Kalymnos is located within the group of islands known as The Dodecanese, 340km south east of Athens. It is famous for sponge diving and rock climbing. It is typical of the Greek islands of the Aegean sea offering good food, beautiful beaches, inexpensive hotels and with friendly and hospitable locals.
PACKAGE
The trip is designed for intermediate to advanced swimmers.
The package starts from $ 2050 AUD for 8 days and includes the following:
accommodation in triple share rooms (7 nights)
All ocean swims – accompanied by support crew
1-2 stroke correction pool session(s)
All breakfasts & 4 lunches
Water, snacks and energy drinks during day
What the package does not include:
Return flights to Kalymnos Island, Greece
Any additional accommodation outside the 7 nights included in trip
Dinner and some lunches
Travel insurance (please see below)
Pocket money
Local transport
GETTING THERE
There are direct flights from Sydney to Athens with a number of international airlines.
From Athens, Olympic Airways flies directly to Kalymnos. Journey time is 1 hour and there is usually 1 flight per day.
You can also fly from Athens or Munich to the nearby island of Kos and then take a ferry from Mastichari Port, 10mins from the airport, to Pothia on Kalymnos. Ferry journey times are 20 min (fast ferry) or 45 min (slow ferry) and there are 6-10 services each day. Please note that ferry prices and schedules change frequently and should be checked online.
Travel time from Kalymnos airport to Masouri is 9mins (6.8Km) and it takes about 12 min (8.5Km) from Pothia port to Masouri.
Useful links:
Olympic Airways: www.olympicair.com
Ferry Timetables: www.directferries.co.uk
Travel to and from Kalymnos is to be organised by the individual. Please ensure that your arrival date to Kalymnos is on or before 6pm on Sat. 7th September. Departures should be booked to leave after midday on Saturday 14th
September.
MEALS
Breakfast is provided by the hotel every morning. 4 lunches are included in the trip costs but dinners are excluded.
You should budget around 10 EUR for lunch and 15 EUR for dinner excluding drinks. You can bring your own (BYO) alcohol to the Island.
INSURANCE
It is important to arrange appropriate travel insurance for the trip to include sports activities. It is essential that long distance open water swimming is covered, which you may find comes with an extra surcharge if deemed an extreme sport by your provider. Whilst we do not recommend a travel insurance provider, Cover-More provides suitable cover for open water swimming. http://www.covermore.com.au/skiing-other-activities.
Elena Village
Now all that is left, is to relax.
Welcome to Elena Village, a remote paradise with an amazing view. Elena Village is for you who enjoys a quiet getaway, with room to explore a beautiful Greek island. Enjoy the amazing weather, the nearby restaurants and the natural beaches.
Each room in Elena Village is of course facing the beautiful island of Telendos. They all have what is needed in order for your to properly relax.
Wake up, step out on the porch and enjoy the ambient sound of the waterfall.
A phenomenal view
All rooms are equipped with your very own balcony overlooking the beautiful island of Telendos. Equipped with a table and chairs you are all ready to enjoy a sunny morning or a quiet evening on your very own balcony overlooking the always calm waters of the Aegean sea.
A liberating workout
There is nothing worse than stressing over a missing workout. At Elena Village we are aware of this and have equipped our resort with a fully functional gym. If you aren’t up for lifting weights or using machines, there are many other opportunities to keep up shape. Bring your running shoes; The island of Kalymnos offers some of the most beautiful sceneries for both running, bicycling and swimming. Those who dare can even go rock climbing.
Wireless internet access
Wi-fi is of course offered to all of our guests. We have placed a hotspot in the reception and pool-bar areas for you to access at all times. Even though we hope for our guests to relax and leave home for their stay, we realise that we all need some sort of contact with home. Even if it’s just a facebook update to let your loved ones know that you are in paradise.
Kitchenette
Each room is equipped with a small kitchenette, should you feel like staying in.
Safe deposit box
To make sure, you can leave your room without worries. Every room is equipped with a complimentary safe deposit box.
Mini Market
In order for us to better suit your needs, we have a mini market, offering daily groceries, at your disposal.
WEATHER
Air Temperature: 19°c (av. low) - 28°c (av. high). September is one of the driest months and is usually very sunny.
Sea Temperature: 21 - 24°c
Marine Life: whilst there were no stingers or jellyfish in September 2012, be prepared that there might be some. Sea urchins are also common. You may therefore wish to bring appropriate clothing and footwear such as rash vests and aquashoes with you (see recommended list below) and be careful where you tread.
