Forty Foot, Sandycove, Dublin

The James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, eight miles from Dublin, was built in 1804 as one of a series of Martello towers commissioned by William Pitt to withstand an invasion by Napoleon. The spirit of Ireland's greatest writer infuses not just his eponymous tower but also the Forty Foot, a seawater bathing area. Glide through the water and plot your novel (www.fortyfoot.org).

The Brighton Pier to Pier Swim, East Sussex

At the annual Brighton Pier to Pier Swim (12 July), swimming club members of all abilities race for one mile between the derelict West Pier and Brighton (Palace) Pier for the glory of winning a trophy. Go along to watch this competitive event and hire a beachside deckchair or take a swim nearby (www.brightonsc.co.uk)

Anglesey, North Wales

Ancient Anglesey, a land of burial cairns and neolithic sites, contains some of the finest sand coves on the North Wales coast, and some of its most dramatic coastal features, from caves and arches to volcanic lava flows. For a real treat, swim from Church Bay, a beautiful white-sand cove with the Lobster Pot restaurant nearby (www.islandofchoice.com).

The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy, Pembrokeshire

This Pembrokeshire beach, with its 470-million-year-old rock forms, has pebbles and sand made from pounded grey slate. The slate gives a  deep-blue colour to the water in the lagoon. It's largely cut off from the ebb and flow of the sea, but be careful - there are no lifeguards, and its west-facing direction means that a large swell will create turbulence. If you're a confident sea swimmer, this is for you (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk).

Bodysurfing at Woolacombe, Devon

Long before anyone thought of making a surfboard, we were swimming out through breakers and bodysurfing them back to shore. The best bodysurfers compete in the World Bodysurfing Championships in Hawaii, but a great place for this purest form of surfing is Woolacombe in North Devon. Once voted Britain's best village for family fun, it retains an easygoing charm, with lifeguards on patrol throughout summer (woolacombetourism.co.uk).

Tyrella, County Down

Tyrella beach and conservation area is a small, enclosed dune complex within Dundrum Bay. It's a wide, flat, sandy beach a mile and a half long and backed by 25 hectares of mature dunes. The beach offers safe swimming, a car-free zone, off-beach parking, amenities, walks, beach entertainment and a shop. Lifeguards patrol during July and August, and, as with many beaches in Northern Ireland, it's cleaner than ever, thanks to a £240-million investment in sewage-treatment infrastructure (www.discovernorthernireland.com).

Lindisfarne, Northumberland

Our most sacred of islands, Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, provides the ideal place for a saintly swim. St Aidan built his wooden monastery here in the seventh century, and the tidal island became the centre of Christian learning in England. If you fancy some solace, head to Coves Haven, a wonderful sandy beach set beneath caves. You can stay on Holy Island or at nearby Bamburgh (www.lindisfarne.org.uk).

Budleigh Salterton, Devon

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Budleigh Salterton is a gem of a town. Everything here is elegant, restrained and, yes, genteel. That goes for the swimming, too. The shelving pebble beach offers bathing in clear, blue water, and the fish and chips at the Premier Café are a treat (www.visitbudleigh.com).

Praa Sands, Cornwall

Praa Sands, a few miles from St Michael's Mount in West Cornwall, is an unpretentious English beach, where buckets and spades are more important than looking cool. It's also a great place to swim with children, especially at low tide in the summer, and there are rockpools galore. Fill up at the Sandbar, which serves fresh seafood and a hearty Sunday lunchtime carvery (www.sandbarpraasands.co.uk).

Isle of Staffa, Outer Hebrides

For those seeking peace and quiet, Daniel Start, author of 'Wild Swimming Coast: Explore the Secret Coves and Wild Beaches of Britain' (Punk Publishing, £14.95), recommends Staffa, an uninhabited Scottish island three hours by ferry from Iona/Fionnphort. ‘It's the site of a melodious sea cave called Fingal's Cave,' he says. ‘Inside, the hexagonal stones rise up like organ pipes to the ceiling and plunge down into incredibly clear depths. It makes a perfect place to jump, dive and sing while you swim.' The acoustics in this natural sound chamber even inspired one of Mendelssohn's overtures (www.wildswimming.co.uk).