Faster Freestyle Swim Camps
Ortigia · Siracusa · Sicily
September 2026
Endless Summer in Sicily!
Karlyn calls these Endless Summer Camps because September offers ideal conditions, with warm weather, warm water, and fewer crowds. It’s the perfect time to extend your summer while swimming in one of Europe’s most beautiful coastal settings.
The week features multiple stunning 2k–4k open-water swims paired with a strategic mix of Faster Freestyle and stroke technique instruction, detailed video analysis, and a personalized one-on-one private lesson.
Dates: Monday, September 14 (check into the B&B at 3:00 pm or later). Camp begins: Tuesday, September 15 at 9:00 am with a safety meeting and Camp concludes: Monday, September 21 with a farewell dinner. Check-out is the following day on Tuesday, September 22 at 11:00 am.
Location: Ortigia, Siracusa, Sicily
Length: Seven days / eight nights
Coming Soon: Albania 2026
We are also excited to announce a brand-new 7-day / 8-night Faster Freestyle Swim Camp in Albania, taking place September 2–10, 2026. More details coming soon.
All Sicily Faster Freestyle Swim Camps include:
Karlyn’s World-Class coaching, eight nights accommodation, eight breakfasts, snacks after every swim, two lunches, two dinners.
Six beautiful open-water swims of roughly 2 to 4 kilometers around and near Ortigia Island. You’ll enjoy warm, turquoise waters with extraordinary clarity. Along the way there will be sea caves to explore, tiny coves to wander into, islands to circumnavigate, and on the final day we’ll swim around an historic castle.
Video analysis of your stroke during the Faster Freestyle Workshop
One-on-one private lesson with Karlyn’s expert video analysis and feedback. Time and location TBD
Open Water Skills & Drills workshop
Multi stroke swim clinic…yes, that means we will cover back, breast and fly!
Staff will be filming you daily with an underwater camera to capture your technique and to document our aquatic adventures. Short video clips will be sent to you by text so you can review your strokes and progress.Custom
FFSC SWAG…BOCO visor, long sleeve dry-tech tee shirt and a silicone swim cap
Mid-camp we will take an all-day excursion to go swim the Isola Ciclopi located off the small coastal town of Acitrezza.
First night meet and greet sunset drinks an appetizers…an opportunity to meet your fellow campers and our staff.
A farewell dinner party at Cavour, a local Sicilian restaurant.
The group size will be 10 or less, with three staff available to provide water stately support to help you feel safe and seen, and to offer swim technique tips as you move along the coast. Karlyn will be in the water alongside you, and her husband Christopher will be nearby on a Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) for additional oversight and assistance.
Swim Ability:
You don’t need to be a fast swimmer to join us—what’s most important is that you feel comfortable in open water and can swim continuously for 500 yards or meters at a steady pace. If you’re wondering whether you’re “fast enough” to participate, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to discuss your individual situation and any concerns—after all, the focus of every camp is helping you discover an easier, more efficient, and faster way to swim.camp, please reach out to me fasterfreestyle@gmail.com to discuss your situation.
This camp will be an experience of a lifetime AND you will go home a FASTER SWIMMER
Our accommodation for eight nights will be the lovely Maison Ortigia B&B located in the heart of Ortigia.
Maison Ortigia has a charming, boutique B&B atmosphere that gracefully blends old-world history with tasteful modern touches. Ideally central to everything in Ortigia, within easy walking distance of restaurants, sights, and the sea, with some rooms offering lovely courtyard or sea views. The owners and staff are warm and welcoming and take pleasure in helping guests to feel at home, attending to details with friendly professionalism. They also offer excellent local recommendations as to where to eat and what to see and do.
The rooms are beautifully designed, spotlessly clean, comfortable and quiet, often featuring small balconies that add extra charm. Breakfast is a true delight, offering delicious pastries, homemade cakes and pancakes, plus excellent coffee and a selection of other drinks to start the day well.
There are two room options:
Deluxe Double room featuring one queen bed, ideal for a solo traveler or a couple seeking a comfortable, well-appointed accommodations.
Deluxe Triple room featuring one queen bed and a twin beds. Comfortable and spacious, ideal for two friends who want extra space to relax and share accommodations.
Visit maison Ortigia B & B website
Cost for the camp including 8 nights of accommodation, 12 meals, refreshments after every swim and everything listed above is as follows:
Private room $3295 Deluxe Double room with Sea View. This is Private room for just you or to with a non-swimming partner or Spouse (in the same bed).
Shared room $2895: Deluxe Triple room with a queen and a twin bed and an courtyard view. You provide the
Mason Ortgia B & B address: P.za S. Giuseppe, 25, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy
DEPOSIT: TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT, FOR US RESIDENTS PLEASE MAIL A CHECK for $500 MADE OUT TO AQUATIC EDGE AND SEND TO: KARLYN PIPES, 77-6479 KILOHANA ST., KAILUA KONA, HAWAII, 96740. FINAL PAYMENT MAY ALSO BE MADE BY CHECK. For Canadians, please contact Karlyn for e-transfer options.
PAYMENT: FULL PAYMENT IS DUE THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO CAMP START AND PAYMENT OPTIONS WILL BE SENT TO YOU VIA EMAIL ONCE YOUR DEPOSIT IS RECEIVED.
Cancelation policy: Cancel two month prior to the camp start date and you will receive a refund, minus the $500 deposit. CANCEL LESS THAN one month OUT AND YOU WILL HAVE A 50% CREDIT TO APPLY FOR A FUTURE CAMP. At any time, reservations are transferable to another person with no fee.
