Hike and Wild Swim Crete's Hidden Coves

Welcome to Crete! Your host will meet you at Chania Airport and transfer you to your guesthouse near Kissamos. In the evening, join your host and fellow open water swimmers for a welcome dinner of traditional Cretan food.

After breakfast, you'll head to a sheltered corner of Kissamos Bay for a gentle introductory swim. Your route will stick close to the shore, taking you above seagrass meadows, around the coastline and to a small cove. After getting dressed and having a quick snack, you'll hike back, stopping to admire the million-year-old fossils in the sandstone. In the afternoon you'll hike through Sirikari Gorge, a secluded area where griffon vultures nest, before spending the evening at a taverna enjoying a traditional Cretan meal, made with local produce.

An early start today makes the most of Crete's beautiful mornings. You'll pack up some breakfast to go, then get driven to an eastern peninsula for today's swim. Your swim follows the coast from a tiny pebble beach to a dark, otherworldly sea cave where the light creeps in, casting myriad reflections as you swim. You'll continue past more caves towards a secluded cove where you can clamber out of the water, dry off and enjoy your beach breakfast looking out over the bay. You'll then hike the 'Villagers’ Path' – a coastal route past grand geological features with commanding views over the peninsula and the bays below – before a late lunch at a coastal taverna with amazing local seafood. Late afternoon, you'll drive back to the guesthouse to spend the evening relaxing.

Today you'll have an adventure on the wild west coast of Crete, combining a hike in Kampos Gorge with a sea swim through crystal clear water to a remote beach (and another well-earned taverna feast!). Reaching the jump-in beach early, you'll swim along the rocky cliffs, around Cape Crow and towards a remote cove. Take in this glorious location while enjoying a large breakfast on the beach, fueling up for a hike through Kampos Gorge, dense with the Mediterranean flora of thyme bushes and carob trees. You'll criss-cross a small river during the steady climb, emerging at a tiny village where you'll find a traditional taverna.

Today you'll head back to the rugged west coast to an open water swimming paradise: large, natural pools carved in the rocks. Launch into impossibly blue waters from a sheltered cove by a small chapel. Swimming towards a cape, you'll first reach a protected natural pool to explore, before passing under huge cliffs as you continue to a sheltered bay, reaching a perfectly circular pool with tranquil waters to immerse yourself in. Enjoy a snack on the rocks and swim further if you wish, before heading back to the guesthouse for some afternoon downtime. In the evening, you'll head to a village called Mezedopoleio and eat like the locals do – with plenty of small dishes of fresh local foods, shared between the whole party, with a variety of different tastes. Take your pick! There'll be local raki and wines to wash the good food down.

With several days of swimming under your belt, it's time to tackle an open water challenge. Setting off from a quiet spot on the sandy beach, you'll swim out to Limpet Island: an elongated rocky ridge in the bay. The visibility in the water here is amazing and at times you'll be surrounded by schools of fish. There are two swim options, depending on how far you would like to swim today. Clamber out of the water and up some steps by the rock caves to reach a cafe for lunch, with far-reaching views over the Mediterranean. Later, you'll hike to a tiny cove. From here, using masks and snorkels, you'll explore a WWII shipwreck that lies less than 7 feet below the surface. Dry off, get dressed and then you'll be driven back to Kissamos to enjoy a free evening.

Set off after breakfast and drive a scenic route all the way across the island to the south coast. Take a walk in the sand dunes, admiring the pink shoreline along small coves, before swimming in the shallow, turquoise waters between the natural rock pools dotting the bay. If you're feeling strong, you can circumnavigate the whole peninsula, swimming through deep, cavernous sections to a shallow, tranquil sea bed. After a post-swim snack on shore, you'll hike along a narrow trail to the juniper forest. These exotic trees grow over sand dunes all the way to the shoreline. You'll find cove after cove of pink sand, against the blue backdrop of the sea, where you'll have a picnic lunch, taking a dip in the sea before retracing your steps back to Elafonissi Beach.

Your open water swimming odyssey had to come to an end eventually. After breakfast, your host will transfer you to the airport at Chania in time for your return flight home.