Greek Sporades - SwimTrek

Greek Sporades

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Tour Itinerary

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Day 1
Friday
After your arrival on Alonissos you will have a chance to relax before meeting in the evening at the hotel directly overlooking the sea for a welcome drink and pre-trip safety briefing in which the week’s plan will be discussed in more detail.

Day 2
Saturday (Southern Alonissos Coastal)
Prior to breakfast we meet at the hotel and use the steps that lead directly into the sea for the acclimatisation swim. Following breakfast we swim out from the hotel towards Alonissos’s southern point of Marpounta. The coastline along the way is craggy with lots of inlets and bays to explore. After lunch taken on the beach we continue with our coastal swimming journey as we head to Cape Kókkino Lighthouse below the imposing peak of Mount Kalóvoulos. Later we have the chance to review underwater video from the day and offer stroke analysis.

Day 3
Sunday (Skopelos Coastal)
We travel by boat to the stunning south eastern coastline of Skopelos, passing the crossing from Skopelos to Alonissos that we will undertake later in the week. The coastal swimming here is superb and it is far from any of the population centres. The longer morning swim finishes at the idyllic Stafylos Bay, popular with locals in the summer. The afternoon carries on with a shorter coastal swim finishing at the small hamlet of Agnontas Bay.

Day 4
Monday (Skopelos to Alonissos)
This is the day for our first crossing of the week as we travel to Eastern Skopelos and embark on the 4km crossing to Cape Kókkino on Alonissos via the 2 islands of Agihos Georgios and the smaller one of Mikro. It’s possible to see old ruins and olive trees on this island as you swim past. This stretch is a common place to spot dolphins. The afternoon is at your leisure and this gives you time to explore other parts of the island or go further afield. This afternoon also provides the opportunity to attend a talk by local marine biologists who work for the National Marine Park of Alonissos.

Day 5
Tuesday (Peristera)
We travel to the small harbour of Steni Vala on Alonissos’s east coast and undertake our 2nd crossing of the week as we swim to the uninhabited island of Peristera which offers protection to Alonissos’s east coast. There is some walking across the island as we journey to sandy Livadhakia Bay where our support boats meet us to swim to Lechousa Island and then onto Cape Grengháli at the northern tip of Alonissos.

Day 6
Wednesday (National Marine Park)
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip as we journey to Kyra Panagia in the heart of the Marine Park. Kyra Panagia has belonged to the Athonite monastery of Megisti Lavra since it was granted the island in 963. We swim into the stunning bay of Aghios Petros. On arrival we walk along a quiet track which hugs the islands east coast as we travel to the monastery. After time to relax we carry on a short distance to a small bay where we complete a coastal swim around the island’s northern coast.

Day 7
Thursday
We have our farewell swim from in front of the hotel which gives us a chance to say goodbye to each other and the beautiful waters of the Sporades. This is also an opportunity for the guides to give you any last minute technique advice to take with you.

Weather Caveat

For obvious safety reasons we rely on decent weather conditions when carrying out any swims. As a consequence, open water swimming does require an inherent degree of on-trip flexibility, so required changes in the planned itinerary will not be uncommon and will undoubtedly add to the uniqueness of each tour.

Swimming Conditions

Swimming in the sea is a fantastic experience but you need to be aware that certain marine life such as jellyfish, sea urchins and coral could be present during the swims. In all cases we will work on reducing your contact with these creatures.
However if you suffer from anaphylaxis please consult the office prior to booking.

Image Gallery

Dramatic Sporades Coastline

Sporades Beach

Sporades Cove

Paradise Terraces

Olive Trees

Swimmer Underwater

Birds eye of Sporades

Swimming in a group

Flag of SwimTrek

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Tour Highlights

Swim in the protected waters of Europe’s largest Marine Park

Traverse down Skopelos’s remote eastern coastline

Island hop between the islands of Alonissos, Agihos Georgios, Mikro & Skopelos in a unique 4km swim

Meet local Marine Park scientists to find out more about the wildlife in these restricted waters

Be immersed in the geographic isolation of the Eastern Sporades

Accommodation

Paradise Hotel Alonissos

The Paradise Hotel is built on a hillside and features lovely views towards the islands of Peristera and Dio Adelfia. Built in traditional Greek style, with white-washed walls and burnt orange roof tiles, it provides relaxing and comfortable accommodation.

Guides

Maureen Corcoran

Maureen grew up in rural South Island in New Zealand. Always interested in sports and travel, she has spent the last 12 years away from her homeland working mostly in Australia and Europe, and along the way gained qualifications and experience in teaching swimming and scuba diving.

Greek Sporades Overview

Trip Schedule