2025 Dates: 28-4 July 2025
Price: from £1,599pp
LONG SWIMS WEEK GREECE
Mathraki is a very remote island in Greece and an incredible location for swimming. The Diapontia Islands (off the north west coast of Corfu) provide fantastic opportunities for inter island swims, island hops, circumnavigation and coastal exploration. This week is an ideal opportunity to up the swimming distances and complete up to 8km / day in these beautiful azure waters. We will also be attempting a 10km circumnavigation of Mathraki Island, followed by a celebratory meal at our own private taverna! If you are capable of swimming 2.5km / hour or above, and are keen to challenge yourself with some longer swim distances, then this is the week for you. Please remember that you are on holiday (!) and therefore if you want to take part in some or part of any of the swims that's fine by us. Just like our usual Mathraki weeks, there will still be plenty of time for relaxing too. Expect basic but comfortable accommodation on this quirky island, delicious home cooked food, and unbeatable Greek hospitality from our host family. For any other questions, or if you would like to chat to a member of SwimQuest staff about this long swims week, please contact the office.USEFUL INFORMATION:
- Sea temperature: approx. 18 – 22oC
- Daily swimming distance: 8km / day, broken down into two swims per day plus a 10km circumnavigation
- Swimming ability: This week is tailored to swimmers who are capable of swimming 2.5km / hour plus.
- Are non-swimmers welcome? Absolutely – non-swimmers are welcome to join the tour and take advantage of peaceful Mathraki, or sit on the boat with us, although please note the island is small and remote – so bring a book or three!
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Accommodation in a beach-side hotel (click to visit hotel website)
- Swimming, assisted by safety boats where required and always escorted by swim guide/s
- Breakfasts
- Traditional home-cooked lunches (except lunch on one day when we will eat in Arillas)
- Safety boats
- Swim guides
- SwimQuest dry bag and gift
- VAT
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Travel to and from Mathraki (guests are advised to fly into Corfu airport and meet at Agios Stefanos harbour for a 4pm crossing to Mathraki on the arrival day - see getting there tab for further details)
- Wetsuits and fins (if required)
- Evening meals and one lunch (when we will take you to a taverna in Arillas)
- Alcohol
- Single room supplement (see ACCOMMODATION tab)
where do we stay?
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.ROOM CHOICES
There are just seven rooms in the hotel. Unless you wish to opt for a sole use room supplement at £285, 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.- Psilos is a basic but comfortable twin share on the first floor, with air conditioning, and a shared balcony. There is a sea view and this room looks out to the southern side of the hotel.
- Varkoysa is a basic but comfortable twin share on the first floor, with air conditioning, and a shared balcony. There is a sea view and this room looks out to the southern side of the hotel.
- Diapolos (£50pp supplement) is a larger, triple room on the second floor. It contains a double bed and a comfortably sized sofa bed. Diapolos has air conditioning and sole use of a balcony. It looks out to the east, over the Diapolos islands. A great room for a couple.
- Diakopos (£215pp supplement for sole use of either room, with shared bathroom) is a family apartment, with a twin share room and a double room, both separated by a corridor, but sharing a bathroom. Each room has air con and a door out onto a large front facing balcony. Ideal for a couple and two friends, or a family.
- Karavi (£60pp supplement) is a triple room, with a separate double room and a sofa bed in a kitchenette. Great for a couple or a small family. Karavi has air conditioning in the double room only, and the double room has a door out onto the hotels large front-facing balcony.
- Plateia is a basic but comfortable double room on the top floor of the hotel, with air conditioning and a shared square balcony, which has a sea view.
- Trachia is a basic but comfortable twin room on the top floor of the hotel, with air conditioning and a shared square balcony, which has a sea view.
Your itinerary for the week is entirely based on the weather and your ability. On this page you will find some of the swims which you may complete during a long swims week on the island. Most days involve a morning and an afternoon swim, returning to the hotel for a home-cooked lunch in between. We do not provide a day by day swim itinerary as the guides will structure the week carefully to ensure you get the very best swimming in the conditions you have each day. We will aim to achieve one 10km swim - around the island of Mathraki if conditions permit.
