17ª Travessia Noturna de Bombinhas

The waters surrounding the Bombinhas peninsula hold a clarity that shifts from deep indigo to transparent turquoise, a characteristic shaped by the rugged, granite-lined geography of the Santa Catarina coastline. Swimming here, one feels the constant, subtle pulse of the Atlantic, where the depth drops rapidly just a few meters from the rocky headlands, creating a dramatic shelf that defines the local underwater terrain. This environment sustains the Arvoredo Biological Marine Reserve, a protected sanctuary established in 1990 that serves as a nursery for a vast array of marine life, often visible to swimmers through the light-reflecting surface during the calmest stretches of the night.

The weight of history

Navigation through these coves carries the legacy of the Azorean settlers who arrived in 1817 to establish the foundations of local life at Vila de Nova Ericeira. As you trace the shoreline, the coastal silhouette reflects a history of maritime survival and adaptation that defined the southern Brazilian coast for centuries. The peninsula’s jagged geography, with its mix of sheltered bays and exposed sea, was once the passage for vessels navigating these volatile waters, a reality still present in the way the currents wrap around the granite points. While the nearby Bombinhas Summer Crossing offers a daytime perspective on these same coves, the nocturnal edition strips away the visual horizon, forcing a total reliance on the rhythm of the stroke and the tactile feedback of the moving water.

Logistics and environment

The 17ª Travessia Noturna de Bombinhas, organized by the Circuito Acqua Travessias, operates within this sensitive ecological framework, which led to the municipality's 2013 designation as the Capital of Ecological Diving. The event timing is calibrated to the tidal shifts that dictate safe passage through the tighter channels near the rocky escarpments. Participants benefit from the safety protocols integral to this circuit, which include guided kayak support to manage navigation in the absence of visual landmarks. The water temperature in April typically settles into a moderate range, requiring athletes to be prepared for the cooling effect of the currents that flow around the peninsula. Swimmers should note the restinga vegetation stretches along the Mariscal coastline, a protected zone that remains a silent witness to the race path as it winds through the dark.