2025 Dates: Friday 27 June – Thursday 3 July
Prices from: £1,769pp
your scilly swimming adventure
We are delighted to be returning to this enchanting archipelago for a leisurely week of swimming and exploring these stunning isles. Your SwimQuest Guides will be working alongside the experts at Adventure Scilly to show you the very best swimming the Isles of Scilly have to offer. This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a truly wonderful and rewarding place to swim, with many possibilities across the five inhabited islands and many hundreds of other isles and rocky outcrops. You will swim along the coast and from island to island, accompanied and encouraged all the way.
about the isles of scilly
The Isles of Scilly lie just off the coast of Cornwall in southwest England. The islands are covered in heathland, and fringed by bright white sandy beaches. On this trip you will be part of a small group of 10-12 swimmers, staying in Mincarlo on St Mary's. Mincarlo is the perfect base for this trip: right in the heart of the islands, overlooking stunning harbour views and with its very own sauna.IS THIS FOR ME?
During the week, we will complete two swims a day. Swims will be a mixture of island-to-island crossings and coastal swims. You should be comfortable swimming in open water, and should be prepared for the cold water temperatures. It is fine to swim with or without a wetsuit, however if you are swimming without - please ensure you have acclimatised beforehand (water likely to be around 14-16oC). Ideally you should have some open water experience and be able to swim at least one kilometre in the sea. If you’re unsure, please don’t hesitate to contact the office for a chat. This trip is ideal for anyone looking for a magical week away, with a combination of swimming, wonderful food and time to relax amongst like-minded swimmers. Throughout the week, you are more than welcome to swim both or just complete one swim a day – it is your holiday.
AT A GLANCE
- Places available from £1,769pp
- This trip is ideal for anyone looking for a swim vacation with a combination of swimming, wonderful food and time to relax.
- Non-swimmers are welcome to join the trip and can be on the boat if they wish. A 10% discount is offered to non-swimmers.
- Max group size 12
- Water temperature is between 14-16oC
- Everything is included except evening meals, and lunch on one of the days when we will eat at a local restaurant.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Six night’s accommodation at Mincarlo, based in a twin share or double share room. Private rooms are available. Please see the Accommodation tab for more details on rooms and supplements.
- Breakfasts and packed lunches (except lunch on one day when we will take you to a local cafe)
- All transport to and from swim starts
- A fully guided swimming itinerary, based on two swims a day
- Qualified SwimQuest Guide/s
- Safety boats as required
- Optional stroke video analysis and one-to-one swim coaching sessions (conditions permitting)
- A SwimQuest swim cap and gift
- Two sauna sessions during the week
- Optional yoga session, led by Bryony Lishman
- VAT
- ABTOT Financial Protection
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Travel to and from St Mary's
- Alcohol purchases
- Evening meals
- Lunch on one day
- Wetsuit hire (please bring your own wetsuit if you would like to swim in one)
- Private room supplement should you wish to take a room of your own
- Any additional items or activities you wish to participate in outside of the tour schedule
about MINCARLO
Owned and run by Bryony Lishman, Mincarlo is a fantastic B&B on St Mary's, with sea views, comfortable rooms and delicious and plentiful breakfasts, plus its very own sauna. Enjoy Mincarlo’s peaceful location overlooking Town Beach and St Mary’s harbour, with private steps down to the beach for those eager early morning dippers.
ROOM OPTIONS
Mincarlo has 11 light and airy rooms within the guesthouse. All are kept beautifully clean and fresh, each with its own ensuite bathroom. Most rooms have sea views, though not all. Sea view rooms face West and offer maximum potential for sunset watching and harbour goings on - there's always something to see (binoculars are provided!)