TRACHIA ISLAND TO KODRAGAS (3.5KM - 4.5KM)
Trachia is a small island off the North coast of Mathraki. The locals say that many of the buildings on Mathraki island were made using stone from Trachia. A beautiful, otherworldly swim, especially when the sea is flat. Keep an eye out for Mathraki’s turtle as you near Kodragas harbour! This swim can be extended with a loop around Trachia, conditions allowing.PLATEIA ISLAND TO MATHRAKI (3.5KM - 4.5KM)
Another islet off the West coast of Mathraki Island, Plateia (meaning ‘table top’ in Greek) sits on the edge of a sea ledge, just before the sea floor shelves off into the deep starry blue. Frist swim around Plateia Island then cross back towards Mathraki’s southern coast, enjoying watching the rocks rise and fall beneath you.KARAVI ISLAND TO ARILLIS (3.5-4 KM)
Karavi sits just off the coast of Corfu. On this swim, we boat over to Corfu’s coast, swim along the length of Karavi’s imposing cliffs, and then make a swim crossing towards Arillis bay, where we usually stop for lunch on Corfu mainland (much to the amusement of Arillas’ holiday makers!)MATHRAKI TO KRAVIA ROCK (3KM)
From the hotel balconies, you can see a tooth shaped rock jutting out of the sea. On a very still day, this crossing is spectacular... fly along in the beautiful big blue and respect the ocean as you inch closer to the beautiful rock, before swimming in and around it’s arches and pebbles micro-beaches.DIAPOLOS EXPLORE TO KRAVIA ROCK - 3-4KM
The Diapolos Islands are ripe for exploring. Spend some time watching the fish and bobbing along Diakopos’ north bay (keep a beady eye out for octopus here) and peek inside the Diapolo caves before heading off towards tooth rock!MATHRAKI HOTEL TO HARBOUR - 4KM
Mathraki’s east coastline is a beautiful yellow-orange sand beach. Take your time to swim the from Mathraki Harbour back along the coast towards to hotel, in time for a well deserved ice cream at the finish!MATHRAKI WEST COAST 4km - 5KM
Mathraki’s west coast is more dramatic than the east coast, with tiny pebble beaches and striking white rocks. If the wind is coming in from the east, this is an ideal swim to complete in the calmer waters. Time to stretch into that stroke and enjoy.GETTING TO MATHRAKI ISLAND
TOUR START / FINISH TIMES
- We advise you land in Corfu around lunchtime on Saturday. 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 rather get to Agios Stefanos on your own, please meet us at Agios Stefanos harbour ON THE WEST SIDE OF Corfu for a 4pm crossing to Mathraki.
- Boat transfer from Mathraki: We will get you up early on Friday morning for an 8am crossing back to Corfu, so that you can catch at 11.20am flight should you wish (this tends to be the most popular flight our of Corfu on a Friday morning). Your swim guides can arrange a taxi to meet you at the harbour to take you back to the airport.
GETTING THERE
Although remote, we have chosen Mathraki as one of our locations because it is easily accessible. We appreciate that you want to spend less time travelling and more time swimming! The easiest method of travel is to fly into Corfu, get a taxi across to Agios Stefanos harbour (on the west side of Corfu - please note there are two Agios Stefanos on Corfu) and then get the Mathraki Sea Taxi to Mathraki Island.GETTING TO CORFU
Fly to Corfu
Flying to Corfu is a three-hour flight from the UK. Airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair provide regular flights from a variety of UK airports. Olympic Airlines provide flights from Greece to Corfu. For a variety of flight options we would recommend www.skyscanner.co.uk or www.kayak.co.uk.Ferry to Corfu
There are many ferries to Corfu from Italy (Bari, Brintezi and Ancona) and from mainland Greece at Igoumenitsia and Patra. Most stop at Corfu along with more local ferry services so for more information please check with Direct Ferries on www.directferries.co.uk.GETTING FROM CORFU TO MATHRAKI
Taxis from the airport to Agios Stefanos
We would recommend booking your transfer 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,Buses from the airport to Agios Stefanos
The 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.Mathraki Sea Taxi (run by our hotel)
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
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.What do I pack?
- At least 2 swimming costumes
- Wetsuit (optional) - our Partners at Zone3 offer a wide range of wetsuits, including the eco Yulex natural rubber range HERE and you get 20% OFF all full price Zone3 products with code : SWIMQUEST
- Swim fins (optional, although useful for additional speed and for technique drills if you have some)
- 2 pairs of swim goggles – 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)
- Small daypack/rucksack to use for your personal equipment/clothing during the day (note you will receive a SwimQuest dry bag)
- Sandals/aqua shoes / flip flops – for getting wet
- Insect repellent
- Fleece or warm jumper
- Sun hat, sun cream and sunglasses
- A waterproof watch (optional)
- A memory stick should you wish to take your video analysis home with you immediately
- Travel insurance details
- Trainers / sports gear (optional - if you like to run, there is a lovely 8-10km hill loop around the island – non guided, at your own risk)
Reading suggestions:
The Magus John Fowles
On a remote Greek Island, Nicholas Urfe finds himself embroiled in the deceptions of a master trickster. As reality and illusion intertwine, Urfe is caught up in the darkest of psychological games. Fowles expertly unfolds a tale that is lush with over-powering imagery in a spellbinding exploration of human complexities. By turns disturbing, thrilling and seductive, The Magus, like Mathraki, is a feast for the mind and the senses.My Family and Other Animals Gerald Durrell
If you haven’t read this already, this is a perfect opportunity. Just before the Second World War the Durrell family decamped to the glorious, sun-soaked island of Corfu where the youngest of the four children, ten-year-old Gerald, discovered his passion for animals: toads and tortoises, bats and butterflies, scorpions and octopuses. Through glorious silver-green olive groves and across brilliant-white beaches Gerry pursued his obsession, causing hilarity and mayhem in his ever-tolerant family.Calling all artists!
Bring your paints! There will be sufficient downtime to have a dabble, and we are working up a nice collection of Mathraki art now, the island seems to inspire people...what is mathraki like?
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.LONG SWIMS | 28 JuNE - 4 JULY 2025 | BOOK NOW | ENQUIRE
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:
- Sarah Broadley | +44 7917 033670 | sarah@swimquest.uk.com
- Charlie Beere | +44 7563 389238 | charlotte@swimquest.uk.com
- Alice Todd | +44 7825 301443 | alice@swimquest.uk.com