IMPROVERS – FORMENTERA

 Date: 26 Sept – 2 Oct 2026
From: £1839pp

new to open water, slightly nervous about swimming in the sea, or simply intrigued by open water swimming? This is the tour for you

swim quest formentera improvers tour This trip will help you to get in touch with your inner mermaid (or merman!) find out more about stroke technique, and build confidence in the water. Whether you are new to open water, a breaststroker looking to master front crawl, looking to return to the sport after injury, or simply have a fear of open water and want to try swimming in safe and supportive surroundings, you are very welcome to join us on this trip.

FORMENTERA

With crystal clear waters and shallow beaches, this is a great location for improving stroke technique and building confidence in the sea. Whether in a wetsuit or not, you will be part of a small group that will be mentored and personally advised throughout the week. These tours are based on the beautiful island of Formentera, just a 30 minute ferry ride away from its more crowded, better known island neighbour, Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the smallest of Spain’s Balearic islands and famous for its clear waters and long stretches of vanilla-white beach, backed by sand dunes and pine trees. The clarity of the water in Formentera is largely due to the Posidonia sea grass that grows on the sea floor.  These under-sea meadows were one of the main reasons Formentera and Ibiza achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999. SwimQuest is proud to support the Save Posidonia Project and will sponsor one square metre of Posidonia meadow for each guest to book a Formentera trip in 2024.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

  • Focus on swim technique and feeling confident in the water
  • No minimum swimming requirement, although if you would consider yourself a complete beginner please speak to us before booking
  • Average daily swimming - depends on ability
  • Approx sea temperature range: 22-25  ̊C
  • Non-swimming partners welcome

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

  • Accommodation for 4 nights at the Hotel RocaBella, based on twin / double share standard rooms
  • Daily technique coaching, including both pool and sea swimming
  • One-to-one video analysis
  • Short, exploratory coastal and bay swims
  • A full swim itinerary and safety cover, including two swim guides and relevant boat escorts where required
  • A ‘challenge swim event’ at the end of the week (distance will be adapted to suit your ability level)
  • Breakfasts and lunches
  • Return transfers from Formentera harbour to the hotel
  • All transportation to and from swim start points
  • SwimQuest swim cap and SwimQuest poncho
  • VAT

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?

  • Travel to and from Formentera Island (see ‘travel’ tab for more information)
  • Wetsuits and fins (optional)
  • Evening meals
  • Alcohol
  • Single room supplement (see accommodation tab for single supplements and room options)

HOTEL ROCA BELLA

On this tour, you will stay in the friendly Hotel Roca Bella, situated on the beach of Es Pujols, moments away from crystal waters and Pujols town. Rooms are based on a twin share basis. If you wish, you can choose sole occupancy of a standard room (£200) and/or upgrade to a superior room for an additional £200. Please note Superior Rooms are only available as double or single occupancy, not as twin occupancy. Roca Bella Formentera

STANDARD TWIN ROOM (SHARING PLACE OR SOLE)

Standard Twin Room Roca Bella Standard rooms are simple but comfortable. They all have a terrace and sea view. Sole Supplement applies.  

SUPERIOR DOUBLE ROOM (DOUBLE SHARING OR SOLE)

Upgrade your booking to a superior room for an extra £200. Please note these rooms do not offer a twin share set up - only available as a double or sole use. Superior Rooms are located in the newer building of the hotel and are recently renovated. All have a terrace with a sea view.

THE ITINERARY

Please be aware that the below is a guide and that we will adapt the swims and the itinerary carefully, taking into account ability, safety and the weather conditions. Nature can be (and usually is!) unpredictable so swim timings and locations may need to be flexible and adapted from the below.

Day 1

  • 1pm Arrivals - SwimQuest to run transfer shuttles from Formentera harbour to hotel
  • 2pm Welcome, introduction, and mandatory swim safety briefing
  • 3pm Acclimatization swim in Pujols Bay
  • 7pm Meet for dinner (we will have a group booking at a local restaurants)

Day 2

  • 8am Breakfast at Roca Bella
  • 10am Technique session
  • 12.30pm Lunch at the Roca Bella’s Café Zulmar
  • 2pm Sea Swim (1.5km – Illettes Bay)
  • 5pm Technique Seminar
  • 7pm Sundowners followed by dinner

DAy 3

  • 8am Breakfast at Roca Bella
  • 10am Technique session
  • 11am Video swimmers in the pool
  • 1pm Lunch at the Roca Bella’s Café Zulmar
  • 2pm Sea swim (1-2km – Platja de Migjorn)
  • 7pm Sundowners followed by dinner

DAy 4

  • 8am Breakfast at Roca Bella
  • 10am Technique session
  • 1pm Lunch at the Roca Bella’s Café Zulmar
  • 2pm Sea swim (1-2km – Platja de Migjorn)
  • 7pm Sundowners followed by dinner

DAy 5

  • 8am Breakfast at Roca Bella
  • 10am “Adventure Swim” from Can Rolls Bay back to Pujols (500m - 2km, depending on ability)
  • 12.30pm Lunch at the Roca Bella’s Café Zulmar
  • 2pm Technique session and building open water skills
  • 4pm Video Analysis Feedback
  • 7pm Sundowners followed by dinner

DAY 6

  • 7am Sunrise swim (Playa de Ses Canyes)
  • 10am Sea swim (Pujols)
  • 12.30pm Lunch at the Roca Bella’s Café Zulmar
  • 2pm Departures (SwimQuest to run transfers back to Formentera Harbour)

TRAVEL TO FORMENTERA

TRIP START / FINISH TIMES

  • We will meet at 1pm on the first day for introductions and safety briefing. SwimQuest head office will ask for your travel times pre-tour so that our swim guides can pick you up from Formentera harbour and take you to the hotel.
  • The trip finishes at 2pm on the final day, however check out is at 10am. There'll be somewhere in the hotel to leave your bags. The guides will be able to take you back to Formentera harbour when the tour finishes on the final afternoon, however if you are staying on longer you may need to book a taxi back to the harbour with reception.

