Having swum for her home country for most of her youth, Katia Vastiau now travels all over the world, feeding her wild swimming hunger.
I had been longing to visit the Isles of Scilly ever since I moved to the UK. Friends raved about the amazing waters and last summer, finally I made it. The natural beauty of the archipelago hits you immediately, but the true gem appeared as I walked across St. Martin’s: endless white sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters! A swimmer’s paradise that looked like it had just been plucked right out of the Caribbean; even the vegetation here is lush and more tropical – although the same is not so true for the water temperatures… a refreshing 15˚C!
Our group, guided by Adventure Scilly, started with an acclimatisation swim along the shore of St. Martin’s – the visibility was amazing. I chose to wear my wetsuit, whilst some of the others just wore their swimming costumes. Whatever the attire, everyone wore the same beaming smile!
One day was spent swimming from Tresco to Bryher, having a picnic on the beach, then swimming up to the pristine white sand of Samson. Off shore from Tresco, we got to swim with a colony of seals, and after 20 minutes of being shown up by their aquatic skills, we went on towards Bryher, ready for a bite to eat. There’s something about sea swimming that clears your head and freshens you up, leaving you with physical and mental satisfaction and a huge appetite!
I had a fantastic swimming holiday venturing between the islands, but even if you’re someone who fancies only an occasional dip, do so! The amazing scenery above and below the water simply adds to the delight of seeing the islands from a new perspective.
