A primitive alternative to the channel: Long swimming in Croatia Swimming holidays

On August 24, 1875, Captain Matthew Web became the first person to swim in the canal, and they were in animal fats to repel the cold. At that time, it was announced as a semi -supernatural achievement man. After a hundred and fifty years, I registered for a recent 33.3 -km swimming (21 miles) swimming (shorter) (the shortest distance across the channel, although Webb was detonated outside the path and ended up to swim like 63 km). This Croatian adaptation involves swimming between the islands off the coast of Al -Dolmasi, and it is divided within four days and includes a welcoming hotel (three -star HVAR places from Valmaar) to recover at the end of each day. Fortunately, the neoprene replaced.

The trip is run by Ultraswim 33.3A new company called The Channel Stretch, which offers multiple days in amazing sites – Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Switzerland – focusing on comfort and support.

“The channel is Everest swimming,” says Mark Turner, co -founder of Ultraswim 33.3. “But the window to be done is short, it is expensive, and let us be honest – not a particularly delicious extension of water. With us, you get the same distance in a beautiful environment, without the need for coarse.”

I was on swimming holidays before with companies like Swimtrek and Stream Swimming Adventures, and it could reach 5 kilometers per day, but with drinks for drinks, lunch and enjoying the sun. Ultraswim follows a more organized approach to the challenge. It starts every day early – we are in the water by 8 am, before the traffic set out on the boats – and swimmers move to 12 km without stopping for more than a rapid stop.

A detailed training plan fell in my inbox after registration and quickly realized that I was not appropriate enough, or maybe I was mentally ready, for full swimming with a length of 33.3 km. Fortunately, there were two short -short options: “Discovery” 11.1 km and “Build” 22.2 km, both of which are a gesture to the channel’s challenge.

On the first day, we set out from a berth close to the hotel, and within minutes, I discovered the octopus waving laziness from her garden underwater. I would like to stay, but time, tide and carrots are not waiting for any swimmer. After several kilometers, I stumbled from the water to the beach at Uvala Veli Dolac, exhausted but cheerful. We have received a group of high-energy snacks and a lot of talking about loading carbohydrates-far from the Webb strategy to supply beer, Brande and beef tea.

According to The channel for swimming and the experimental unionWebb’s Swim has now been repeated 3,250 times. Trend to endure in other areas as well, from Ultramarathons and multi -day cycling tours to open waterproof. Increasingly, it seems that people want to return from a vacation that is not comfortable but with a feeling of achievement.

In the second and third days, we deal with some of the appropriate “channel” through the extensions of open water 2-3 km, from Kabal Honitland to Steinifa Beach, and Cape Pellegrin to Miana. On the map, it is distinguished as ways of phrases, but the opinions that I enjoyed from the deck when I reached HVAR-all carrots studded with sanding and trolph-you feel completely different when they are in the water: they are a far-goal ear, a volatile sea and accidental canal engineering.

I have never tried anything like this before, and this is not a challenge that I enjoy. But I put my head down and try not to think about what I am from the dry land. There is a GPS tracker in my cloud float, kayak boats on both sides, and a clear path to follow-up-fortunately more clear than webb, where the strong tidal pulled it away from the path, turning a cross-sized transit to 39 miles width.

As I swim for a little more than two hours, I find it difficult to understand how it has lasted for about 22 years. I spent my attention by calling footage of the trip: TVRDALJ Castle in the sixteenth century in Stari Grad, where the poet Petar Hektorović once lived; The Diocletian Palace in Split, where I spent a comfortable day exploring the golden alleys and multiple layers of history, from the Roman empires and the gun to Yugoslavia and the past thirties of independent Croatia.

Once the open water channels are completed, we return to the gentle water around the Bacculinian archipelago, covered with pine launch, wild mountain wild and lavender that is draining local honey. The name “Pakleeni” comes from BaklinaThe pine is once used to build boats.

Our group, which includes 160 people from swimmers from all over the world, consists of Brazil, Dubai and Australia. There are almost equal numbers of men and women, with ages from 20 to 73, some are training at the actual channel crossing, while others want a challenge.

“It is the second fun.” “The type is fun only after its end.” I think I am more than one person (I enjoy things at that time), but I enjoy swimming through the sun’s herb forest covered, rhythm of quiet stroke after stroke, and calm pride in swimming every day.

“We find that people surprise themselves,” says Turner. “The way we create with speed and support, swimmers who have never exceeded a few kilometers left a feeling that they did something extraordinary.”

Unusual partners are not excluded. They can follow the boat, joy from the beach or explore Stari Grad and HVAR. One of the non -smugglers told me that he had obtained a few kilometers on EBIKE, visiting lavender farms, chromium farms, and sleeping village. “Unlike a short retreat, swimming is not really something,” ignore. “But my girlfriend loves her, so we are happy.”

On the last day, we aim for the Bills Tower in St. Stephen’s Cathedral and swimming a few kilometers in the port of Huffar, where they appeared next to the Venice arsenal to a cup of champagne, which we delivered to us after we passed the final positions, to the annoying stars of ordinary tourists.

A few hours later, after a soothing massage at the Spa Hotel, I wander around the HVAR streets, I stop to enjoy fresh fish and Croatian wine, with no more talk about loading carbohydrates. I did not win anything. I did not swim 33.3 km full. But I completed a course of 11.1 km and tasted something closer to what Captain Web should feel: the slow -stable body victory over the distance, albeit without freezing the canal water, or beef tea. Instead of the pale gray slopes of Cap Gris-Nez to indicate the end, the golden limestone of HVAR.

The trip was provided before Ultraswim 33.3. Packs of 1800PP euros For four nights (In a group of four individuals, the fourth swimmer goes half a price), including Places of accommodation in hotels, breakfast meals, afternoon lunch and guided swimming. The next Croatia dates are located in 2026, but places this year are available on flights to Montenegro, Greece and Switzerland