Being close to water can have a positive impact on our mental health, with a calming effect that even helps reduce stress levels and anxiety, according to Visit Scotland’s study.
With water covering 71% of the earth, trends such as wild swimming and paddle boarding are becoming more and more popular in 2025 with many vacationers renting a car and traveling to destinations with gorgeous blue waters.
As the UK is home to many breathtaking bodies of water, there truly is a perfect shade of blue for everyone – from the deep blue hues of Buttermere to the indigo depths of Loch Erne, we’re sure you’ll find your next adventure in our ranking.
The top 10 bluest waters in the UK
To help inspire road trippers and holidaymakers this summer, we colour-picked 100 of the most beautiful bodies of water across Europe and found the nearest shade of blue to uncover exactly what the extraordinary continent’s holiday destinations have to offer.
Whether you’re craving clear aquamarine, dark teals or green hues, we’re sure you’ll find your next getaway in our ranking.
THE BLUEST WATER IN THE UK, RANKED
From Derwentwater in England to Loch Lomond in Scotland, find your next holiday spot based on your favourite blue shade.
1
Derwentwater
(Measured at Keswick)
With iconic views of Cat Bells and Maiden Moor, Derwentwater is located near the quaint town of Keswick in the Lake District. With scenic boat trips available, this lake offers gorgeous blue waters to visitors.
Discover the full list of the bluest waters in Europe
Review the methodology below
| Rank | Location | Country | Colour Shade | L – Lightness | A – Red-Green Axis, | B – Yellow-Blue Axis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bay of Kotor | Montenegro |
|
47.06 | -40.8 | -48.59 |
| 2 | The Blue Grotto | Malta |
|
40.14 | -9.84 | -47.4 |
| 3 | Lake Bled | Slovenia |
|
38.39 | -29.82 | -47.04 |
| 4 | Derwentwater | England |
|
51.1 | -1.33 | -46.51 |
| 5 | River Rhine | Germany |
|
57.78 | 0.92 | -45.45 |
Take a trip to the bluest waters
Whether you choose to road trip across Europe to visit as many of the blue waters as possible this summer, or if you have your sights set on one blue hue in particular, consider renting a car to make your holiday as seamless and stress-free as possible.
Get ready for stunning sights and relaxing moments as you take a visit to some of the most beautiful locations the continent has to offer.
METHODOLOGY
We colour-picked high resolution photographs of 100 of the most beautiful bodies of water across Europe to illustrate the various colours of water available across the continent. Through colour-picking, we determined the LAB colour values to understand the depth of blue for each location.
LAB is a colour model that uses three different colour components to achieve a desired shade: L=Lightness, A = Red-Green Axis, B = Yellow-Blue Axis. We used the Yellow-Blue Axis value to determine the volume of blue present and then created a ranking order.
Colours are accurate as of 15th May 2025.
