Hyde Park This Spring: Padel, Tennis, Boating and the Lido
The clocks have gone forward, the evenings are stretching out, and Hyde Park is once again Knightsbridge's best gym. Its pedestrian gates are open from 5am until midnight, which leaves plenty of time to fit some exercise around a working day. Here is how to make the most of the park this spring, from padel courts to rowing boats, plus the date every outdoor swimmer is waiting for.
Padel and tennis at The Courts
Padel has become London's most sociable sport, and Hyde Park is one of the best-located places to play it. The Courts offers adult and junior tennis and padel, with coaching from LTA-qualified and professional coaches, and the venue is LTA registered. Juniors can start as young as four, working through the LTA Youth stages.
With the May half term approaching, it is worth knowing about the holiday camps: Mini Tennis for ages four to seven and Junior Tennis for ages seven to sixteen, bookable by the day or the week during half terms and school holidays. Details and bookings are on the Royal Parks sports and leisure site.
On the water
Boating on the Serpentine is one of London's great simple pleasures, and it runs all year. Choose between traditional row boats, classic pedalos and electric pedalos. A rowing boat at the start of the day, before the lake gets busy, is a properly good workout, and the herons along the banks are an added bonus. Families tend to prefer the pedalos, which need no experience and make a gentle hour for younger children.
Running and walking
- Rotten Row: the sandy, historic route near the rose garden, once part of a royal road from Kensington Palace towards Whitehall, makes a soft surface for an easy run.
- The Serpentine loop: the lakeside paths give a flat circuit with waterfront cafés for a reward afterwards.
- Early starts: with the gates opening at 5am, a sunrise run before work is entirely possible.
The Lido countdown
The Serpentine Lido is home to what is described as the oldest swimming club in Britain, the Serpentine Swimming Club, whose members swim in the early mornings. Public swimming opens on weekends from mid-May and then daily from June to mid-September, so the first warm weekend of the season is only a few weeks away. The Lido is lifeguarded, and swimmers must stay within the buoyed area. The Lido Café Bar is open from 8am. Find out more on the Royal Parks Hyde Park page.
Getting there
Knightsbridge station is on the park's southern edge, and the Serpentine is about ten minutes' walk north. Hyde Park Corner station is better for Rotten Row and the eastern end. The park also has bookable football pitches on the former site of the Crystal Palace, if you can gather a team for a weekend kickabout. For more ideas, see our guide to Hyde Park, including the best spots for a post-workout coffee.