- 2025 pricing starts from £1,769
- 2026 pricing starts from £1,799
THE ITINERARY
N.B. Please note, this is a rough guide to the week. We will adapt the week carefully for each individual and the prevailing weather and tides. All swim activities are planned with safety as the paramount concern. Swim distances are adaptable and we can deal with a mixture of abilities on this tour.DAY ONE
We will meet you at Mincarlo and allow time to settle into your room. After which, we will complete a safety-briefing, before a short acclimatisation swim in the local bay. In the evening (weather permitting) we will enjoy dinner at Mincarlo with a chance to get to know fellow guests.
day two
We will start the day with a short 1km inter-island crossing from Cromwell’s Castle on Tresco, passing Hangman Island and finishing at Annaquay, Bryher. In the afternoon, we will swim 1.5km, from Rushy Bay to the sandy bar on the east end of Samson. The beaches are sandy and beautiful - stretch out and enjoy this stunning water.
day three
We will start the day with an inter-island swim between Tresco and St Martins - a beautiful swim with lots of outcrop islands to the south. On arrival, we will enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach. In the afternoon, we will swim along the coast of Tresco where there is some beautiful views beneath the surface of the water.
day four
This morning we will swim along the coast of St Marys before heading off towards the Eastern Isles - impressive uninhabited islands. After a lunch stop on Little Arthur Beach we will make our way to the south west of Great Ganilly Island and swim in the bay which is often populated with seals.
day five
This morning we will complete a beautiful coastal swim along St Agnes (1-2km). After lunch, enjoy an afternoon at leisure back on St Mary's and a chance to relax at Mincarlo, use the sauna, explore on foot or enjoy some 1:1 coaching.
day six
This morning we complete a fabulous 1.5 - 2km swim, along St. Martins shore. After lunch , we will complete a 1.5km swim in PendleBay, Tresco before returning to St. Mary's for a well earned sauna.
day seven
A short pre-breakfast swim in the local bay and then after breakfast it is time to prepare for the onward journey home.TRAVEL & TIMINGS
This trip officially begins on Friday afternoon at 1pm. The trip finishes on Thursday morning at 9.30am, usually after a leisurely dip and breakfast. Accommodation: Mincarlo, Carn Thomas, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0PTBY PLANE
Skybus flies to the St Mary's all year round from Land’s End and Newquay, and from Exeter between March and November. Your Skybus flight takes just 15 minutes from Land’s End to St. Mary’s, 30 minutes from Newquay Airport, and from Exeter it’s an hour. You’ll travel in an 8 or 19-seater plane. For more information on flying to the Isles of Scilly, click here or call +44 (0)1736 334220. If you have any problems booking your travel, please do not hesitate to call the Island Office on +44 (0)1720 422849, The Isles of Scilly travel team will be happy to help.BY FERRY
It is also possible to book a 2 hour 45 minute ferry from Penzance to St. Mary’s, on board the Scillonian III. The Scillonian III runs between March and November six days a week, seven in high season. Generally speaking (exceptionally low tides withstanding), it leaves Penzance at 9.15am arriving in Scilly at 12 noon. It then leaves Scilly at 16.30 arriving in Penzance at 19.10pm. For more information on getting to the Isles of Scilly by boat, click here or call +44 (0)1736 334220.WHAT TO PACK
Don’t forget your camera!
- At least two swimming costumes
- A wetsuit should you wish to wear one - 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
- Two pairs of swim goggles
- Swim ear plugs if you are used to wearing them
- 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
- A beach / swim towel (the villa provides room towels)
- Sandals, aqua shoes or flip flops which you would be happy to get wet if necessary
- Warm clothes - although we have ordered the sunshine well in advance, it’s not always like the glorious pictures on our website, so please do bring warm clothes and layers for after your swims!
- Suncream, sunhat and sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Comfortable sportswear (optional - running / stretching / yoga)
- Dryrobe / equivalent (if the luggage limit makes brining bulky items difficult - Dryrobes are available to hire for £50 per week from Mincarlo).
READY TO BOOK?
We’re excited about meeting youin Scilly. 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.SCILLY ADVENTURE | 27 June - 3 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
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
