I’m a keen swimmer, but have watched the rising popularity of wild swimming – in rivers, lakes and sea – with bemusement, mainly because to me, deep, cold water is plain scary. Then I came across The Big Blue, a holiday firm offering swim trips in Lefkada, Greece. Clear, warm blue seas held a different appeal altogether.
So I found myself travelling to the Ionian Sea to see whether I could be converted. My fellow 11 swimmers and I were based at Ilios Club Hotel & Villas in the fishing village of Yemi, and each day, after breakfast, we’d meet swim guide Mia on the nearby jetty and she would take us out in a rigid inflatable to The Big Blue’s boat, Mowgli, a 15-metre mahogany motor yacht.
The group’s ages ranged from 23 to 70, and I don’t think any of us had completed the six-week training programme sent to us beforehand, which was good news for me. Even so, in the first ride out in Mowgli, there was a lot of talk among the guys about “times” and who was going to be fastest. I tried not to listen. Having two older brothers has made me competitive, but I didn’t want to race around the islands: I wanted to take my time and enjoy my surroundings.
We were split into three groups, by ability, and I found that I enjoyed the boat rides almost as much as the swims. Motoring slowly out of the clear waters of Vlicho Bay with a backdrop of islands made a welcome change to manic London life.
Swimming in British lakes and rivers had its heyday in the 1930s, but postwar municipal pools and concerns about pollution saw its popularity wane. So why has it now become one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK?
Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society, says: “Swimming in the wild appeals to people because of its simplicity. In our first year, we had 300 members; now, 10 years on, we have 26,000.”
Lisa Stansbie, co-founder of The Big Blue, agrees: “I think the notion of reconnecting with the ‘wild’ is a great antidote to city dwelling.”
Each day we would chug out to a beautiful island and, in groups, swim around the coast or to another island. Mornings usually saw a longer swim – about 3km. After that we’d have lunch and a taverna break, before boarding Mowgli for the next swim, usually 2km.
I was beginning to understand what the fuss was about. The surroundings were gorgeous, and I could see why Lisa and partner Michael Koumbouzis had chosen this area. “Michael wanted to set something up in his homeland,” Lisa says, “and encourage others to enjoy the land and seascapes of Greece.”
Lefkada, with its light winds, calm seas, rich sea life and stunning coastline, seemed perfect. Among the highlights was a swim to the cave of Papanikolis on Meganisi island, said to have been a hideaway for a Greek navy submarine during the second world war. We swam right into the cave’s mouth, on to a small shingle beach.
Another highlight was a long (5km) swim on the sixth day. We’d been building up for this all week and there was a definite air of apprehension as we set off for the island of Kastos. We needn’t have worried. Mia recommended a drinks break every 25 minutes – which would work out to be about every kilometre. This was a great idea, and despite having to tread water while Stavros, my group’s guide, threw down bottles of water, juice or mouthwash (to help combat the taste of salt water), it did feel like a break.
The coast of Kastos is rugged, its tall white cliffs beautiful to gaze at as we swam amid shoals of fish. We spotted a starfish and managed to avoid a jellyfish – although one swimmer from one of the other groups didn’t. Almost two hours later we reached a deserted bay on the north of the island. Job done!
By the end of the week we’d swum 25km, visited 12 islands and gained a real sense of accomplishment. And I’m not terrified of deep water any more.
• Big Blue (thebigblueswim.com) one-week trips to Lefkada cost £760pp, including B&B accommodation and drinks and snacks on swims. The final standard swim break of 2016 is from 11-18 Sept. The Big Swimming Week (£700, 18-25 Sept) features longer swims. EasyJet and charter airlines fly to Preveza from Manchester and Gatwick from £235 return. Big Blue also runs swimming holidays in Crete from £660.
