Strel Swimming Adventure Holidays Reviews 

Just back from a great swim trip in Baja. The highly qualified Strel team selected safe and tropical fish filled waters of the islands off of Loretto and kept a close eye on us, fed us healthy and yummy lunches, filmed and critiqued our swim style, and shared their expertise about Baja. Totally terrific trip with a great team.

My first Strel swim but definitely not the last. The swims were fantastic in Loreto Mexico with thousands of colorful fish around the islands. Turtles, rays, and so many beautiful sights underwater and in caves made this a fantastic adventure. The staff and crew were also informative and delightful and the lunch sights placed us in awesome pieces of paradise. Thanks Strel. See you next time.

I had a magic swimming week in Symi island where the environment was wonderful with amazing guides.

The hotel, boat, crew and guides were all excellent, so good we would like to book for next year please Sept 2023.

Brout,
Thank you and your team for the best swimming holiday! All the Irish ladies had a wonderful time in Vela Luka and the surrounding area. The clear warm waters, safe organised routes, superb guidance, good food and weather all contributed.
Ruth C.

This was my first trip with Strel, but safe not my last one! Borut and his team made this days in Slovenia to a wonderful expierence I will never forget. I can totally recommend it. Thank you so much!

This was my first Strel swimming trip (my first swim trip ever) and it was everything i hoped it woud be. We were in Krapanj in Croatia. Hotel was great and the staff very friendly and helpful. Having both Croatian guides & boat driver, Angelo & Matija added to the whole experience and having a professional swimmer to learn from amazing.

The water was a little cold for me (24 degrees) but I look forward to another Strel swim trip in Mexico or Turkey. My only feedback would be to receive a confirmation email on booking as I wasn't sure if my payment or booking went through and had to chase up the company.

This is my fourth Strel trip which probably tells you all you need to know! As usual, it was in a really beautiful place, with great swimming and really thoughtfully organised to enable a diverse group to go at their own pace. Already looking forward to my next trip! Thank you Borut.

Great swimming and stunning locations. Staff were very helpful and friendly

Overall it was a great experience, but there is still room for improvement. I tend to rate between 3 and 4 stars.

I am a beginner in Open Water swimming, when applying for one of the Strel trips I populated exactly the pace I am swimming at the moment (2 km per hour) in the online request form and that I have learned freestyle swimming beginning of 2022 due to knee pain. I am not a marathon swimmer preparing for a race, I am a leisure time athlete trying to loose body fat and to heal my injuries (arm, knee), therefore swimming definitely helps. There are newer versions of Strels swimming information, saying a speed of 2,2 km per hour is needed to keep with the group, well, I think I can improve as I just started with this sport, but I am wondering what some other people populated online when applying/joining for the trip.

Advice to Strel: It would be good to ask new clients, what their target/purpose is, why they want to join a swimming trip and how their general physical condition is. If somebody is overweight with no basic endurance and fitness experience at all, it won‘t help to just pay the trip… If someone prepares for a race, this should be handeled as an own group, other than beginners. I understand, that this is difficult to organise, but these are some points to mention in order to improve the holiday experience.

For beginners, the saltwater is very different to the pool, furthermore the sea is lively, there are animals and other things in the water, even sea lice can disturb your swimming experience. The sun in the mediterranen area is very strong, you only tan on your backside and around your eyes, so everybody will see that you have worn goggles after your trip, nothing for a beauty contest… Furthermore, the natural sea water can negatively influence your digestion, my stomach felt unwell.

The guides were very nice and professional, they also gave me some extra personal training and showed me some drills how I can improve, it is all about technique, not really about strength or body fitness.

The hotel was ok, but not really 4 star for European standards, the cooked eggshells were dirty, for me disgusting… I had a problem with the nutrition there, as an athlete I need a lot of whole grain products and micronutrients, plain nuts, fresh vegetables, lots of fresh fruits, low fat nutrition, unprocessed natural food, which I did not get there.

Then there is the group dynamics you should be aware of, there were people mainly from France, UK and Ireland, they builded some groups, if you come from a minority country and speak a different language than those, it will influence your social integration in a greater or lesser degree. People from different social classes with different personal and social background might meet in this groups, this should be considered, people who are public officials working for a government might have a very different background and personality than for example an entrepreneur. This is to be considered if you travel as a single, but where to find nice people who travel with the same purpose, understanding your English language even you are not a native speaker AND swimming the same pace like you? Could be hard to find. Well, I was not so satisfied after the first swim, cause I had to get out of the water after 400 m swimming, cause I got put with another swimming partner together who had troubles with sea lice and couldn‘t swim and I am almost sure my swimming partner can not even swim 2 km in one hour in the pool, I am wondering which information has been populated in the online registration form… Same, same, but different, both open water swimming beginners. The best would be to book a private trip with this nice guides from Strel, but this you must be able to afford :)

The Slovenian lakes and rivers trip is absolutely fantastic - beautiful locations, clear water, kind and supportive guides, and a wonderful opportunity to meet people from around the world. This was a dream trip and I'll be returning for another Strel adventure!

