from £1,270 | dates: 17-23 July 2021 (8 places left) | 24-30 July 2021 (7 places left)
improve your technique with coaching from olympian dan wallace, and put your new skills into practice with exploratory swims around the stunning diapontia archipelago, just off corfu. suitable for all abilities.

Swimming to a secret beach ...
about Dan Wallace

Dan's international career spans across two World Championships, two Commonwealth Games and one Olympic Games, winning medals at all major international competitions. The highlights of his career have been winning an Olympic Silver Medal for Team GB as part of the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle and claiming Gold in the Men’s 400m Individual Medley at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Dan now runs his own swim coaching business, The Swim Experience.
ABOUT MATHRAKI
A remote island to the west of Corfu, Mathraki has a population of just 50 inhabitants. It is one of the three sleepy Diapontia Islands, which have only been inhabited from the mid 19th Century due to piracy. With the pirates long gone, 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.TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- A remote Greek island with just one hotel (which we fill with lovely swimmers!)
- Technique coaching from Olympic Medallist Dan Wallace
- A series of fascinating seminars
- A great variety of coastal, inter-island and exploration swims
- Wonderful Greek hospitality with delicious home cooked food
- Compulsory ‘bouts' of chill time
- A mid-week BBQ with the island villagers
USEFUL INFORMATION:
- Sea temperature: 22-26oC
- Daily swimming distance: 1-3km / day, building up throughout the week (don’t worry about distances, we will look after you - swim as much or as little as you wish)
- Swimming ability: all abilities welcome
- 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
- Technique coaching, stroke filming
- Seminars
- Breakfasts
- Traditional home-cooked lunches (except lunch on one day when we will eat in Arillas, weather permitting)
- Safety boats
- Swim guides
- SwimQuest dry bag and swim cap
- VAT
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Travel to and from Mathraki (guests are advised to fly into Corfu airport and meet at Agios Stefanos harbour (on the west coast) 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 (we run an honesty bar system)
- Single room supplement (see ACCOMMODATION tab for details)
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 single supplement at £200,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 (£50pp 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 (£20pp supplement) 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.
itinerary
Our weekly itinerary will be governed by the weather, and is liable to change. Below provides a guide to a typical week. Your swim guides will structure the week carefully to ensure you get the very best swimming experiences taking into account the conditions. Most days involve a technique session in the morning and an afternoon swim, returning to the hotel for a home-cooked lunch in between. You can do as little or as much swimming as you like and if you’d like to swim only part of any swim, just let the guides know and you can hop back on the boat and just relax. As part of your stroke analysis from Dan, you will be filmed at the start of the week both above and below the water. dan and your swim guides will work with you to analyse your stroke, helping you to improve as the week progresses. You can of course take the footage home with you.SATURDAY

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

WHAT DO I PACK?
At least 2 swimming costumes
- Wetsuit (optional)
- 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
- 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 swimming holiday, simply fill in the booking form below. Once you have submitted the form, Charlotte (our bookings co-ordinator) will be in touch to request payment and to help you with any additional requirements.
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.If you are looking for a travel insurance policy, we love worldnomads.com because they make choosing the right policy as painless as possible. Click here for more information >