Lake District

This is not a beach destination. The swimming here is in lakes and tarns, and wild swimming has a devoted following. On a calm summer day the shallows of Windermere, Ullswater, Buttermere and Derwentwater are inviting, but the water rarely gets much above 18°C even in August and is far colder for most of the year. Shingle shores and jetties take the place of sand. The Cumbrian coast to the west has long, empty beaches on the cold Irish Sea, and they are better for walking than for swimming. Treat a swim as a bracing interlude in a day on the fells, not as the point of a stay.

Eating in the Lake District revolves around the country pub. Expect slate-floored inns with open fires, local ales from the many Cumbrian breweries, and plates of Cumberland sausage, Herdwick lamb and hearty pies after a day on the fells. The region has its own sweet specialities too: Grasmere gingerbread, Kendal mint cake carried up mountains for generations, and the sticky toffee pudding associated with Cartmel.

At the top end, the southern Lakes around Cartmel and Windermere have serious country-house and farm-to-table cooking that draws diners from across Britain. Between those two levels the range is narrow. There is little street food, few cuisines from elsewhere, and the tearooms in the busiest villages can be ordinary.

The heritage here is literary and rural. It is less about great buildings. At Grasmere you can visit Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth museum, and Rydal Mount is close by. Beatrix Potter's farmhouse at Hill Top sits near Hawkshead, and John Ruskin's house at Brantwood looks across Coniston Water. Older layers include the Castlerigg stone circle above Keswick and the Roman fort high on Hardknott Pass. Historic houses such as Levens Hall, with its famous topiary, and Muncaster Castle add to the list.

None of these takes long to see, and they are spread across valleys rather than gathered in one town. The landscape itself is a protected cultural landscape, shaped by centuries of hill farming, and it is the real monument.

Evenings here mean the pub. Walkers swap routes over a pint by the fire, and the evening winds down early. Ambleside, Keswick and Bowness have the most choice, with a few livelier bars in summer. Kendal, the largest town, has a little more, but there are no clubs worth travelling for. Most people come to be on the fells early, and the nights reflect that.

This is the reason to come. England's highest mountains rise steeply from long glacial lakes, and the walking is among the finest in Britain. Classic routes include Striding Edge onto Helvellyn, Scafell Pike from Wasdale, and the Langdale Pikes and the Fairfield Horseshoe. Gentler days circle Buttermere or climb Catbells above Derwentwater. Britain's rock climbing began on these crags, and sailing, kayaking and paddleboarding on Windermere, Ullswater and Coniston fill the summer.

The central and northern fells around Keswick, Grasmere and Langdale suit serious walkers. The quieter western valleys of Wasdale and Ennerdale are wilder. The fells are modest in height but rough underfoot, and the weather turns fast. The area is wet in any season, so the best days are dramatic and the worst are spent in cloud. Late spring and autumn bring the best light and fewer people.

Inside the region, the market towns make easy outings. Kendal has its old yards, Cockermouth is Wordsworth's birthplace, and Cartmel has its priory, and the miniature steam railway runs from Ravenglass up into Eskdale. Hawkshead and Coniston pair well on a day in the southern Lakes.

Beyond the boundary, Carlisle's castle and cathedral are under an hour from Keswick or Penrith, and the central stretches of Hadrian's Wall are a good day out from the northern Lakes. To the south, Furness Abbey, Lancaster's castle and the market towns of the Yorkshire Dales are within reach. Most of these outings are much easier by car.

Families with children who like being outdoors do well here. The steamers on Windermere and Ullswater are an easy treat. The miniature railway up Eskdale and the Beatrix Potter connection near Bowness and Hawkshead appeal to younger children, and there is a lakeside aquarium at the foot of Windermere. Short walks such as the circuit of Tarn Hows or the shore of Buttermere are manageable for small legs, and older children can try climbing, ghyll scrambling and paddling a canoe.

The area is safe and relaxed, and pubs and cafés welcome families. Rainy days are the challenge, because indoor options are few. Windermere and Ambleside are the easiest bases with children.

A branch railway reaches Windermere, and the main line stops at Oxenholme and Penrith on the edges. From there, buses link Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick, and lake steamers connect shore villages, so a car-free stay in the central Lakes is possible. Many walks start from a bus stop.

The western valleys of Wasdale, Eskdale and Ennerdale are a different matter. Reaching them means a car and the steep, single-track Hardknott and Wrynose passes or a long drive round. On summer weekends the roads around Windermere and Keswick clog with traffic and car parks fill early. A base in one central village with a few walks from the door is the easiest way to stay.

The one real specialism is outdoor kit. Ambleside and Keswick are lined with shops selling boots, waterproofs and climbing gear, useful if you arrive underprepared. Beyond that you will find galleries of landscape painting, Herdwick wool goods, slate crafts, local food such as gingerbread and mint cake, and the usual gift shops in Bowness. Kendal has the most ordinary high-street shopping. Nobody comes here to shop.

This is not a cheap place to stay in the main season. Self-catering cottages, B&Bs and country-house hotels in the popular villages are priced for high demand from July to September, and also during school breaks and at weekends. Pub meals and parking add up. The fells themselves cost nothing, and the area has a long tradition of youth hostels, bunkhouses and campsites, so walkers on a budget manage well. Prices ease noticeably in winter and outside the school breaks.

The offer is small but real. Theatre by the Lake in Keswick runs a repertory season of plays in a beautiful lakeside setting. Kendal's arts centre has a mix of theatre, music and film, and the town's mountain festival brings outdoor films and talks each November. Elsewhere, live music mostly means folk sessions in pubs and a few summer outdoor festivals. Opera, orchestras and large venues are absent.

The Lake District is a good place to slow down. Quiet valleys, long walks and evenings by a fire set the pace, especially away from Bowness and outside the summer peak. Many lakeside hotels around Windermere and Ullswater have spas with pools and treatment rooms looking out over the water, and a weekend of walking and soaking is a classic way to stay. There is no thermal or bathing tradition, though. The nearest thing is the cold-water swim in a lake or tarn, which locals swear by all year.