Spectacular swim vacation- accomadations great, fellow swimmers fabulous and guides Nika, Lucas and Borut top notch! Go as soon as you can!

The hotel was fine - huge clean room with good air con. The two staff from Strel (Amy & Simon) were great. The other swimmers were also delightful.

Disappointed in the lack of fish to see in the sea and the coast was very barren. The island was very small with only one tiny shop and two restaurants.

When I had an accidental injury Amy was wonderful - really went above & beyond to assist. But no follow up at all from Strel when I could only complete 3 of 10 swims due to the injury.

I just finished the Slovenia trip and it was an absolutely outstanding experience! Borut and his team delivered an adventure of a lifetime. From Lake Bled, to a river and alpine lake swimming - it was so much fun. So safe, and as easy or challenging as you want to make it. My mother accompanied me on the trip and despite being a non-swimmer, she had an equally wonderful trip. I would not hesitate to recommend Strel Swimming. Many people on our trip were coming back for their fourth and fifth trip and I can see why!

This was my first trip to Symi, but my sixth trip with Strel. I'm a loyal customer and there's a reason I keep coming back. I love everything about the Strel experience, and this trip was no exception. The Symi location was spectacular. It was my first time ever in Greece... and what an introduction. The hotel (Pedi) on Symi was excellent. Beautiful location, wonderful staff... and inexpensive drinks! We met our guides Aoife and Toby on the first night, along with the rest of the group. There were only ten swimmers on this trip and we were quickly laughing and sharing stories. The others swimmers are consistently a highlight of these trips. I'm amazed what nice people are attracted to Strel Swimming adventures! Aoife and Toby were great. Aoife was a guide on a previous trip, and it was great to feel the energy of this vivacious and inspirational Irish lass once again!
The swims were delightful. Water quality spectacular, as advertised. Schools of small fish consistently dazzled us as we swam. Lunch was a mix of meals prepared on the boat, and visits to remote tavernas... which provided authentic local experiences... and wonderful fresh Greek meals (and cheap!). We were on the boat from 9am to about 3pm on most days... enjoying swims in the morning and afternoon typically totaling about 5K. A leisurely lunch between swims was a highlight of each day. We spotted a sea turtle during lunch on one day while anchored for lunch in a bay. Thrilling! When we returned to the hotel mid-afternoon each day, we were happy to chill and recover on the hotel patio (overlooking the water) before finding a place to eat in the evening. There are a few good places near the Pedi, but a short bus ride into town provides even more options.
As always, the trip was well organized and lived up to expectations (hard to do after five other trips!). Focus on safety and accommodation of all swimming speeds/abilities are hallmarks of the Strel experience. Very professionally done, with consistent attention to detail. Pavlos, our boat captain was a delight. We enjoyed seeing how two of his kids were involved in managing the boat, docking, etc.
The hardest part is getting there... but don't be put off by this. We flew into Rhodes and spent a couple of nights there before catching the ferry to Symi (1.5 hour ride). There's plenty to see in Rhodes, so this added to the whole experience.
Thanks Borut and team for another great experience. See you again in November!!

This swim Trek in Symi from july 9 to 16 was successful.
If we preferred the croatian landscapes last year, this swimming week was well organized and masterfully led by Ifa and Tobi.
We will keep excellent memories of this trip despite thé fatal accident which we witnissed helplessly.
Best regards
Xavier CHARLES

Great experience with Strel in Croatia and Greece. Amazing spots to swim, good organization, professional guides (hands up to Aoife and Toby in Greece), confortable hotels ... I can't wait for the next ones !!

I had a great experience with Strel. The coaches were very kind and interactive with the group. It was so relaxing, and since everything (except dinner) was arranged for us, we didn't have to think about anything but swimming. Everyone got some useful advice about their techniques, which really helped us! I would highly recommend this trip, and I already recommended the Strel swimming holiday to my teammates :)

An excellent experience on our 3 day trip in the Slovenian lakes. The team were really warm and encouraging, full of interesting insight into the area and sure to find beautiful places to swim.

I had long sought for such a trip, where one swims open water followed by some boat. And the trip was satisfying my expectations. A lot of the merit goes to the guides (amy and simon) who were breaking their asses so we could have one trouble less. The hotel was amazing. For a while I thought a cheaper one would be better, but after a tiring day it is definitely a plus to have a room that is comfortable and staff that is eager to help/accommodate your needs. Food was served on the boat and was very well thought for the sport needs we had. Fresh and full of vegetables. I could talk for hours ab the trip but maybe it's more useful if someone interested in taking the same trip asks me questions :-)