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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Diakopos (£215pp supplement for sole use of either room, with shared bathroom) is a family apartment, with a twin share room (Room 4a) and a double room (Room 4b), 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

swimming in mathraki

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 Relax & Explore week on the island. Most days involve a morning and an afternoon swim, returning to the hotel for a home-cooked lunch in between. If you are keen to participate in some but not all of a swim, that’s fine, let the guides know and you can hop back on the boat and just relax. 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.

Technique coaching

Technique coaching is an important part of the week and is provided by your swim guides on every trip. You will be filmed at the start of the week from below and above the water, and the guides will work with you to analyse your stroke so that they can help you to improve as the week progresses.  You can of course take the footage home with you.

TRACHIA ISLAND TO KODRAGAS (2.5KM - 3.5KM)

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 (2.5KM - 3.5KM)

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. Swim from Plateia Island 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 - 2KM

The Diapolos Islands are ripe for exploring. Spend 30 minutes with your hat and goggles watching the fish and bobbing along Diakopos’ north bay (keep a beady eye out for octopus here) and then make a short crossing to Diapolo and take a peek inside the caves.

MATHRAKI HOTEL TO HARBOUR - 2.5KM

Mathraki’s east coastline is a beautiful yellow-orange sand beach. Take your time to swim the 2.5km from Mathraki Harbour back along the coast towards to hotel, in time for a well deserved ice cream at the finish!

MATHRAKI WEST COAST 2KM - 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.

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. Boat transfer to Mathraki: Meet at Agios Stefanos harbour for a 4pm crossing on the Saturday 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).

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, use the website www.corfuholidaytaxi.com or call 0030 6972767803. Tell them you are going to Mathraki with the swimmers, they will wait for you at the airport. 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.

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?

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.

Relax & Explore  |  24-30 May 2025   | Book Now |  ENQUIRE

Relax & Explore |  7-13 June 2025  |  Book Now |  ENQUIRE

Short Swims  |  14-20 June 2025  |  BOOK NOW  |  ENQUIRE

Short Swims  |  21-27 June 2025  |  BOOK NOW  |  ENQUIRE

LONG SWIMS  |  28 JuNE - 4 JULY 2025  | BOOK NOW |  ENQUIRE

Relax & Explore  |  5-11 July 2025  |  BOOK NOW |  ENQUIRE

Short Swims  |  12-18 July 2025  |  BOOK NOW  |  ENQUIRE

Relax & Explore  |  19-25 July 2025  |  BOOK NOW |  ENQUIRE

TECH & EXPLORE | 26 JUL - 1 AUG 2025 | BOOK NOW | ENQUIRE

Relax & Explore  |  30 Aug - 5 Sept 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

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