THE ISLES OF SCILLY – RELAX & EXPLORE WEEK

Limited availability: June 23 – 29 2021 (SOLD OUT)
 Price: £1,190 for a shared room or  £1,490 for single room

your scilly swimming adventure

After a fantastic inaugural trip to the Isles of Scilly in 2019, and the sell-out Scilly Swim Challenge, we are delighted to be returning  to this enchanting archipelago this summer 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.

SwimQuest Scilly Islands

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 8-10 swimmers, staying in Christmas House on St Mary.

IS THIS FOR ME?

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 5During 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.  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 likeminded 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 £1,190pp
  • This trip is ideal for anyone looking for a swim vacation with a combination of swimming, wonderful food and time to relax.
  • This trip runs from Wednesday - Tuesday ( 6 nights)
  • 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 10
  • Water temperature is between 13-15oC
  • Everything is included except 2 evening meals, and lunch on one of the days when we will eat at a local restaurant.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?  

  • Six night’s accommodation in Christmas House, based in a twin share or double share room. Private room supplements are available for £350. Please see accommodation tab for more details
  • Lunches (except lunch on one day when we will take you to a local cafe)
  • Dinners (except on two evenings when we will eat out locally)
  • 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 10L SwimQuest dry bag and a SwimQuest swim cap
  • VAT
The only costs that are not covered are your travel to and from St Mary's, any alcohol purchases, 2 x evening meals, lunch on one day, wetsuit hire (please bring your own wetsuit if you would like to swim in one), a private room supplement should you wish to take a room of your own, and any additional items or activities you wish to participate in outside of the tour schedule.

about CHRISTMAS HOUSE

Christmas House sits on Garrison Farm, with beautiful private gardens and fantastic views.  Hugh Town, the quay, beaches and amenities are a short walk away.

ROOM OPTIONS

The accommodation options are below, please let us know your room preference when booking. Please note these rooms share a bathroom, plus there is an extra toilet in the house. Both double rooms have a washbasin.
It is only the family room which has its own en-suite.
Unfortunately, due to Covid guidance, we are unable to pair you up with another guest to share a twin room. Sharing rooms must be booked by two passengers travelling together.

DOUBLE ROOM

Double share £1,190pp Sole use £1,490pp

DOUBLE ROOM

Double share £1,190pp Sole use £1,490pp

TWIN ROOM

Twin share £1,190pp Sole use £1,490pp

FAMILY ROOM (DOUBLE + 2 SINGLES + ENSUITE)

Double share £1,650pp Triple share £990pp

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.

WEDNESDAY

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 4We will meet you at Christmas House 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 on the terrace with a chance to get to know fellow guests.

THURSDAY

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 6This morning we complete a fabulous 1.5 - 2km swim, starting by the east coast of Gugh and making our way to Woolpack Point and then on into Porthcressa Bay where we will finish the swim on the beach. After lunch on St Mary’s, we will complete a 1.5km swim in the bay at Porth Cressa, with the stunning coastline of St Mary’s to our left.

FRIDAY

Scilly SwimQuestWe will start the day with a short 1km inter-island crossing from Cromwell’s Castle on Tresco, passing Hangman Island and finishing at Annaquay. 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.

SATURDAY

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 1Starting from just outside our cottages, this  morning we will complete a 2km swim from Tresco to Tean. We will start the swim from Northward on Tresco near the slipway and make our way in between St Helen’s Island and Foremans Island finishing near Old Man Bay, with the option to extend to Coldge point if morale is soaring! In the afternoon, we will swim from Tean to St Martins - a beautiful swim with lots of outcrop islands to the south.

SUNDAY

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 5This morning we will start at Higher Town on St Martin’s and finish at Bar Point on St Mary's. This is a fantastic 3km inter island swim (swim as much or as little as you wish).  After lunch, we will head to the Eastern Isles - impressive uninhabited islands. We will make our way to the south west of Great Ganilly Island and swim in the bay which is often populated with seals.

monday

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 2This morning we will complete a beautiful coastal swim around  St Agnes (1-2km). After lunch, enjoy an afternoon at leisure back on St Mary's and a chance to relax at the cottage or explore on foot.

tuesday

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 Wednesday afternoon at 1pm. The trip finishes on Tuesday morning at 9.30am, usually after a leisurely dip and breakfast.

BY 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 and to book your flights and Tresco transfer, 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

SwimQuest Scilly Swimming Holiday 4

Don’t forget your camera!

In addition to your everyday clothing and personal travel items, we would also recommend packing:
  • At least two swimming costumes
  • A wetsuit should you wish to wear one
  • Two pairs of swim goggles
  • Swim ear plugs if you are used to wearing them
  • 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 Adventure Scilly).

READY TO BOOK?

SwimQuest ABTOT MembersWe’re excited about meeting you on tour. To book your Scilly Adventure, 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. A deposit of 30% is required to secure your place, and the final payment is due 8 weeks prior to departure. Payments can be made by debit / credit card, by cheque, or by bank transfer.

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SwimQuest ABTOT Members 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

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 >