Regular sea swimmers have poured scorn on a recent table which ranked Guernsey’s La Vallette Bathing Pools 29th out of 164.
The AA’s Lido League saw outdoor pools ranked on the basis of average monthly Google searches, average Google review scores, Instagram tags, entry and parking fees, and the average maximum temperature and hours of summer sunlight at each location.
Jersey was ranked 18th for its Lido at Havres des Pas, while La Vallette came 29th behind other locations such as Tooting Bec in London, Sale in Manchester, and Lido Ponty in Wales.
Looking at some of the criteria, it is surprising that Guernsey’s Bathing Pools only came 29th.
There is no membership, entry or parking fee, and the island basks in around 7-8 hours of sunshine per day on average, with an average summer temperature of around 19c.
However, the number of Google searches and reviews and Instagram tags let us down – with our small population, and limited number of visitors clearly having an impact.
Reading through the Google reviews, it is clear how popular our pools are though.
They’ve been described by users as a “fantastic swim spot”, “exceptionally clean and not crowded”, and “great views and a nice atmosphere”.
Other Google reviews focused on the water temperature – which is all down to Mother Nature, of course.
“Winter swimming is bracing”, “it was freezing”, and “you’d have to pay me a small fortune to swim in October!’ were among the reviews.
Some less positive reviews focused on the cafe getting orders wrong, or the facilities needing a clean, but a response from La Vallette Bathing Pools had assured those people that their concerns would be addressed.
La Vallette Bathing Pools were refurbished by Vive La Vallette – a charity set up to manage the pools and the cafe.
Helen Bonner Morgan, Operations Director for Vive La Vallette said the ‘Lido league’ was a “friendly bit of league-table rivalry” which she wasn’t taking seriously, but she was pleased to see any publicity which shines a light on our facilities, and others elsewhere.
“It’s always great to see the Channel Islands’ outdoor swimming spots getting national attention, so big congratulations to Jersey’s Havre des Pas for their position in the AA’s Lido League,” she said.
“We recognise that the criteria for the list with things like Google search numbers, Instagram mentions, sunshine hours and the word ‘lido’ in the name don’t necessarily reflect the whole story of what makes a place special.
“At La Vallette Bathing Pools, Vive La Vallette’s focus is on creating a regenerated, welcoming space for the whole community, celebrating our heritage, and offering a year-round open-water experience that’s a little different from a traditional lido.
“We might not have ‘lido’ in our name, but we do have a lot of love, a loyal community of swimmers and coffee drinkers, and one of the most unique coastal settings you’ll find anywhere. If this friendly bit of league-table rivalry encourages more people to explore both pools, then that’s a Number 1 win, win, win!”
Other regular sea swimmers spoken to by Express described the ‘Lido league’ as “a load of rubbish!”
One said that Guernsey’s bathing pools are the best she has swam at anywhere in the world.