This breathtakingly blue 70-acre lake has a huge inflatable aqua park, off-grid lodges, and its own sandy beach – and it’s less than an hour from London

This bright blue lake will make you feel as though you've been transported straight to the middle of the Mediterranean - when it's actually mere moments from the capital city.

A gorgeous blue lake under a bright blue sky on a usnny day — Credit: St Andrews Lakes

Katie Forge

– Staff Writer

· 26 May, 2026

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You may have noticed that we’ve taken a rather sudden deep-dive into the season for splashing about in water. And whilst London is home to a rather impressive line-up of lidos, sometimes you really can’t beat hotfooting it out of the capital city when the temperature begins to rise. So, dust off your swimwear and slap on the Factor 50, folks – because we’re off on a day-trip. Where, I hear you ask? St Andrews Lakes, of course.

St Andrews Lakes

Less than an hour from the capital city, there’s a breathtakingly beautiful lake. A lake so blue and sparkly that you’d certainly be forgiven for thinking that you’ve been transported straight to the middle of the Mediterranean. Where you actually are, however, is a mere motorway journey from London in Halling, Kent.

@secret.london
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♬ Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys

Once a chalk mining and cement quarry, St Andrews Lakes wasn’t transformed into the stunning lake reserve until relatively recently. The 70-acre bright blue lake comes complete with a man-made sandy beach, a huge range of water and land-based activities, Kent’s largest inflatable aqua-park, a zipline, and floating lodges to stay in. Not bad, hey?

At 30-metres deep, the lake itself is pretty perfect for a whole hose of water-sports. You can dive, swim, kayak, canoe, paddleboard, hire a pedalo, partake in some beach yoga, or even soar over the lake on the big old zip-wire. It really is whatever floats your boat. There’s a lake-side wellness centre, plus a cafe and a pizzeria for some post-swim refueling and rehydrating. And when you inevitably don’t want to leave and head back to reality? Well, there’s some gorgeous off-grid floating lodges that you can spend the night in, too. Consider my next staycation well-and-truly sorted.

a giant water park on st andrews lake in kent — Credit: St Andrews Lakes

Getting to St Andrews Lakes from London

St Andrews Lakes is approximately an hour drive from London – and parking on-site is included in your booking fee. Non-drivers can hop on a train from London Victoria to Rochester, and then take an onwards train to Strood, and then onto Halling. St Andrews Lakes is then around a 15/20 minute walk from there.

You can find out more about opening times, plan your trip, and book your visit to St Andrews Lakes here. Bookings must be made in advance – you have been warned.