Whether they are naturally formed, cast in concrete on a rock shelf or hewn from the rock itself, tidal pools solve a problem by providing safe access to the sea. Plunging into rich saltwater in a sheltered area protected from the turbulent waves, yet still refreshed by the tide twice a day, is an unfettered joy.
The idea of sea bathing for health benefits became popular in the mid-18th century, and sea pools were a way to offer easy access. Beyond this, tidal pools became important as social infrastructure: they serve as vital community spaces, like village greens, town halls and other places we meet and socialise. After having being left to the elements for years, in recent times many tidal pools are being bolstered by communities looking to restore, protect and manage them. These include the dramatic Saltcoats Bathing Pond in North Ayrshire.
From gender-segregated sea bathing in the 19th century to racially segregated swimming in the 20th century, tidal pools have complex histories, though the breadth of users has expanded since the Victorians first flocked to the coast, as more of us enjoy the outdoors and wild swimming. These liminal places bridge the space between chlorinated pool and open ocean, providing a magical dose of the wild in an enclave of safety.
Here are some of the most astounding tidal swimming pools in the UK and Europe.
Piscine d’Eau de Mer, Saint-Quay Portrieux, Brittany, France
Built 1929
Brittany has some of the largest tidal ranges in Europe, making it perfect tidal-pool territory. This pear-shaped pool’s sweeping curves are accented by a cantilevered concrete diving platform. Access is from a grand staircase that plunges to the pool edge. Its emblematic white handrails form part of improvements commissioned by Alfred Delpierre, the town’s visionary mayor between the wars. There’s a further, shallower tidal pool here too, which is perfect for paddling, as it is shielded from the swell by a smaller outcrop of rocks.
saintquayportrieux.com
Emerald Gate, Dinard, France
Built 1928
In a former cove to the right of the beach, this pool in Dinard has a commanding view of the sands below. The council commissioned it with the simple brief that it “will allow sea bathing at any time”, and English and American high society flocked to Dinard. Picasso took inspiration from the area’s emerald sea in a series of studies in 1928.
Pozo de Las Calcosas, El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
Built 19th century
There is no vehicular access to this historic village. Instead, a meandering volcanic cobblestone path descends the cliff to a collection of traditional houses. At the water’s edge, a black tongue of lava bleeds out into sea, the ripples created as it solidified still visible. A cobbled walkway runs between a natural and an artificial tidal pool; the latter is filled by high water breaching the seaward side, but also by a large pipe that connects the two pools.
Piscinas Naturais do Porto Moniz, Madeira, Portugal
Built 1940
This cluster of pools was formed by the flow and cooling of lava over millennia on the north-west tip of Madeira. These natural formations were consolidated in 1940 with the construction of a concrete seawall. The project was commissioned during Portugal’s Estado Novo, one of the longest-lasting authoritarian regimes in 20th-century Europe. Citizens had to do community service, and it’s thought the work to create the pools was done by the town’s residents. There is a small charge to swim here.
portomoniz.pt
Sjobadet Myklebust, Tananger, Norway
Built 2015
This tidal pool was created to provide a landmark for a new residential area on the Jasund peninsula, outside Tananger. It provides a sheltered and safe swimming spot in an extremely exposed location. The design is basic, making the most of the natural setting. Paths, stairs, bathing jetties and ramps provide access from several sides. However, not all visitors are welcome: signs by the pool declare that “should jellyfish enter [the pool], there are rakes to remove them”.
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Mousehole Rock Pool, Cornwall
Built 1970
This small, shallow pool on the rocky south Cornwall coastline is better suited to paddling than swimming. A community-led project, mostly funded by local collections, jumble sales and sponsored walks (as well as £33 left over in the village’s second world war welcome home fund), the pool opened in 1970, and the works cost less than £1,000. Children from the local school even volunteered to help with the build. The blue “elvan” quartz used in its construction came from the Geevor tin mine on the north coast. The Friends of Mousehole Rock Pool continue to raise money for its upkeep.
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Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland
Built 1984
This rectilinear pool in Blacksod Bay is more akin to an art installation than a pool. If it hadn’t been for a handful of female swimmers defying the male-only beach in the 1960s, it wouldn’t exist. They entered the water off the slipway, heading for a rock about 30 metres from the beach. The popularity of the swimming area quickly increased but, despite calls for a local indoor pool, the council never succumbed. However, local woman Ann Maguire had other ideas. After spotting a tidal pool on a trip to Sweden, she made plans for one back home, which opened to huge success.
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Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe, Devon
Built 1823
To entice sea bathers to the fishing village of Ilfracombe in the early 19th century, hundreds of Welsh miners were employed to dig tunnels through cliffs to provide access to a small beach called Crewkhorne Cove. The tunnels led to three tidal pools: a gentlemen’s pool, a ladies’ pool and a further, smaller pool. Each was set out within the natural rock formations, with additional walls made from boulders and lime mortar. A bugler would sit between the ladies’ and gentlemen’s pools, and if any bold chap attempted to spy on the ladies, the bugler would blow an alarm and the man would be arrested. In 1905 mixed bathing was allowed for the first time. The one remaining pool is open seasonally and there’s a small entry charge to the beaches.
tunnelsbeaches.co.uk
Chapel Rock, Perranporth, Cornwall
Built 1959
Chapel Rock has long served as a breakwater protecting the village from stormy seas, though its size has diminished under years of battering by the Atlantic. On the seaward side is a small tidal pool, funded largely by local donations and Perranzabuloe parish council, with the flag of Saint Piran flying above. (According to legend, Saint Piran, patron saint of Cornwall, washed up on the beach here in the fifth century.) The pool is popular with children learning to swim and bodyboard, and with the Perranporth Bluetits swimming group, who use it when the sea is rough.
Saltcoats Bathing Pond, North Ayrshire
Built 1907-08 (rebuilt 1932-33; 1980s)
A small pool appears on local maps from 1895, and a larger one with bathing house was added in the 1900s. In 1932, the council built a 100-metre pavilion and extended the bathing ponds. Saltpans Bathing Place (as it was then known) opened in 1933 – the largest tidal pool in Scotland. A covered colonnade led to a concrete terrace with steps, slides, diving boards and floodlights. By the 1980s, the pools had been closed for years, but in 1987 the council embarked on work to make the site accessible again. In 2022 architects Studio Octopi were appointed to refurbish the pond, with funds raised by a local community group. The pink CGI illustration above shows the plans.
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This is an edited extract from Sea Pools: 66 Saltwater Sanctuaries from Around the World by Chris Romer-Lee, Batsford. To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at guardianbookshop.com for £22