Introduction to Sailing Holiday Reviews

4.9 Rating 120 Reviews

About BeyondBeach (formerly Trek Adventures):

Organising sailing, skiing and active holidays that are fun, friendly and professional since 2000.

Exciting news! We have been nominated for the 2025 British Travel Awards! Vote for us here:

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Phone:

01548 288459

Email:

info@beyondbeach.com

Location:

The Generator Hub, Quay House,
The Gallery Kings Wharf, The Quay,
Exeter
Devon
EX24AN

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“We wanted to book a 'Learn to Sail' course in preparation for a flotilla we had already booked. Hubby already has Day Skipper/ICC but I had little sailing experience so we wanted a company that would help us to learn to sail together (and in the sunshine!). Right from the start, Beyond the beach made the whole booking process easy and were very efficient. They answered all our questions quickly and informatively to ensure a smooth booking process. Before we had taken off at Gatwick we even had a little text message providing a point of contact and a process from the moment we landed. Booking and arrival could not have been easier with our skipper waiting to greet us upon arrival and show us our boat/facilities (as an aside, the welcome things provided on the boat are very useful and much appreciated). Shirley and her team were fabulous and accommodated our needs, allowing us to focus on the practicalities (and safety elements) of sailing short handed rather than getting bogged down with too much theory (I did not want to focus on the theory side of things as hubby already has his ICC - something for next time maybe and another trip back to Beyond the Beach). We had Jess as our skipper for the week and she was fabulous and really nice easy company. Super patient - no question was a stupid one - and she really made the whole thing fun, informative and enjoyable. We have come away feeling excited and ready for our flotilla in a few weeks. Lixouri was a great base for this type of holiday offering scenic gentle sailing without the crowds (admittedly it was mid-may) - with the odd turtle thrown in for good measure. Lots of places for food/coffee and great choice of little restaurants serving authentic Greek food at a very reasonable price. We actually found it cheaper to eat out than buy food and cook on the boat - the locals are very friendly and welcoming. All in all, we had a really great week and holiday - learnt loads, met some lovely people, ate incredibly well and had lots of fun - big thanks to Shirley and her team (inc Sennan - another fabulous instructor and Martin the boat maintenance man) and a particularly huge thanks to Jess.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

“Lovely welcome and introduction by the yacht team, Jess, sennen and Shirley to our yacht for 2 weeks - Constance. Beautifully clean and well maintained. Comfortable and well equipped. Great contact at all times gave us reassurance and useful local info when needed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 months ago

“Great team, everyone ooozed enthusiasm for making our trip the best it could be. Super comms up to and on arrival. Outstanding sailing team, particular shout out to exceptional Shirley and Maddy impressed us too. Shirley put me at my ease to qualify as a skipper, her experience, little hints and tips made all the difference to my confidence. We loved the experience. Shame the weather was against us one day but it was Sept. We will be back. Well equipped boats, btw it’s not too stressful feeding your skipper keep it simple it’s about sailing at the end of the day. Little note - sleeping onboard is different if you like creature comforts bring a pillow/mattress topper. I hope the shower room will be upgraded before we go again, it’s totally functional and clean just somewhat dated. Thanks Beyond Beach for fab-u-lous holiday.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Fantastic week learning to sail on Kefalonia - professional and friendly instructor, great location, beautiful area. Would highly recommend!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Great company lovely staff good value for money Good communication from start to finish Made to feel confident in boat handling skills And the instructor and instruction was first class I would highly recommend”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“We had a fantastic learn to sail holiday in Kefalonia under the expert guidance of the lovely Shirley. We learned a brain full about sailing and gained so much confidence handling Escape. We will be back next year to join a flotilla and put our new skills to good use”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“We did the Learn to Sail course this summer with Maddy as our skipper and had a fantastic time. Maddy was welcoming and knowledgable and a great teacher. She was more than happy to answer all our questions, even going beyond the course content when we asked. We loved the coloured sheet set up on Leo II which made learning easier and we’ve already booked a flotilla for next summer!”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Service was excellent throughout.Mark and team were really helpful from enquiry and booking. We were a family of 5. Our sailing training was delivered by Shirley, she was amazing and we had the best time. Thank you Beyond beach, we will be back!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago