Liverpool Watersports Centre
Liverpool Watersports Centre offers stand-up paddle boarding sessions and open water swimming in the heart of Liverpool. Nestled along Liverpool's historic waterfront, the centre provides a unique opportunity to embrace the challenge and excitement of open water swimming in a safe and supportive environment. Located on Queens Dock with spectacular views of the River Mersey, the centre offers a wide range of water-based activities suitable for all ages and abilities, from conquering the thrill of the Aqua Park to paddleboarding, canoeing, open-water swimming, and powerboat courses.
Address: Liverpool Watersports Centre, 110 Mariners Wharf, Queens Dock, Liverpool, L3 4DG.
Wyld Sauna
WYLD Sauna includes a floating pontoon containing a 30-person sauna, complete with four ice baths and two cold waterfall showers. There are four heated outdoor showers with salt rub, outdoor seating, changing rooms equipped with hairdryers, lockers, changing mirrors, and swimsuit dryers, with direct access to jump straight into Princes Dock water from the sauna. A lifeguard is on duty at busy/peak times to allow open swimming in the surrounding waters. During off-peak times, members can still dip in the allocated dock area in front of the sauna or use the cold plunge ice baths.
Address: Wyld, 12a Princes Parade, Liverpool L3 1BG.
Wirral Watersports Centre
Wirral Watersports Centre is based at West Kirby Marine Lake and offers a full range of water sport activities, with courses available for all ages and levels of experience. The 52-acre lake is totally enclosed and mainly non-tidal, making it an exceptionally safe facility and a perfect environment for learning. Tasters are available for sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and power boating. There are also pay and play sessions and a number of formal courses to enjoy.
Address: Wirral Watersports Centre, South Parade, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 0QG.
New Brighton Beach
New Brighton Beach offers stunning sunsets, golden sands, colourful benches along the sea wall, a lighthouse, rock pools teeming with life, and historic buildings. It is a quiet, accessible coastline that people of all ages can enjoy. Visitors can walk for miles on soft, shimmering sand, paddle in the salty waters warmed by the currents of the Irish Sea, and take in stunning sunsets against a backdrop of a postcard-perfect lighthouse and fort. Photographers regularly set up in New Brighton to capture the beach's glowing evenings as the skies fade from pink to red and orange.
Church Walk Paddling Pool
Church Walk Play Area and Paddling Pool is located in Northwich, Cheshire, and provides free sessions for youngsters at either 10am to 1pm or 2pm to 5pm. Advance online booking is required for a time slot, including for those not entering the water, but this guarantees your admission and you simply scan the QR code sent to your phone to gain entry. The pool receives funding from local residents via Northwich Town Council. Visitors can make a small voluntary contribution when reserving to help with maintenance costs, which those from outside the area are particularly encouraged to do. Alongside the pool, which features a toadstool fountain at its centre and is cleaned daily, there is space for visitors to unwind with several picnic tables available. You must make a booking as the paddling pool is not open for walk-ins.
Address: Percy St, Northwich CW9 5QG.
Moreton Beach
Moreton Beach is a popular spot with both locals and visitors to the area. This sandy beach is located next to Leasowe Common within the North Wirral Coastal Park. The common is used for picnicking and kite flying when the tide is in. The adjacent four-mile-long North Wirral Coastal Park provides an opportunity to discover grassland, reedbed, and sand dune habitats. Winter birdwatching is also popular here.
Lifestyles Peter Lloyd
Lifestyles Peter Lloyd is a sports centre with a swimming pool suitable for all ages and abilities. The pool can also be used for a range of children's parties which include one hour of play followed by one hour in the party area for food.
Address: Bankfield Road, Liverpool, L13 0BQ.
Meols Beach
Tucked between Hoylake and Wallasey is Meols Beach, a destination definitely worth a visit this summer. This four-mile stretch extends from Meols Dove Point to the King's Parade at New Brighton. On clear, sunny days, you will likely spot kite buggying, sand yachting, and even a few horse riders. What initially appears to be a small shingle beach transforms into a vast expanse of sand and mudflats when the tide recedes. When the sun sets, you will witness some of the most breathtaking views in the entire region. The water is perfect for swimming, so don't forget to bring the right clothes. There is also a lifeguard on duty to ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment.
