Wild swimming in Derwentwater, easy mountain hikes, and fairytale views at Blea Tarn
The place that never disappoints — England’s largest National Park. With so many corners to explore and trails to hike, this region of lakes and mountains is truly picturesque. If you enjoy a bit of spontaneous adventure when your phone drops network signal, it is the perfect place to discover breathtaking spots simply by taking an unknown turn. That is how we found our absolute favorite views in the Lake District — the places we return to time and time again.
During the summer, the park can certainly feel overcrowded. However, we have put together the ideal 3-day itinerary to enjoy it to the fullest, complete with wild swimming, peaceful UNESCO landscapes, and the most scenic drives connecting them.
Keswick ↗︎
We chose to base ourselves near Keswick for a specific reason: all the beautiful places we wanted to explore on this trip were nearby. We set up camp at a picturesque campsite on the hill overlooking Derwentwater and built our entire route from there.
As a bonus, on the drive up to Keswick (coming from the Midlands, as we do), you pass right through some of the park’s most popular towns and lakes, including Thirlmere, Windermere, and Ambleside. Keswick itself is charming, filled with independent shops and fantastic places to eat and drink. I definitely recommend taking a walk through its historic streets.
Catbells ↗︎
After arriving in the Lake District, we planned one main hike for the day: the Catbells summit. To be honest, I hesitated quite a lot about this choice. Everyone recommends it as a great, beginner-friendly first hike in the region, which made me worry it would be far too crowded given its popularity. But for our first day in the park, it made logical sense, so we went for it. Conveniently, we started right from the main parking area.
If you are hesitating for the same reason, don’t — Catbells is genuinely beautiful. It is not completely effortless in a few sections, but overall it is very manageable for beginners (which we are). The views along the trail are fantastic, especially looking out over Derwentwater. We made it to the summit and retraced our steps back down rather than doing the full circular route.
It turned out to be the perfect timeline for the day, as we wanted to finish up before heading to our campsite to watch the solar eclipse. Before heading up the hill, we stopped at a quiet spot and took a swim in Derwentwater. Just be mindful — the lake bed is very rocky!
Buttermere ↗︎
On our second day, we planned to visit a different lake. We stopped for coffee and a delicious orange and almond cake at Elm Cafe before taking the stunning road toward Buttermere via Newlands Pass. We made a quick stop near Moss Force Waterfall before heading straight to the Gatesgarth car park.
From there, we started our circular walk around Buttermere. It is a relatively flat and easy path, but do not underestimate the scenery — every time you round a bend, the landscape transforms completely. At one point along the trail, we found our own personal rocky beach and went for a swim in the crisp water — the truest joy and benefit of visiting the Lake District on a hot summer day.
After completing the first half of the loop, we stopped for lunch at one of the local pubs in Buttermere before finishing the walk, taking plenty of breaks along the way to soak in the incredible views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
Honister Pass ↗︎
We headed back toward our campsite near Keswick by taking another scenic route, which looked phenomenal bathed in the golden rays of the late afternoon sun: Honister Pass. I genuinely did not expect something so grand and dramatic here in England. It is easily one of the most scenic drives in the entire country.
Little Langdale Area ↗︎
For our final day in the Lake District, we saved time for our personal favorite little lake — the place we come back to every single time we visit the area. We began our journey home by driving back through Grasmere, stopping for tea at the cozy Faery Boat Landing. From there, we visited Rydal Cave before making our way toward Little Langdale. We parked and took a brief stroll around the village, but before long, we headed to our favorite spot.
Blea Tarn ↗︎
The drive leading to this lake feels like something out of a fairytale, and the location itself is absolutely stunning. We could sit and watch the landscape for hours.
While there is an easy walking path around the water, this time we brought our bicycles and rode around the perimeter instead. It is a fantastic place to swim, walk, or simply stretch out on the grass and stare up at the mountains looming above the water. We love it here.
Final Thoughts
They say that exploring the Lake District is wonderful throughout the year, and it is hard to disagree with that. It just so happens that we have only visited during the summer, which feels like the ideal season to take full advantage of the lakes. The park is massive, and virtually every corner is worth your time. However, our best advice is not to rush. Pick a focused itinerary so you can get the absolute most out of every location, slow down, feel connected to nature, and truly take it all in.
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