2023 dates: Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 September
From: £1,345pp
OVERVIEW
Our Improvers Tours are aimed at people who are new to open water, slightly nervous about swimming in the sea, or simply intrigued by open water swimming. 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.
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. Formentera is positioned off the southern coast of 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.
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.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
- Price: from £1,345pp
- Focus on swim technique and feeling confident in the water
- Minimum swimming requirement - 400m, or 16 lengths in a pool (unsure? contact us)
- 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
- Free swim cap and SwimQuest dry bag for all participants
- 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 (£100pp) or upgrade to a superior room for an additional £100. Please note Superior Rooms are only available as double or single occupancy, not as twin occupancy.
STANDARD TWIN ROOM (SHARING PLACE)
£1,345pp - standard rooms are simple but comfortable. They all have a terrace and sea view.
STANDARD TWIN ROOM (SOLE OCCUPANCY)
£100 supplement - if you would like your own private standard room, a sole occupancy supplement of £100 will be added to your booking.SUPERIOR ROOM UPGRADE
£100 supplement - upgrade your booking to a superior room for an extra £100 (please note this applies to sole occupancy places or double shares only - these rooms do not offer a twin share set up). 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.
tuesday
- 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)
wednesday
- 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
THURSDAY
- 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
FRIDAY
- 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
SATURDAY
- 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
Fly 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. Please feel free to book a room through Lourdes in their reservations team. Tell them you are booking through SwimQuest and you can claim a 10% discount.HOTEL CONTACT:
CALLE CARLOS III, Nº 24. 07800 IBIZA // Contact number: 971.313812 FAX.971.317452 // E-mail: Lourdes at: reservas@ibizaelpuerto.com // Website: www.ibizaelpuerto.comWHAT 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 find a great range from Swim Secure HERE and receive 15% off with code: 15SwimQuest23
- 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 swimming holiday, simply fill in the booking form below. Once you have submitted the form, Charlotte or Emma will be in touch to request payment and to help you with any additional requirements. 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.
In 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: Charlotte Benton | +44 7743 233803 | charlotte@swimquest.uk.com Alice Todd | +44 7825 301443 | alice@swimquest.uk.com
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance before your tour, including cover for all the activities you are participating in. If you are in doubt that an activity is covered, you will need to contact your travel insurance provider for advice on cover. For further information click here.