FLY TO IBIZA

Flying into Ibiza SwimQuestFly to Ibiza and then jump in a taxi from the airport to Ibiza harbour to get the ferry to Formentera (please budget approx. €15-20 for this taxi journey.) Taxis are regular just outside the airport. Tell the taxi driver you are going to get a ferry to Formentera and he / she will drop you off by the Formentera ticket kiosks. For the cheapest flight options, have a look at www.skyscanner.co.uk. If you would prefer to arrive a day early, we would recommend the cheap but friendly and comfortable Hotel el Puerto in Ibiza town, close to the ferry port.

FERRY FROM IBIZA TO FORMENTERA

There are a number of ferry companies offering a regular service (approx. every 30 minutes) from Ibiza to Formentera and back. Trasmappi, Balearia and Mediterranea–Pitiusa are popular options, cost the same and take the same amount of time (approx. 30 minute crossing). There is no need to buy a ticket in advance. Hint – when you buy a return ticket, it is worth checking that your return ferry journey allows you sufficient time to get to the airport, as you cannot transfer your ticket to another ferry provider and will have to purchase an additional single fare.

AN EXTRA NIGHT IN IBIZA TOWN?

RECOMMENDED IN IBIZA TOWN: 

Hotel el Puerto in Ibiza town is friendly and comfortable, and just a 2 minute walk from the ferry port should you need to arrive a day early / leave a day later.

WHAT DO I PACK?

  • At least two Swimming costumes
  • Wetsuit - optional*
  • Two Pairs of swim goggles – ideally one clear and one tinted
  • Tow float (required) - if you haven’t got one yet, you can purchase from our online shop here
  • Rash vest (optional) - available from our online shop here
  • Towel(s) although the hotel provide bath towels for in-hotel use
  • Small daypack/rucksack to use for your personal equipment/clothing during the day (you will receive a 10L SwimQuest dry bag you can use for this purpose if you wish)
  • Sandals/aqua shoes/flip flops – for getting wet
  • Insect repellent & bite relief
  • Fleece or warm jumper, tracksuit trousers/sweat pants
  • Waterproof
  • Sun hat, sun cream and glasses
  • Travel insurance

WETSUITS

As a SwimQuest guest, you can get 20% OFF any full price Zone3 products. All you need to do is visit www.zone3.com/SwimQuest or simply enter the discount code SWIMQUEST at checkout when shopping at Zone3.com.

READY TO BOOK?

We’re excited about meeting you on tour. To book your trip, simply click 'BOOK NOW' for your chosen trip below. A deposit of 30% is required to secure your place, and the final payment is due 10 weeks prior to departure. Payments can be made by debit/credit card or by bank transfer. If you are not yet ready to book and require more information, please click 'ENQUIRE'. Once you have complete the form, Sarah (our bookings co-ordinator) will be in touch to help you with any additional requirements.

IMPROVERS | 26 Sept - 3 Oct 2026 | BOOK NOW | ENQUIRE

SwimQuest ABTOT MembersIn booking with us, you accept our terms and conditions, which can be found here. If at any point you have any questions, feel free to contact us:

Travel Insurance

As a SwimQuest guest, you are required to have in place travel insurance that covers you for all activities you will be taking part in during your trip. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully covered for these activities. Whatever travel policy you decide on, you will need to bring a copy of your current Certificate of Insurance to the safety briefing at the start of your SwimQuest holiday. Your swim Guides will need to take a note of your insurer, policy number and the number to call in case of an emergency claim. Please note, if you are a UK resident and eligible for free health cover via the NHS, you do not need to take our a travel insurance policy for our UK based trips. You may still wish to take out insurance to cover you for events such as trip cancellation, luggage and personal liability. If you are travelling from the US or another country, we suggest you use a travel insurance comparison site based in your own country in order to decide on a suitable policy. You can find more information on our Insurance page. Columbus Direct offers three levels of cover Bronze, Silver and Gold, with differing levels of emergency medical, cancellation and baggage so you can choose the cover to suit your needs. All levels of cover include over 150 sports and activities covered as standard including open water swimming within 12 miles of shore (you will not be swimming more than 12 miles away from the shore on SwimQuest Holidays). You will also benefit from free airport lounge access if your flight is delayed for 1hr or more*. Optional cover is available including Gadget, Winter Sports and Cruise, along with cover for many pre-existing medical conditions subject to online screening.  Columbus Direct offer single trip cover up to 85 years old and annual multi trip cover up to 74 years old. *The policyholder can register both themselves and up to four additional travelling companions for Columbus Direct’s Airport Delay service. They will then be eligible to receive free airport lounge access in the event a delay of one or more hours is announced for their flight. View terms and conditions here