Best places for a swimming vacation

Our swimming vacations map and highlights dives into some of our top locations around the world, and what makes them stand out. Discover the joys of swimming north of the Arctic Circle or to tiny islands where your group will around the only ones staying, and find out how swimming can give fresh and fascinating perspectives on long-popular destinations.

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Best places for a swimming vacation

The beauty of a swimming vacation is how accessible it is. If you’re capable of swimming 1km in open water, then you can swim pretty much anywhere, from coastlines to rivers and lakes. Slovenia is particularly renowned for the latter – the placid waters of Lake Bled beckon enticingly. Swimming is a unique way to experience places such as the Galapagos Islands, or Norway’s Lofoten Islands, that are usually explored by land or on a cruise. And in locations such as Spain, Turkey, Croatia, and Greece, where the beaches are thronged with tourists for much of the year, swimming allows you to admire their gorgeous coastlines in a far more tranquil manner.

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1. Croatia
2. Galapagos Islands
3. Greece
4. Italy
5. Lofoten Islands
6. Slovenia
7. Spain
8. Turkey

Croatia

1. Croatia

Croatia might be one of Europe’s most popular coastal destinations, but you can almost completely escape the crowds with a swimming vacation. Groups base themselves on the island of Sveti Klement, just off Split. From this rosemary-scented hideaway you can spend a week exploring the wooded Pakleni Islands, a 10km-long chain with many peaceful coves.

Croatia

Galapagos Islands

2. Galapagos Islands

A swimming vacation is a unique way to explore the Galapagos Islands, one of the planet’s great wildlife destinations. You may think you’re fast, but try racing a sea lion. You may think you’ve got great stamina, but you’ve got nothing on a green sea turtle. And you may think your goggles are perfectly safe sitting there on the deck, but the Galapagos mockingbirds might have other ideas!

Greece

3. Greece

A three-hour ferry journey from Corfu, the tiny island of Mathraki is perfect for newcomers to open water swimming to develop their technique with confidence. The sea is shallow, warm and calm, and distances gradually increase over the course of a week. Mathraki has just 50 or so residents, one hotel and a scattering of tavernas, so our swim vacations here bring huge financial benefits.

Greece

Italy

4. Italy

Lake Orta, in northern Italy, makes a picturesque setting for a long weekend of swimming. Among the smallest of Italy’s subalpine lakes, it’s just a two-hour train journey from Milan. A Benedictine monastery sits on an island at the center of the lake, which you can swim around one day, while other days might see you follow the scenic shoreline.

Lofoten Islands

5. Lofoten Islands

“In the Lofoten Islands in Norway it feels like you’re swimming off the end of the world; it’s exhilarating,” says Alice Todd, from our partner SwimQuest. It will certainly be chilly, though perhaps not as much as you might expect from swimming in the Arctic Circle. The water temperature around these remote and beautiful islands – home to puffins and whales – ranges from 11-15°C in August.

Lofoten Islands

Slovenia

6. Slovenia

Slovenia is a fairytale landscape for swimming vacations, with lakes Bled and Bohinj rippling with blue-green water, and the Julian Alps as a backdrop. You might also take a dip in a river or two, or beneath a waterfall. While you’ll want to be comfortable swimming around 1.5km non-stop, you can expect a laidback pace, allowing you to drink in the scenery.

Spain

7. Spain

Formentera, off Ibiza, is a great option for those new to open water swimming wanting to develop their confidence and abilities. It has gently shelving beaches and super-clear water thanks to the sea grass that filters pollutants – our vacations financially support efforts to preserve these underwater plants, known as posidonia. Lanzarote, meanwhile, is ideal for refining technique.

Spain

Turkey

8. Turkey

Turkey’s divine Turquoise Coast is a natural spot for swimming vacations, and a week in the coastal town of Kas allows for a variety of swims and distances. Highlights will include peering down at a sunken city through the clear blue water and leaping off a traditional gulet boat into a calm bay. Turtles can be seen, and it’s not unknown to find one swimming in the same direction as you.