WHAT TO BRING
The following is a guide to what you should bring in your day pack:
- 2 pairs of swim wear (including bikinis for ladies)
- 2 pairs of goggles (one pair with tinted lenses)
- Towel
- Wetsuit and/or rash vest
- Fins
- Hat or visor
- Sun cream
- Sun Glasses
- Warm clothes
- Aquashoes and/or walking shoes
- Energy drinks/bars
- Camera
- Medication
Since open water swimming is affected by a number of factors, the following schedule is to be used as a guide only and may change according to the weather conditions etc.
DAY 1:
An introductory meeting will take place at the Plaza Hotel in the evening followed by dinner. For those arriving in the morning, an optional stroke correction pool session will be available in the afternoon.
DAY 2:
The day will start with a short orientation swim prior to breakfast at the hotel.
Following this we will cross to the nearby island of Telendos by boat before enjoying a gentle (2 – 3km) swim along the island’s coast.
After lunch on the island, we will complete the first crossing of the trip, swimming from Telendos island back to the beach at Massouri (2 km).
Total distance - up to 5Km
Type - island to beach swim and coastal swim
DAY 3:
A more challenging day of swimming sees us travel by boat to Arginonta from where we will swim to Emporios via the uninhabited island of Kalavros (5km). Following lunch we will enjoy a shorter afternoon swim near Emporios before returning to Massouri for a well-earned dinner
Total Distance - up to 8Km
Type - coastal swim
DAY 4:
Designed as a recovery day, there will be an optional early morning stroke correction class before an opportunity to explore the island at your own leisure. Options include visiting the local museums and places of interest and a scenic walk to the caves.
Total Distance - 1-2Km
DAY 5:
Refreshed from the recovery day, this will be the longest swim day of the week starting with a 5 km swim from Massouri to Panormos. After lunch and rest at Panormos, we will then swim back via a shorter 4km route
Total Distance - up to 10Km
Type - coastal swim
DAY 6:
The last full day of swimming sees us taking a day trip to Plati Nisida where we will have a chance to explore the beautiful beaches before swimming to the nearby island of Pserimos (3km). After a local lunch and look around, we will stop for a swim along the south coast of Kalymnos on our way home.
Total Distance - up to 5Km
Type - island to island
DAY 7:
Surprise DAY - swimming included
DAY 8:
We start our last half day with a relaxed swim at a local beach followed by a fun, farewell gathering at the Hotel pool.
A picture of Kalymnos
Vathis, the Mediterranean. Picture a valley with narrow winding lanes, with lush farms of citrus and olives, flanked by mountains on both sides. At the foot of this valley is an inlet leading out to the Aegean Sea. We arrive at Vathis bay and thought what a gem. There are a couple of casual cafes along the water, a couple of moored yachts, and just us. We are the only ones here to swim in the crystal clear sea surrounded by the rugged landscape, so relaxing and so peaceful. We swim out for a couple of kilometres hugging the coastline. The water is comfortable at 24-25 degrees, there are no jellies and the conditions are safe with almost zero boat traffic. Along the way we swim over a few sea sponges on the ocean floor, memories of an industry that once thrived on Kalymnos. Further along, we swim over a large mortar shell probably a remnant from WWII. A little ahead, we swim pass a lonesome house maybe a fisherman’s cottage.
Vathis is one of the many ideal swimming nooks along the jagged and irregular coastline of Kalymnos. The oddly shaped island means whichever direction the wind blows that day, it is possible to find a swimming location away from the wind. This characteristic of Kalymnos complemented by its road network makes the island very adaptable for open water swimming.
We finished our holiday escape on Kalymnos with a mini island crossing from Emporios to Kalavros. From the water, every few hundred metres exposed a different picturesque panorama of islands when I turned to take a breath. I could have swum all day to enjoy the scenery. With boat support, it would have been possible to compose long swims between the islands and around them.
Out of the water, Kalymnos is a climbing Mecca. After a couple of hours with a certified instructor, I was on top of the world looking overlooking the blue ocean from the sheer limestone cliffs. Outdoor rock climbing here is a must-do. There were so many adventure activities like diving and kayaking and so little time.
In the heat of the middle of the day, we sheltered in the restaurant gardens and enjoyed local hospitality and sumptuous home-style cooking like zucchini and fetta fritters. The locals are easy going whether it’s in laid back Emporios, humming port town Pothea or colourful Masouri. At the end of the day we kicked back with a glass of wine, watched the sun set over the islands, and planned the next day’s swim.
By Julia Fung
HOW TO BOOK
https://vladswim.com.au/shop/kalymnos-island-swim-camp/
Thank you
Your swim adventure team