Founded in 2019 by André Santos, SwimTogether positioned itself as the first portuguese company exclusively dedicated to open water swimming holidays. From the very beginning, our purpose has been clear: to design meaningful swimming experiences that combine nature, cultural discovery and the highest standards of safety.
We design experiences with identity, guided by local knowledge and far from mass tourism.
Nature is not a backdrop, it is our partner. We are committed to minimize our impact and respecting ecosystems and communities.
We believe swimming is richer when shared. Together we grow, support each other and create lasting connections, in and out of the water.
Our mission is to make open water swimming accessible to everyone, regardless of experience level, while creating unforgettable, responsible and well-organized moments.
From half-day swims to multi-day camps and training sessions, all our trips are led by highly qualified, bilingual guides with professional backgrounds in open water training and water rescue. Safety, trust and attention to detail are at the core of everything we do. A commitment reflected in the consistently outstanding feedback from our community.
Rooted in Portugal and expanding internationally, SwimTogether already offers experiences beyond borders, including destinations such as São Tomé and Príncipe, and continues to grow wherever inspiring and safe waters exist.
We envision open water swimming as more than a sport. A global movement that connects people, cultures and environments in a meaningful and sustainable way.
SwimTogether aims to be a reference for authentic swimming experiences worldwide, blending adventure, wellbeing and cultural discovery, while building an inclusive community that inspires personal growth, lifelong friendships and environmental stewardship.
Our swimming adventures are carefully designed to help you experience the very best of each destination, through the water.
Sometimes we stay in high-end accommodations, other times in simpler, locally rooted places. We believe comfort comes in many forms and that meaningful travel also means embracing simplicity, authenticity and connection with local communities.
SwimTogether stands out for the quality of its organisation, safety standards and the authenticity of the experiences we create.
We don’t offer luxury for luxury’s sake, nor do we believe in low-cost shortcuts. What matters to us is that swimmers feel confident, well cared for and fully present, both in and out of the water.
Every SwimTogether experience is guided by dedicated, highly qualified leaders and trusted local partners who know each location intimately.
Our trips go beyond the ordinary, combining exploration, companionship and a relaxed, welcoming spirit that defines who we are.
We want you to stay curious, to explore your adventurous side and to feel truly alive in open water..
We aim to inspire confidence, openness and a deeper connection, with nature, with others and with yourself.
And when you return home, you may find that everything looks the same… except you.
We’re proud to be recognized by respected names in the travel industry.
FOUNDER & CEO
André Santos is an entrepreneur. With only 20 years old opened his own business. Unsatisfied by nature…(see more)
CFO
Alfredo Santos is the CFO of Swim Together. With more than 30 years of professional experience in…(see more)
SWIM COACH
José was born in Coimbra. He is a level 3 swimming coach and has a degree is Sport Science and…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE | LIFEGUARD | SKIPPER
Tiago Durães started swimming at the age of 5. Tiago is an open water swimmer for some…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Vânia Neves is a swimming coach and former open water Olympic swimmer. She was responsible…(see more)
DESIGNER
Margarida Madeira began learning how to swim when she was 5 years old. During her teens, she practiced…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Pedro is a waterman. Portuguese and raised in Lisbon he started swimming at the age of 3, progressing…(see more)
SWIM COACH
After a degree in economics in his early years, Gustavo decided to follow his dreams in triathlon. He was…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Tudor Florin is an experienced, resourceful, and passionate swimming coach with over 25 years of…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Hugo Cavaco is an engineer, but he has always been passionate about sports and the sea. From all…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Miguel has a long term relationship with water. He’s been a swimmer and a water polo player for over…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Mary-Clare is a Portuguese South African who has been surrounded by the water for as long as she can…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Catarina has always lived in communion with swimming since she was 5 years old, when she started in…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Arseny has a wide range of titles in his career as an open water swimmer. With particular emphasis on…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Pedro holds a degree in Sports Training, specializing in Swimming, and a master’s degree in Physical…(see more)
SWIM COACH
Joana Amaral has a degree in Sports Training, currently attending a master’s degree in Physical…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Claudia’s true passion is the water. She was a competitive athlete for 7 years. For academic reasons…(see more)
SWIM GUIDE
Tiago has a lifetime dedicated to the water. Competing at the highest level in swimming, with a special focus…(see more)
André Santos is an entrepreneur. With only 20 years old opened his own business. Unsatisfied by nature, he can not stand still, dedicating his time to what he likes the most: to create and to explore.
Not only is the voice of the project, but also responsible for motivating his team to follow his dream. What moves him is the will to “make it happen,” believing that “difficult is different from impossible”.
Alfredo Santos is the CFO of Swim Together. With more than 30 years of professional experience in business management, he has a special affection for new projects.
Lover of sport activities and passion for aeronautics. He believes that the union of accumulated experience with the irreverence of the young entrepreneurial spirit is a winning recipe.
José was born in Coimbra. He is a level 3 swimming coach and has a degree is Sport Science and Physical Education.
Over the years, he has coached several competitive swim teams.
Currently is also a master swimmer. Passionate about teaching swimming and the pleasure of swimming in open water.
Tiago Durães started swimming at the age of 5.
Tiago is an open water swimmer for some years, was a swimming coach and a lifeguard. He is a long distance swimmer and has participated in several competitions.
Tiago loves sports and he can´t live far from the sea.
Vânia Neves is a swimming coach and former open water Olympic swimmer. She was responsible for the first academic work on biomechanics in open waters, namely the kinetics of VO2.
She is also a co-author of the first published scientific article on energy expenditure and kinetic analysis in open waters (“5 km front crawl in pool and open water swimming: breath-by-breath energy expenditure and kinematic analysis”).
