenic remote mountain lake Kol Suu in Kyrgyzstan