SwimTrek are already busy researching new and exciting trips for next year. So, last month Simon Murie was joined by some seasoned SwimTrekkers to test a new location and here is the report from Naomi Branston as to how it went.
If you think of the coast on the Southern half of the Iberian peninsula, what comes to mind? High-rise hotels? Pallid northern-Europeans in deckchairs overdoing the sun on their first day of the holiday? Or more happily, guaranteed sunshine and golden beaches?
Maybe. However, if you’re an open-water swimmer, you also get to see the secret bits of the coast that the banana-boats definitely don’t reach. In the case of SwimTrek’s latest new tour, that includes stunning stretches of cliffs made almost entirely of seashells that have been compacted over millions of years. These honey-coloured crags have hidden caves which are only accessible from the sea as well as rock-pools, natural arches, rock-stacks and underground beaches that you can explore at your leisure, the wet way. Parts of the coast-line feel as if no human has ever set foot there before; being the first to tread on a beach that has been freshly washed by the tide could bring out the Robinson Crusoe in anybody (in a good way – growing a straggly beard and adopting a parrot is optional).
The water is warm and clear and the expertise of the local guides in their traditional wooden boats means that the trip is great for both experienced open-water swimmers and those who are new to the sport. You can intersperse the swimming with lazing around on long stretches of fine sand (with the occasional fossil lying on the shore, just begging to be collected), exploring local markets and the hidden towns and countryside in the hills behind the coast not to mention consuming fabulous fresh fish and other local delicacies – all the ingredients for a perfect break. We are still in the process of finalising this fantastic new trip so we are not quite ready to give you all the information, but keep an eye on the newsletter in the next couple of months, as we will shortly announce where this secret location is!
