Welcome to Crete! Your host will meet you at Chania airport and transfer you to your hotel in Kissamos. In the evening, join your host and fellow wild swimmers for a welcome dinner of traditional Cretan food.

After breakfast, you'll take a short drive to a sheltered corner of Kissamos bay for a gentle introductory swim. The swimming route will stick close to the shore while you swim above above seagrass meadows, heading around the coastline and ending up on a small cove.

After getting dressed and having a quick snack, you'll hike back to your starting bay on country tracks, stopping to admire the million-year-old fossils in the sloping sandstone.

In the afternoon you'll hike through Sirikari gorge, a secluded area where griffon vultures nest on the cliffs.

This evening you'll visit a local taverna for a traditional Cretan meal, made with local produce.

An early start today to make the most of Crete's beautiful mornings. You'll pack up some breakfast to go for the break between today's swim and hike. Then jump in the vehicle and you'll be driven half an hour outside Kissamos to a peninsula in the east.

Today's swim launches from a tiny pebble beach and follows the coast around to a spooky, sea-level cave. You'll dive into the dark waters of the cave. It forms an otherworldly place: the light creeps in, casting a myriad of reflections as you swim out of the darkness towards the exit.

You'll continue swimming past surface-level caves towards a secluded cove. Here you'll clamber our of the water, get dry and enjoy a beach breakfast looking out over the bay.

Today's hike is called "The Villagers’ Path": a coastal route past grand geological features and with commanding views over the peninsula and the bays below. After the hike, you'll enjoy a late lunch at a coastal taverna with amazing local seafood. Then, by late afternoon, you'll drive back to Kissamos 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 to a remote beach (and another well earned taverna feast!).

It's another early start to reach the jump-in beach. You'll swim along the rocky cliffs, home to rich sea life, then round Cape Crow and towards a remote cove with crystal clear water. After landing on the pebbly beach, you'll take in this glorious location while enjoying a large breakfast on the beach.

Next you'll hike through Kampos gorge, immersed in this valley of Meditteranean fauna of thyme bushes and carob trees. You'll criss-cross the small river during a steady climb, emerging from the gorge at a tiny village on the road to nowhere.

The village has a traditional taverna ready to satisfy your well earned appetite with delicious local dishes before returning to Kissamos.

Today you'll be back in the rugged west coast for more! This time amongst large natural pools carved in the rocks: wild swimming paradise.

You'll 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 with abundant sea life. The swim continues to a sheltered bay, reaching another natural - and 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 Kissamos for some afternoon downtime.

This evening you'll head out for dinner to a village called Mezedopoleio. Here you'll eat like the locals do. There'll be 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 quiet spot on the pink sand beach, you'll swim out to Limpet island: an elongated rocky part of a submerged ridge in the bay. The visibility in the water here is amazing and at times you'll be surrounded by shoals of sea breams and other fish.

There are two swim options, depending on how far you would like to swim today.

After the swim you'll climb some steps by the rock caves to reach a cafe for lunch with far-reaching views over the Meditteranean.

Later you'll hike along a rocky path to a tiny cove. From here, using masks and snorkels, you'll discover a WWII shipwreck that lies less than 2m below the surface. You'll have plenty of time to explore the wreck before swimming back to shore. Dry off, get dressed and then you'll be driven back to Kissamos to enjoy a free evening.

Set off after breakfast and drive to more distant shores, following a scenic route all the way across the island, to the south coast. At first you'll walk in the sand dunes, admiring the pink sand by the shore while passing a sequence of small coves. Close to the tip of the peninsula, you can start 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. You'll swim through deep, cavernous bottoms to a shallow, tranquil sea bed. Enjoy a post-swim snack on the shore in the shade of the juniper trees.

Then, you'll hike along a narrow trail over flat rocks, before entering the juniper forest. These exotic trees grow over sand dunes all the way to the shoreline. You'll find cove after cove covered in pink sand, backdropped by shades of blue in the sea.

You'll have a delicious picnic lunch in the shade by one of the little coves. After lunch you can take a dip in the sea once again, before retracing your steps back to Elafonissi beach. From here, you'll drive back to Kissamos for a final evening at your base.

Your wild 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.

What's included?

• Snorkel and Mask (for shipwreck swim on day 6)

What's available to hire?

There are some wetsuits available through the host, however we only suggest using these for the shipwreck snorkel. In June and October when the water is a little cooler and you feel you might want to swim in a wetsuit, we advise bringing your own. This will ensure you swim in a suit which fits correctly and will be comfortable to swim in for several days in a row.

What do I need to bring?

• Main pack or suitcase
• Daypack 20-30 litres
• Swimming goggles x2
• Swimwear
• Swimming hats
• Swimming wetsuit (optional, only usually needed for June)
• Lightweight swim towel
• Tow float
• Lightweight walking shoes or sandals for the hikes
• Drybag
• Waterproof camera
• Sunhat, sunglasses and suncream
• Refillable water bottle
• Small personal first aid kit
• Lightweight hiking wear with good skin coverage
• Clothes for downtime in Kissamos