How to choose a swimming vacation

There tend to be two common types of swim vacation. On a technique trip there will typically be one or two coaching sessions per day, perhaps a seminar on land, and then a short daily swim to put those skills into practise. And there are also trips where you’re just having fun, exploring coast, islands, rivers and lakes with no time constraints. You might get a few friendly pointers as you go, but the focus is very much on relaxing and having a good time.

Other reasons for going on a swimming trip include recovery from injury, spending time with friends and family, or taking part in races and endurance events. Whatever your motivation, we’ll have a trip that meets your needs.

On a relaxed trip you can expect to be covering 2-3km each day, usually across a morning and afternoon swim. If you can comfortably manage 1km in the pool, either freestyle or breaststroke, then you shouldn’t have any difficulty in keeping up.

A moderate-graded trip could see two daily swims totalling around 5km, while on an advanced vacation, you might be swimming up to 8km every day. The latter is very much suited to regular, confident sea swimmers happy to spend the best part of a week in the water.

The main thing people worry about when choosing a swimming vacation is that they won’t be good enough, but most trips, especially in places like Greece, Spain and Croatia, are ideal for newcomers to open water swimming. And these trips are always adaptable. You can swim as much or as little as you like.

Note that open water doesn’t always mean swimming in the sea. We have river and lake swimming vacations, too, should you prefer freshwater to salty seawater.

We have swimming vacations around the world, from Turkey to the Galapagos Islands to Scotland. All destinations are carefully chosen based on factors that make them particularly suitable.

On an Azores swimming trip, for instance, daily swims are short and likely to be quite chilly, but you can warm up in geothermal pools, and when the sea is calm you can enjoy boat trips out to see many species of whales and dolphins. Alternatively, some locations may pose a unique challenge. In France, Lake Serre-Ponçon offers distance swimmers the opportunity to tackle a 20km crossing of one of the largest man-made lakes in Europe.

Journey times are also something to consider. If you only have a few days then you want somewhere close to home, whereas if you have a week or more at your disposal then you can look at more far-flung destinations. Given that our swimming vacations are usually a week long, if you can spare a few days either side then you can combine them with other activities in the same region. So, if you're swimming in Egypt's Red Sea, you could add on a cruise along the Nile afterwards or fly on to neighbouring Jordan. If spending a week exploring South Africa’s Atlantic coast appeals, you might then continue to a safari in Kruger National Park or take a self drive tour along the iconic Garden Route.

Most of our swim trips are around one week, but of course not everyone can spare that, and for those looking for perhaps a long weekend instead, we can help you with short swimming vacations as well. Three or four nights are ideal to get a feel for swimming in countries like Iceland, Slovenia and Scotland and then, once you’ve dipped a toe in the water as it were, you can look for a longer trip when it suits you.

If you’re going to be traveling solo, or with a partner or friend, then a small group tour is usually the best fit. These trips are wonderfully sociable and welcoming, and with a passion for swimming in common, groups bond very easily.

Private, tailor made swimming trips are also an option if you are traveling as a group of friends or family and would prefer to do your own thing. “We arrange these regularly,” says Alice, “either adapting one of our existing trips or creating new itineraries from scratch. For example, in Turkey one family wanted other activities like kayaking including around their swims. Another group going to the Philippines wanted to do some diving. In Mathraki we had a family who wanted their kids to get really high-end coaching so we’re sending an Olympian out with them!”

Our swimming vacations are very inclusive. For instance, if you are comfortable in the water but have difficulty walking, then we have trips where the hotel is very close to the sea. If you need a fridge in your room for medication, or you need a particular type of cuisine to meet your dietary needs, these are things that can usually be arranged with enough notice.

Extracurricular activities can be an important consideration on a swimming trip, especially if you will be traveling with a non-swimming friend or partner, as they may want to do more than spend a whole week on the beach. Our vacations are often based in quite remote areas, and with swimming the main focus of the day, you won’t have a huge amount of options, or energy, to do much. In places like Mathraki, off Corfu, there’s very little to do, even if you do have the energy, beyond relax with a glass of wine while watching the sunset.

But if you do want the option of going out to explore local restaurants and bars, look for trips that are based in or close to busier resorts, such as Kas in Turkey, and Formentera in Spain’s Balearic Islands. If you would like to skip a day of swimming and perhaps replace it with a boat trip or a spot of kayaking, we can help with suggestions and recommendations in the area.

Our open water swimming trips are often set in warmer climes where you can get by in just a swimsuit. Other trips, in places like Norway’s Lofoten Islands, for instance, may require a wetsuit. If you’re unsure whether you will need a wetsuit, it’s best to err on the side of caution and pack one, and try to get a bit of experience swimming with it before you go.

Naturally, on any swim vacation safety is the number one priority and in most places every swim is accompanied by at least one if not two boats. Your guides will be familiar with the destination, conscious of currents and any potential hazards, and how to avoid them. With open water swimming the water can be turbulent at times so you’ll need to be comfortable dealing with some chop, but of course if the waves are too high then the swim will be rescheduled or you’ll move to another area.