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Mathraki - Short Swims and Dips

  • Multiple dates
  • Mathraki Island, Greece
  • From £1,548pp
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These friendly, laid-back weeks are a blissful opportunity to combine sea swimming with time to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Mathraki provides a wonderful array of island hops, inter island swims and coastal exploration – an ideal time for fantastic swims, wonderful Greek hospitality and plenty of relaxation.
Duration
6 Nights
Distance per day
1-2km
Water temperature
18-22°C
Max. group size
12
Ability level
All Abilities
Swim type
Open Water, Sea
Non-swimming Partners
Welcome - 10% Discount
Technique coaching
Included

If you enjoy short and gentle swims then this chilled, relaxing week on this tiny, quirky Greek island has your name on it. You can swim as little or as much as you like, with your swim guides planning your two escorted swims per day from a veritable collection of swims.

Between swims, Mathraki moves at its own blissful pace. Expect delicious home-cooked food, warm Greek hospitality, a mid-week BBQ with the island villagers, and what we officially call compulsory bouts of chill time. Your guides are also on hand to offer stroke technique advice and optional filming if you’d like to work on your swimming – but there’s absolutely no obligation.

Highlights

A Greek island to ourselves

Mathraki is a remote island to the west of Corfu with a population of just 50 inhabitants, and with only one hotel on the island, it feels like a true escape from the hustle and bustle.

Both adventure & relaxation

This is a holiday where downtime is built into the schedule. Expert coaching and coastline swims sit alongside a BBQ with locals, lazy lunches and sunlit evenings. The ideal escape for anyone looking to recharge.

Blue, blue, everywhere

There's no better place for crayola-blue sea swimming. Gentle swims, twice a day, in some of the clearest water you'll ever swim in. Speed is irrelevant - enjoyment is everything.

Delicious home cooked food

The team at our hotel serves up traditional home-cooked lunches daily. Prepared with warmth and local knowledge the food offers a genuine taste of Greek island life.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival and Acclimatisation

The boat transfers to Mathraki leave Agios Stefanos (West) at 4pm. Your guides and our local host Giorgos will meet you at the harbour and boat you across to Mathraki, ready to begin our adventure. After a warm welcome and safety briefing, we’ll head out for our acclimatisation swim in the hotel bay, the perfect way to get comfortable in the water before a well-deserved sundowner and dinner together at the hotel taverna.
Day 2

Trachia Island Exploration

This morning, we'll boat over to Trachia, a small island off Mathraki's north coast said to have provided the stone for many of the island's buildings. For those who fancy it, we will complete a full circumnavigation, with an opportunity to extend the swim back towards Kodragas harbour if conditions allow. If you'd prefer to have a small dip / swim and jump back on board, you can do that too. After lunch back at the hotel, we'll head out for a gentle afternoon coastal swim along the yellow-sands of Paradise Bay.
Day 3

Plateia and the West Coast

We'll start the day with a short 5 minute boat trip out to Plateia Island, an islet off Mathraki's west coast. If you feel like it, jump of the boat into the 'big blue' before completing a short crossing back across to Mathraki's coastline - watching the rocks rise and fall beneath you. After lunch, we'll explore Mathraki's dramatic west coast, with its tiny pebble beaches and striking white rocks. Don't forget, you can swim as much or as little as you like! The boat is there for rests if you need it. 
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Accommodation

Hotel Paradise
    Free Wifi Restaurant Bar

In Mathraki we stay at the family run Hotel Paradise. As Hotel Paradise is the only hotel on the island, it’s not unusual for us to have the hotel (and the island!) to ourselves. Our local hosts Giorgos, Giannis and Nora provide fantastic home-cooked food and local knowledge, and look forward to welcoming you.

Rooms
There are just seven rooms in the hotel. Unless you wish to opt for a sole use room supplement at £340, rooms are allocated on a twin / double share basis. Please indicate your room choice on the booking form when booking. Rooms are subject to availability.
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What's included

Included
  • Accommodation Hotel Paradise (the only hotel on Mathraki)
  • Swimming, assisted by safety boats where required and always escorted by swim guide/s
  • Optional stroke technique advice and filming
  • Breakfasts
  • Traditional home-cooked lunches (except lunch on one day when we will eat in Arillas, weather permitting)
  • Safety boats
  • Swim guides
  • SwimQuest poncho and swim cap
  • VAT
  • ABTOT Financial Protection
Not included
  • Travel to and from Mathraki
  • Wetsuits and fins
  • Evening meals
  • One lunch (when we will take you to a taverna in Arillas)
  • Alcohol / soft drinks / ice cream (we run an honesty bar system)
  • Single room supplement or room upgrades

Getting there

Getting to Mathraki
Trip begins 4pm Saturday
Fly to Corfu

Fly to Corfu airport (CFU). For help finding flight information and prices, you may wish to try a flight search engine such as Skyscanner or Kayak. 

Taxi transfer to Agios Stefanos Harbour

We arrange a taxi to pick up the group at 2.15pm from Hotel Bretagne (a short 5 min walk up the road from the airport). You are welcome to opt into this group taxi which will take you all to Agios Stefanos harbour ready for your boat transfer to Mathraki at 4pm. 

 

If you would like to book your own transfer we recommend booking through Corfu Holiday Taxis. Dimitris and his team will look after you and are familiar with SwimQuest and how to get to Agios Stefanos Harbour for your downward journey to Mathraki. Simply email info@corfuholidaytaxi.com, use the website www.corfuholidaytaxi.com or call 0030 6972767803. Tell them you are going to Mathraki with the swimmers.

 

Alternatively, come out of arrivals and you will see the taxi rank in front of you. An airport taxi to Agios Stefanos harbour is approximately €70-110. Make sure the taxi driver knows which Agios Stefanos harbour you need (emphasise ‘West’ and that you’re heading onto Mathraki). The taxi journey takes approximately 50 minutes.

Bus transfer to Agios Stefanos Harbour

A cheaper alternative to local bus terminal is a short taxi ride from the airport where there is a regular green bus service that stops off at Agios Stefanos. The bus fare is approximately €4.00. Ensure the bus driver takes you all the way down to the little cafe by the harbour in Agios Stefanos.

Boat from Agios Stefanos to Mathraki

To circumvent all local ferry times (which an be extremely unpredictable) our hoteliers on Mathraki Island offer a sea taxi service from Agios Stefanos harbour. This will run at 4pm on your arrival day, and 8am on the departure day, and costs €55pp for the return journey. Should you wish to get across to the island outside of these times, it is possible to book a private transfer for €120 each way.

Local ferries Agios Stefanos to Mathraki

If you want to make your own way, there are infrequent local ferries to Mathraki. Alexandros runs from Corfu Town and takes approximately 3-4 hours, and Pegasus runs from Agios Stefanos and takes 45 minutes. Timings vary from week to week. Please contact the office one week prior to your trip should you wish to take a local ferry, and we will check times with our local hosts.

Departures

We will run an early transer off the island at 8am. We advise booking flights from 11.30am.

Trip ends 8am Friday morning

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