Sport and fitness

You may think you can’t float but a dip in Aire Ancient Baths’ salt-water flotarium will soon prove you wrong. Book the Aire Experience to enjoy this and five more thermal baths (hot, warm, ice and cold plunges, plus jet pool), as well as an indoor/outdoor pool with a waterfall and a salt-exfoliation station. Exposed brick walls, wooden beams and the highest of ceilings abound in this one-time factory. The baths are lit from below, with flickering candles illuminating the paths between them. Sign up for a full-body massage or a Himalayan salt wrap, or simply waft from bath to bath until your finger pads are good and wrinkled.

Chicago has 26 beaches along Lake Michigan and each has its own distinct personality. North Avenue Beach in Lincoln Park is one of the city’s most popular stretches of sand, the place to see and be seen. Come for beautiful people, a cycle path, beach volleyball and tonnes of bars. Oak Street Beach in Gold Coast is a hop, skip and a jump from a bunch of hotels and offers stellar views of the city. There’s a massage tent, paddleboarding and an ice-cream van, so it’s a good choice for lounging around or working out. In Bronzeville, 31st Street Beach is family-friendly, with easy parking, a giant playground with sprinklers and calm water. Rainbow Beach in South Shore, meanwhile, is typically deserted, especially during the week. It offers bike rentals, is close to running and cycling trails, and even has a fitness centre.

Chicago routinely ranks as one of the top bike-friendly cities in the US.  The best and most scenic place in the city for a spin is Chicago’s answer to New York’s High Line; The 606. This 4.3km-long elevated trail was once a freight line and its transformation into a green space for public use was inaugurated in 2015. It’s now buzzing with cyclists, runners and anyone who wants to wander the Logan Square, Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Wicker Park areas.