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 10
Sample Schedule:
Pre-camp
3-5:00 check into B and B. This extra night of accommodation is THE NIGHT BEFORE the actual camp starts! We are hoping to make it easier for everyone to arrive from there destination so that we can start the camp mid-morning the next day.
Day one:
Enjoy a relaxing breakfast on our rooftop terrace.
9:00-10:00 distribution of goodie bags and safety meeting followed by a “meet and greet” to get to know your fellow campers and the staff
10:00-10:45 An interactive discussion on past and present freestyle techniques.
11:00 - 1:00 pm We will take a short walk to Cala Rosa lido (beach) for first swim of the camp. Length to be determined.
5:00-7:00 Sunset meet and greet with pizza dinner and drinks provided!
Day two:
8:30 Meet at the hotel lobby for a 20 min walk to Porto Pico where we will begin the instructional portion of the camp with Faster Freestyle clinic to be held in the quiet bay near the small port.
9:00-11:00 Faster Freestyle swim clinic with step-by-step stroke progression followed by a fun, fast paced Open Water Skills and Drills clinic. Video analysis of your new stroke.
11:00 break for snacks
11:30-12:30 Easy 1-2k open water swim (or more) from the Porto Pico lido to test out your new stroke
12:30 Walk to nearby cafe/bakery/coffee shop for a causal lunch (we provide)
Evening open for you to enjoy
Day three:
8:30-9:00 take a taxi to nearby Cittadella Siracusa Sport 50-meter pool
9:00-10:00 Faster Freestyle swim clinic with a review of what you learned the day before and moving into new areas of instruction
10:00-11:00 Multi Stroke (back, breast and fly) swim clinic
11:15-1:00 walk to nearby ZEN lido for a open water swim of the day…a gorgeous 2-3k exploration of multiple sea caves, cliffs and a cool inlet!
At your leisure, walk to a (no host) lunch at nearby cafe.
Day four:
an awesome Day trip North to Acitrezza and visit to Catania
8:30 walk to train station to take a 75 minute ride north to the town of Acireale
10:00-10:15 Taxi to Acitrezza
10:30-12:00. 3k Swim around the Isola Cyclops…it really is amazing!
12:00-1:00 lunch (provided).
Afternoon options:
Option one: Train back to Ortigia arriving back in town about three pm (depending on which train we get).
Option two: Exit the train at Catania Central an go explore (on your own) the vibrant history, culture and the markets of Catania
Day five: private lesson day
8:30-11:00 or 2:00-5:00 This is the day reserved for your one-on-one private lesson with video analysis. Once you have schedule your lesson, make a plan to go explore Siracusa’s Roman ruins or take a half day guided tour.
Afternoon and evening open for you to enjoy
Day six:
8:30 meet to taxi or walk to our swim destination
9:00 3-4K swim around the “buffalo” and numerous sea caves and coves.
12:00-1:00 Lunch (provided) and a walk back to hotel
Afternoon and evening open for you to enjoy
Day seven:
9:00-11:00 Today we will swim around (and back) Castello Maniace. 2k swim each way (4K total) with unsurpassed views of the castle on every breath!
6:00-8:00 Farewell dinner at Karlyn’s favorite restaurant!
Day eight:
Check out of hotel.
How to get to Sicily!
Due to the ever changing world conditions, please WAIT until three to five MONTHS prior to your camp to book your flights.
The beautiful island of Sicily is located in the Mediterranean Sea, separated from the mainland of Italy by the 2k Straight of Messina and located at the “toe of the boot.”
Getting to this part of the world is easy and transportation options are many. The Faster Freestyle Swim Camp will be held on the Island of Ortigia, which is adjacent to the main city of Siracusa.
Sicily has two major airports, Palermo (PMO) and Catania CTA), that are located on opposite sides of the island. We recommend Catania/CTA as the best arrival option for both ease and convenience.
Once you are at CATANIA AIRPORT, take a free five-minute shuttle to the train station, buy a $8 ticket at the kiosk to Siracusa (south). Then, it’s a one hour train ride south to Siracusa/Ortigia and approximately a 1 mile cab ride (or walk) to our accommodation!
Flying from USA: Getting to Catania (CTA) is going to require a stopover, no matter what US city you depart. British Airways connect in London Heathrow (LHR) sometimes requiring an overnight stay. Both Lufthansa and Alitalia stopover in Paris (GDG). If you fly a major US carrier such as American, United, Delta, your best bet is to fly to ROME (FCO), and then book a flight on low-cost carrier such as Ryan Air to Catania. Bringing luggage will cost extra on Ryan Air, but in the end it might be worth it. Many US flights land in the morning so it’s easy to catch a midmorning flight and arrive in Sicily by midday.
Flying from Canada: British Airways and Lufthansa offer direct flights to Europe with a connecting flight to Catania. BA stops in London Heathrow and Lufthansa stops in Paris. Word of warning! When booking a British Airways flight, please make sure your check WHICH London airport your connecting flight departs. BA will offer an option of flying into London Heathrow (LHR) but departing out of London Gatwick (LGW) requiring a one hour bus ride across the city. It’s totally doable if you have enough time, but that particular flight may cheap for a reason.
Flying from Europe: There are so many options that it’s best to post this link to Flight Connections. For ease and convenience, make sure to fly into CTA Catania and not Palermo.
