Things to do in Windermere, Lake District

45 minutes from the station. Wainwright's first fell, the most romantic easy view in the southern Lakes. Bring a flask, set off in the dark, summit before 7am in summer.

The café at Windermere Jetty Museum opens at 10am with a lakeside terrace and almost no-one in it before midday. Best mid-morning coffee setting in the Lakes.

Wild swim at Fell Foot together, charter a private skippered boat for the evening (from £150/2hrs), or take the Champagne sunset cruise on the Princess.

If the budget allows: one Michelin star, ten minutes from town, set in 100 acres. Reserve the chef's table for the proper experience.

Take the Windermere ferry across to the quiet west shore. 5-mile circular walk through ancient woodland with fell views. Almost no other walkers — half the lake to yourselves.

Windermere Motor Boat & Water Ski Club hire faster boats than the Pier operators. From £65/hour, no licence required, full safety brief on the dock.

20-minute drive north at Bassenthwaite. Whisky, gin, vodka made on site. Tasting flight, bistro lunch, gift shop you'll spend more in than you planned.

Local runners' favourite — 45 minutes return, 238 metres of vertical, well-graded path. Loop it twice for a serious morning before breakfast.

Several operators on the pier from £15/hour. Best in the morning before the cruise wake gets choppy. Single and tandem kayaks available.

Bowness's oldest pub. Low ceilings, real ales, dogs welcome, none of the tourist energy you'd expect. The locals' pick for an evening pint.

Microlight flights from Crosthwaite, 15 minutes south. 30-minute trip over the lake and the Langdale Pikes. Views to ruin every postcard for you afterwards.

The only inland aquarium in the north of England. Otters, sharks, native British species. Adult day out as much as a kid one — surprisingly deep on freshwater ecology.

Casual visitor rowing sessions in summer — a chance to row a proper coxed four on England's longest lake. Sign up via the club; no experience needed but you'll be coached.

Private Champagne cruise on the Princess of the Lake — two-hour skippered charter with bubbles included. Or hire an electric boat with a picnic hamper from the lake pier.

10-minute drive south. The finest surviving Arts & Crafts house in the country, with original 1900 fittings, café on the lawn, contemporary craft shop. Underrated.

Free to walk round, free parking off-peak. The lakeside terraces, walled garden, and shoreline path are all free — only the activities cost.

Rayrigg Meadow to Millerground — flat, easy, lake-edge path. Two miles each way through woodland with constant lake views. Genuinely lovely.

South end of the lake. Free for NT members, £5 parking for non-members. Free lake swimming, picnic lawns, playground. Worth the drive for the day.

If you're already paying the £2 fare, the open-top bus views from Windermere to Grasmere are essentially free sightseeing. The cheapest tour bus in the Lakes.

The walk along Bowness Bay from the piers to the church — free, busy, slightly chaotic but the heart of Lake Windermere. Ice cream stall non-negotiable.

10-minute drive south. National Trust. Original 1900 fittings, contemporary craft gallery, lakeside café. LA23 3JT. Underrated rainy-day option.

20-minute drive at Lakeside. Indoor, dry, surprisingly good for adults as well as kids. Otters, sharks, freshwater fish. Best paired with a lake cruise from Bowness.

Counter-intuitive but true: the Windermere Lake Cruises boats are covered, heated, and the light on the fells through rain is dramatic. Quieter too.

Better than they look from the outside. The independent bookshop on Lake Road, the World of Beatrix Potter (with the kids), Hawkshead Relish Co for foodie gifts.

The Lakes' best-loved independent cinema. Comfy old-school auditorium, current releases plus classic films. Walking distance from Bowness pier.