Inspiration

Wet and wild – five of our favourite natural pools

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

If you like your swimming wild, as so many do these days, then why not stay somewhere with a pool that’s chlorine free, surrounded by nature and right on your doorstep. Throw yourself in first thing to start the day with a splash, dangle your toes in the glorious afternoon sun, or slide into the water and leave the stars undisturbed on a gentle nighttime dip.

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Le Chant du Temps

The swimming pond at the bottom of the wild garden feels like a magical place. Stretch out on the jetty and soak up the sun before you tumble into the cold, fresh water. Although you’ll feel like you’re miles from anywhere, the house is in the suburbs of Saint-Usuge, not somewhere you’ll find at the top of any tourist’s list, but all the better for it, with a quiet, natural air. You’re deep in Burgundy here too, which means wineries and their superb output waiting for you everywhere.

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Little Barn

When you’re this deep in the Oxfordshire countryside, there’s nothing to hear but birdsong, farm animals and the occasional whoop of the swimmers in the natural pool. If one of those whoopers is you, then you’ve got a beautifully converted barn to warm back up in and a wealth of other, drier activites on your doorstep to fill the rest of your day. Stratford and Oxford offer centuries of stories, the Costwolds has miles of gentle hiking and, to round it all off, the local pubs serve a fine meal and a lovely pint.

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Château Igny

This grand old house is best described as lying somewhere north-east of Limoges, deep in the French countryside. The setting and the styling – all turrets and tiles – make it feel very much like you’ve popped to the country from your palace for a few days to take the air. Drifting in the freshwater pool with the trees swaying around you will not dispel that notion. When you’re ready to ride out again, owner Kerry can point you towards the best brocantes and the local sights, like the medieval, the ruined Cistercian abbey and the Foret Troncais, the largest oak forest in Europe.

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Quintamar

Apartments with a pool in the Algarve? Sounds a bit like a giant holiday complex, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not. This one has pigs, peacocks and goats in the garden, while the pool is a picture-perfect scene with lilly pads and singing frogs. Owner Tamar can furnishing you with beautiful produce and products handmade on site and point you to boat trips and adventures all along the coast, as well as the fine seafood restaurants in Santa Luzia, a ten-minute walk away.

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Villa la Tosca

Looking out on the peaceful waters of the Bassin d’Arcachon, this tumbling, towering house is a marvel. Balconies and baths all treat you to that stunning view, the rooms are simple and stylish, the garden runs right down to the beach. The pool, filtered naturally by well-chosen planting, also faces the sea, and you can lounge on the day bed outside after a few lengths and watch the boats come and go. You can hop over to Cap Ferret for perfect oysters, make a short drive to one of the eight Michelin-starred restaurants within half an hour, or simply nip out and pick up one of the region’s many world-renowned wines.

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Christopher Wilson-Elmes

Sawday's Expert

Chris is our in-house copywriter, with a flair for turning rough notes and travel tales into enticing articles. Raised in a tiny Wiltshire village, he was desperate to travel and has backpacked all over the world. Closer to home, he finds himself happiest in the most remote and rural places he can find, preferably with a host of animals to speak to, some waves to be smashed about in and the promise of a good pint somewhere in his future.

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