Lifestyles Garston
Lifestyles Garston welcomes families and does not operate session types, so children are able to stay in the pool for as long or as little as they like.
Address: Long Lane, Liverpool, L19 6PE.
West Kirby Beach
West Kirby Beach may only be 300 metres long, but it lies between a kilometre of sand dunes and a further two kilometres of vast sand flats. Popular with locals and visitors alike, it offers a range of activities and facilities. At low tide, the beach extends for several hundred metres, providing a large area for walking, sunbathing, and playing. Ice cream and coffee shops as well as toilet facilities are only a few metres away from the main entrance at the end of Dee Lane. Watersports are popular here, but windsurfers and kite surfers are asked not to come within 100 metres of the tide line to allow bathers to safely enjoy the clean waters. There is free parking along the nearby promenade along the length of the marine lake and a pay and display car park closer to the beach at Dee Lane.
Splash World
From the lazy river to the fast-speed freak flume, there is something for all of the family at Southport's Splash World. It has its own water-themed mascot, Murtle the Turtle, who can be spotted around the water park.
Address: The Esplanade, Southport, PR8 1RX.
Crosby Beach
Crosby Beach is the picturesque beginning to 22 miles of Sefton coastline. From the shore, visitors can enjoy views across the sea to Wirral and North Wales hills. Due to the beaches' close proximity to the Port of Liverpool, visitors can often marvel at huge container ships and cruise ships that pass by. The Burbo Bank offshore wind farm can be seen from the shore and adds to the unique coastal, industrial, and artistic landscape that makes Crosby Beach so unique. Crosby Beach is a great place to watch the sun set – the opening to the Irish Sea leaves uninterrupted views as the sun seemingly melts into the ocean.
Northgate Arena
The centre boasts two swimming pools where you can spend your time training or just having fun in the leisure pool riding the water slide. Visitors can enjoy modern swimming facilities for all ages and abilities, including dedicated aqua classes, lane swimming, family fun sessions, and a revamped pool environment. The facility includes aqua classes, a main pool and training pool, and a water slide.
Address: Victoria Road, Chester, CH2 2AU.
Formby Beach
Formby Beach is a coastal nature haven with some of Europe’s best sand dune habitats, where many rare species, including natterjack toads, thrive. Visitors can also catch glimpses of the past, from prehistoric footprints to old shipwrecks. To help you find your way, there are a selection of walking trails to follow on large map signs. The sands at Formby stretch for miles, with gorgeous sand dunes and hundreds of acres of woodland beside it. It is one of the most beautiful places in the UK. Visitors are advised that the two small car parks fill up very quickly on sunny days, so it is recommended to travel by train. The nearest station is Formby station.
Cheshire Aqua Park
Manley Mere offers outdoor experiences and a fantastic adventure for families. The inflatable obstacle courses available during the summer months offer loads of fun for all ages, including the chance to bounce, slide, and climb on the water. Installed in 2017, this 200 square foot inflatable water park has a capacity for 50 plus participants and is one of the largest aqua parks in the area.
Address: Manley Mere Leisure Ltd, Manley Lane, Manley, Frodsham, Cheshire, WA6 0PE.
Ainsdale Beach
Ainsdale Beach is recognised as one of the best beaches in the UK for extreme kite activities, with zones set aside for kite buggy and landboard use and kitesurfing taking place on the sea. The Ainsdale Discovery Centre, situated adjacent to the beach and Ainsdale & Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve, provides local information, a classroom facility, venue for events, and free cycle hire. The nature reserve includes the stunning Ainsdale Hills, Birkdale Hills, Frontals, Sands Lake, Velvet Trail, and Birkdale Beach and is home to rare dunes, beach, and woodland habitats. There are marked footpaths to follow, and the area is so tranquil and wild that you will forget within minutes that you are surrounded by one of the most urban areas in England.
