Sitting on the warm sand, a delicious hazelnut ice cream in hand, watching the sunlight glitter on the top of the water, it's hard to believe that I'm still in London.
Just over an hour out from central London, you'll find the city's very own sandy beach at the West Ruislip Lido.
Like a trip to any other beach, you can sit and sunbathe or grab a bucket and spade and create epic sandcastles. Some people have even pitched up tents to really make a day of it.
But the one big difference from a visit to the traditional seaside is that getting in the water is prohibited here.
Yes, that's right. There's no swimming or paddling allowed and not even your beloved pooch can jump in the water to cool off.
Red flags and warning signs are in place at the beach in a bid to stop people from going into the 60-acre lake.
One warning sign outside the lido cafe reads: "Please respect the red flags and do not enter the water.
"There are no lifeguards on duty.
"Ruislip Lido is a natural lake and has hazards which include waterfowl excrement [and] swimmers itch - a skin rash caused by a parasite that lives in freshwater snails and hidden dangers such as glass."
Safety information on the lido's website adds that blue-green algae has been blooming in the water that can be "toxic to people and pets".
Despite the inability to enjoy a dip in the water on a balmy day, the lido is still popular with people in the area and others who have only recently become aware of the 'secret' beach due to viral TikTok videos showing off the stretch of sand.
It reportedly gets quite busy during the summer months and council marshals are needed on-site to restrict the number of people allowed at the Lido to 1,200 at peak times.
The lido cafe owner, Mino, has been running the beach-side business for 11 years along with his wife and says the place gets "crazy" during the warmer months and claims it's all due to the "beautiful" views.
"This area is beautiful," he told The Mirror. "I love the view every time I come to work. It makes me feel calm in my soul.
"It's very popular in the summer, the queues never stop on bank holidays or in warm weather, it's amazing.
"But what's really special about the lido is that it has so many faces, it always looks different - it changes in the sunshine to when it's raining and then again in the winter when it's snowing.
"It's just a really beautiful location. I'm in love with this park. From the first day I came here, it was fate."
And Italian-born Mino isn't the only one who feels this way, many people I spoke to during my beach day were regulars, who loved to visit every few weeks with their family or friends.
Rachel, from Leicester, goes to the lido every fortnight when in London to babysit her granddaughter.
"It's got everything you need and my granddaughter loves it here. It's ideal," she says.
However, she wasn't too bothered about not being able to take the little one for a swim.
"You wouldn't want to go in the water," she admits. "You don't know what's lurking in there."
Similarly, Grace Smith, a learning support assistant from the local specialist college Orchard Hill, told how she brings her students on a trip to the lido once a week.
"It's strange to have a beach in London, but it's nice. You'd expect to be able to go in the water, but it's not the end of the world as there's lots to do," she admits.
"There's lots of lovely wildlife, the walks are good here and the guy that owns the cafe is very welcoming and always gives us the time of day."
"Lots of our students come once or twice a week as it's very accessible for people with special needs and those in wheelchairs," she added.
As well as the cafe, with its hot meals, drinks, and homemade ice cream, Ruislip Lido also has a number of woodland walks as it's on a nature reserve.
There's also a railway that you can ride on weekends through the woods around the water, and plenty of play equipment to keep kids entertained - including sprinklers and fountains children can run through in lieu of swimming.
The place is also teeming with wildlife, from swans and ducks to herons, dragonflies, people riding horses, and more.
However, it might surprise some to know that there wasn't always a beach here.
Before 1811 it was a shallow valley with fields, a stream, and some dwellings, which formed the Hamlet of Park Hearne.
The hamlet remained until 1811 when large areas of land in Ruislip were divided up and portions were sold.
The area the lido sits on was purchased by the Grand Junction Canal Company, who constructed a dam across the valley (where the boathouse now sits) and formed a reservoir there which had started to fill with water by the end of 1811.
In May 1936, the Regents Canal Company then redeveloped the reservoir into a lido for swimming, boating, and fishing.
The lido became incredibly popular during its heyday between 1950 and 1970 when people would visit to do all of the above, as well as water skiing. The lake covered a much larger area back then than it does now and there were also on-site changing rooms, a manager's office, and a chlorination plant.
In 1959 the area was declared a local nature reserve, but by 1970 the popularity of the lido dwindled as the council had raised the prices of admission and car parking too high for most.
According to the lido's website, it then became very run down in the 1990s and experienced "underfunding and neglect" and the main building was destroyed in 1994 by a fire.
Since then, work has been done to improve the area and create what you see there today and the best part is, there's no longer a fee upon entry. Although you will have to pay for parking unless you're a HillingdonFirst cardholder.
The lido itself is free to visit and opening times vary depending on the seasons. For more information and to check times and safety updates, visit ruisliplido.com.
Did you know about London's hidden beach? Let us know in the comments below.
