Sound bothered by strangers at 7am fighting over sunbeds?
Travel is changing. Across the globe, but particularly here in the UK, travelers are trading their poolside lounger for something much more active. Something that’ll make their heart race, get the blood pumping, and give them Coastal something exciting to blog about when they get home.
Wild swimming adventure.
Wild swimming is front and center of a massive new wave of coastal activities.
In this article we dive into:
- Why travelers are swapping the sunbed
- What is a wild swimming adventure?
- A full list of coastal activities that are taking off
- The mental health catalyst driving the trend
- What To Look For In A Wild Swimming Experience
Why Travelers Are Swapping the Sunbed
It’s not sudden. Travel behavior during the pandemic years left millions camping outside. At coasts, in parks, beside rivers and lakes. When lockdowns ended, lots of people didn’t return to their old routines. Wild swimming has tripled in popularity since 2019 and it tells you everything you need to know. People want to feel alive. They want authentic experiences. Active ones. Ones where the toughest decision you have to make all day is whether to jump in or dive in. Sunbeds aren’t going away.
But let’s be honest… lounging around for your entire holiday just doesn’t feel like enough anymore. Travel seems to be about experiencing things. Feeling something.
What Is Wild Swimming Adventure?
Wild swimming adventure is essentially open water swimming. Taking to the sea, a river or lake. Popping into that icy cold coastal rock pool. Just you, some water, and nowhere you have to be after a quick dip. Wild swimming combines the exhilaration of dunking your head in cold water with the freedom of exploring Britain’s coast on your own terms. but wait, there’s more Wild swimming is the entry point for everything else. Once you’ve got a taste for wild swimming, you don’t stop there. You start looking for more ways to experience the outdoors. More thrills. More places to swim.
That’s where a cloistering adventure comes in. As essentially the next step on from wild swimming, cloistering takes adrenaline-fueled sea swimming to the next level; bounding across sea cliffs, jumping into crashing waves, swimming through sea caves, guided by some of the most knowledgeable people on the coastline. It’s epic. And wild swimming and cloistering pair perfectly together. Building up that appetite for adventure, before slaking it with something even more wild.
Coastal Activities That Are Surfing the Wave
A wild swimming adventure is just the tip of the iceberg. Literally.
Here’s a list of outdoor activities that travelers are experiencing along the coast right now:
- Coastal walking — tackling stomach-playingly epic cliff paths along Britain’s dramatic coastline
- Cloistering — cliff scrambling, sea swimming, and cave exploration combined into one wild experience
- Sea kayaking — exploring coastal routes by kayak and paddling into hidden coves that are inaccessible by land
- Snorkeling — exploring underwater worlds along Britain’s incredible rocky shoreline
- Wild swimming — dipping in everything from seaside rock pools to sea caves
- Cold water swimming — similar to wild swimming but with a focus on recovery and the mental health benefits of cold water
- Guided coastal foraging — adventure outdoor sports meets wild food hunting along the shoreline
To be honest, they’re not activities. They’re experiences. Wild swimming currently has 7.5 million enthusiasts across the UK who take to rivers, lakes and seas for a swim. That isn’t a niche market. And according to statistics from Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, 80% of outdoor swimmers plan to wild swim in their home country within the next 12 months. That’s a lot of adrenaline seekers.
Where they go from there is the only question.
The Mental Health Switch-Flip Behind It All
The trend isn’t just physical. Cold water swimming and outdoor adventure activities are proven stress-busting, mood-levelling workouts. If you’ve ever been immersed in cold water you’ll know just how mental it feels (in a good way!). Combine that with sea swimming, cloistering, or anything else on this list and you’ve got yourself a remedy to holiday hungover selfies on a sun lounger. Regular exercisers know the feeling. That post-exercise endorphin rush. Sure, you’re tired. But you also feel amazing. Research suggests time in cold water has the same effect on mental health. But with activity added in. Factor in exploring new coastlines and you’ve got a mental health switch-flip that until recently has been reserved for all-inclusive cocktails on a beach somewhere dull.
Here’s the kicker… When people choose where to go on holiday, they’re increasingly picking based on how they want to feel. Not just where they want to visit. Experiences that promise stress relief, an adventure challenge, or a genuine connection with nature are far outweighing beaches.
Travel habits are changing.
Big time. One stat: adventure tourism is growing at a rate of 16.4% per year in the UK. Expected to be worth $93.76 billion by 2030. Another: Brits plan to book more sustainable, experience-led travel than ever before in 2025 (28%, rising year on year). The point is, wild swimming, cloistering, and coastal activities are all over it.
What To Look For In A Wild Swimming Experience
Choosing where to swim isn’t always easy. Wild swimming adventures are going to be the new holidays for some travelers. So here’s what sets great operators apart from the crowd.
- Qualified guides — Look for instructors with recognized coastal guiding qualifications. Plus First Aid training. Essential.
- Small group sizes — Not many people in your group means more space, more time swimming, and more personalized attention from instructors.
- Local knowledge — This shouldn’t be a guessing game. The best operators know when the conditions are right…and when they’re not.
- Safety first — Fun should definitely be a priority, but nothing ruins a trip like someone ignoring the safety briefings.
- All-inclusive equipment rental — Wetsuits, helmets, buoyancy jackets. Everything. Make sure you know before you book.
The good news? Cornwall is one of the best places in the UK to experience wild swimming. Between the dramatic coastline, consistent Atlantic swell, accessible sea caves aplenty, and variety of swim conditions available here…it pretty much was made for wild swimming and cloistering. Which is just as well it turns out the water’s actually really fun to get in.
The Wave Isn’t Waiting
Sunbeds might be great. But there’s something about wild swimming adventures that’s got people hooked. Dip your toe in the ocean and suddenly there’s a craving for more sea. More surfing. More adrenaline-fueled experiences along the coast. Once you’ve taken the plunge the waves aren’t waiting.
