Bude Sea Pool

The sea pool at Bude is right there on the beach - you can't miss it. A proper saltwater lido carved into the rock, fed by the tides, so you're swimming in actual seawater without the hassle of waves knocking you about. It's the sort of thing Victorians invented for seaside towns, and Bude's version still works a treat.

You get a lap pool for serious swimmers and shallower bits for kids and nervous types. The water's cold - this is Cornwall, not the Mediterranean - but oddly refreshing once you're in. On a sunny day with the tide right, it's genuinely lovely. The setting helps: proper beach town atmosphere, ice cream van nearby, families milling about.

It's free to use, which is the best bit. Allow an hour or two depending on how long you want to splash about. Summer weekends get rammed, so an early morning or autumn visit suits those after some peace. Kids who can swim will love it; toddlers need watching because it's all quite exposed.

If you're staying at Wooda Farm - the five-star spot just up the coast - the sea pool makes an easy morning before heading back for lunch. Atlantic Surf Pods is closer if you fancy something more adventurous. Either way, it's worth timing a beach day around a swim here rather than treating it as your main event. The real draw is the simplicity of it and that you're actually in the sea, not chlorine.