As a high competition swimmer, she used to swim between 80 and 100 km per week, something that was only possible due to her passion for the sport and her great psychological preparation. As a coach, she seeks to instill this passion in her swimmers.
Margarida Madeira began learning how to swim when she was 5 years old.
During her teens, she practiced non-stop, in order to compete. However, due to her other passion, design, she abandon it to persue her dream.
Today, she swims in open waters as a running complement and practice for the swimrun.
Pedro is a waterman. Portuguese and raised in Lisbon he started swimming at the age of 3, progressing through the squads and competing at a regional level.
He left his team at the age of 14 to focus on Judo where he achieved a 3rd place in National Championship. At this stage regarding water activities Pedro was surfing, bodyboarding and also joined a waterpolo team.
By the age of 20 he came back to swimming at a local club and since then he started competing in masters category and open water events from 1,5km to 10km achieving always top qualifications in the open category.
He studied engeneering and worked as a IT consultant and now is taking a sabatic time to share his passion and knowledge for swimming in open water with others, always providing great, entertaining and safe experiences.
As a curiosity Pedro worked 6 seasons as a lifeguard and competed in lifeguard National events indoor and outdoor.
After a degree in economics in his early years, Gustavo decided to follow his dreams in triathlon. He was a part of the national team and represented Portugal in many international events.
He then turned to coaching swimming and triathlon, having more than 20 years of experience doing it.
Currently finishing a degree in oceanography, he’s very passionate about sharing his knowledge, experience and love for swimming, the open water and the ocean.
Tudor Florin is an experienced, resourceful, and passionate swimming coach with over 25 years of working with students of different ages and more than 15 years as a high-performance swimmer with a background as an international competitor.
As a World Junior Champion in the 100m and 200m breaststroke, holder of over 80 national titles, former national record holder in the 100m breaststroke, and long-time member of the Romanian national team, he is a passionate water enthusiast who loves being in the ocean, whether for open water swimming, surfing, or just pure fun.
To complete his knowledge, he has a Master’s Degree in Kinesiotherapy and completed a course in Aquatic Rescue & Safety Lifeguarding.
Hugo Cavaco is an engineer, but he has always been passionate about sports and the sea.
From all the sports he has done, swimming has been one of the constant ones and in 2021 he decided to merge his two passions and try open water swimming.
Since then, it became his main sport and what he enjoys doing the most, whether is only training with friends, try long distance challenges or just swimming in new places with new people.
Miguel has a long term relationship with water. He’s been a swimmer and a water polo player for over 10 years.
In university he decide to pursue this love for physical activity with a degree in Sports Science, and following it up with a Master’s in Sports Training.
Used to adventures in his free time exploring the great outdoors, the sea is certainly a best of both worlds for him.
With a firm belief that “Where ther’s a will there’s a way”, he can’t wait to challenge your goals with you.
Mary-Clare is a Portuguese South African who has been surrounded by the water for as long as she can remember, whether she was in the water training and competing or coaching on the sidelines.
MC started swimming at the age of 7 and soon after, began competing. She developed a love for all swims long distance and the water pretty much became her second home.
When her and her family moved to the coast, she eagerly dived into the Open Water Swimming World and there was no turning back.
She is constantly reminded about the importance of respecting and appreciating the Ocean and it’s waters for the strength, greatness and beauty that it holds and she looks forward to sharing her passion for the water with the people around her.
Catarina has always lived in communion with swimming since she was 5 years old, when she started in this sport.
Passionate about it, she decided to try open water swimming and hasn’t stopped since then.
Between adventures, tours and occasional competitions, she has dedicated her time to swimming and nursing, another of his great passions.
Arseny has a wide range of titles in his career as an open water swimmer.
With particular emphasis on the title of vice European champion in the 25km distance and two participations in the Olympic Games, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
Focus and discipline have always been part of his daily life, these being key factors to achieve success.
Pedro holds a degree in Sports Training, specializing in Swimming, and a master’s degree in Physical Education Teaching.
With extensive experience as an athlete, he has 20 years of competitive experience, including 15 years in youth categories, from cadet to senior, and 5 years as a master athlete.
In 2022, he became the European champion in the 3 km event at the European Masters Championship, in the 25-29 age category, in Rome.
Since 2019, he has pursued a career as a coach, applying his passion for swimming and his commitment to the development of his athletes.
Joana Amaral has a degree in Sports Training, currently attending a master’s degree in Physical Education.
Connected to the water from a young age, she was federated in pure swimming and open water. She is currently a swimming teacher, completing her knowledge with experience in first aid, acquired as a lifeguard.
Her passion for water is passed on to her students through the tranquility and happiness she shows when she teaches and swims.
Claudia’s true passion is the water.
She was a competitive athlete for 7 years. For academic reasons stopped for 5 years but always with the focus on returning in the future.
Nowadays she swims as master A in national pure swimming and open water competitions.
More recently, she discovered a new passion: swimrun. It’s through nature and sports that she feels truly fulfilled, and this is the path she intends to pursue in the future.
Tiago has a lifetime dedicated to the water.
Competing at the highest level in swimming, with a special focus on long-distance events, Tiago also played water polo and became an influential bodyboarder, building deep ocean knowledge over several decades.
Holds a degree in High-Performance Coaching specialising in Swimming, as well as qualifications as a Lifeguard and Surf & Bodyboard Instructor, complemented by multiple certifications in aquatic rescue, Tiago is the perfect guide for an adventure, preparation for high-level competition, or introduce newcomers to the world of Open Water swimming in the waters of Northern Portugal.
