BEST Fest

BEST Fest is a week-long open water swimming festival held in the open sea at Colònia Sant Jordi, along the southern coast of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands. Organized by Best Centre Sports, the gathering unfolds over a full week in late May, offering swimmers an extended retreat in the calm Mediterranean waters at the beginning of the island's summer season. Taking to the water each morning, swimmers find the steady rhythm of the open sea, the tang of Mediterranean salt, and day after day of dedicated racing. The festival programme features seven events offering an extensive range of distances tailored for both sprint swimmers and endurance specialists. Participants can challenge themselves across individual distances of 500 metres, 1.5 kilometres, 1.9 kilometres, 3 kilometres, 3.8 kilometres, 5 kilometres, 7 kilometres, and a full 10-kilometre marathon swim.

Alongside the individual events, a fast-paced 4x500-metre relay invites teams to share the line and race together along the coast. One of the signature fixtures of the schedule is the quirky 'Tell Me Your Time' challenge over a 2.5-kilometre course. Swimmers predict their exact finish time before entering the sea and must complete the distance without wearing a watch, navigating and regulating their pace entirely by feel. The atmosphere is described as electric, with swimmers from all over the world converging to create a vibrant, high-spirited international gathering.

Colònia Sant Jordi marine reserve: Posidonia and clarity

The marine expanse between Colònia Sant Jordi and the Cabrera archipelago was established as the first official Marine Conservation Zone in Spain. This marine passage is celebrated as a protected environment known for its crystal-clear water. Within this protected coastal park, the beach and dune system includes healthy meadows of Posidonia oceanica seagrass that flourish beneath the surface. These seagrass beds support the coastal environment in the shallow, calm waters that front the dunes.

Festival week: the sea, the port and the programme

For the late-May BEST Fest, sea temperatures around Mallorca in May range from 17.2°C (63 °F) to 20.9°C (70 °F), with an average of 19°C (66 °F). The port on the east side of Colònia Sant Jordi has cafes looking out over the boats and the beaches of Es Dolç and Es Carbo, and it is the departure point for trips to Cabrera. Heading west from the port you pass the Olympic swimming pool at the BEST Centre and the Salines, which have produced salt since Roman times, on the way to Es Estanys and Es Trenc. Alongside the swims the week offers talks by international swimming figures, free daily pool access, technique clinics and outdoor yoga sessions. The social programme includes a Secret Swim as the sun sets, a barbecue with live music and an awards ceremony. For all open water events the festival provides support kayaks and support boats, with medical staff and ambulances in attendance.

The offshore islets: Talayotic tombs and endemic lizards

A series of rocky islets rises along the coast outside Colònia Sant Jordi, shaping the character of the surrounding seascape. Just 170 metres from the shoreline of Colònia Sant Jordi lies the islet of Na Llarga, a low sliver of land measuring 250 metres in length and 25 metres in width. The island's rocky surface supports small shrubs of the Limonium genus that withstand the salt-laden breezes. Closer to shore, about 90 metres off the coast of Mallorca in front of Punta del Tort, sits the small islet of Na Cabot. Formed of low, pointed rocks, Na Cabot is submerged by the sea during stormy conditions. Because of the relentless influence of high marine salinity, it supports no terrestrial plants or animals at all.

Further offshore, approximately 400 metres from the coast of Colònia Sant Jordi in the municipality of Las Salinas, stands the islet of Na Corberana. Measuring 80 metres long and 40 metres wide, it maintains a low altitude but features steep, craggy rock faces rising from the water. Like its neighbouring rocks, the constant sea spray leaves it almost completely devoid of vegetation. In contrast, Na Moltona is a broad, flat islet measuring 300 metres from north to south and 360 metres from east to west. Its perimeter is primarily rocky, though a sheltered sandy beach opens on its northeast side, flanked by two small satellite islets. The eastern portion of Na Moltona is covered in wild olive, mastic, buckthorn, juniper, and sea squill.

The island is also the exclusive sanctuary for a rare reptile: the Balearic lizard subspecies *Podarcis lilfordi jordansi*, found nowhere in the world except on Na Moltona and nearby Na Guardes. Human settlement on these islets reaches far back into prehistoric times, with Na Moltona preserving archaeological remains from the Talayotic culture. Measuring 100 metres in length and 20 metres in width, Isla Gavina is vegetated by Limonium shrubs, serves as a breeding ground for seagulls, and conceals an ancient Talayotic tomb carved as an artificial cave into the rock.

Es Trenc and Salobrar de Campos: dunes, salt, and watchtowers

Stretching west from Colònia Sant Jordi lies Es Trenc, a pristine natural beach on the southern coast extending approximately 10 kilometres between Colònia de Sant Jordi and Sa Ràpita. The beach is part of a protected natural area defined by white sand dunes and calm, shallow sea. Inland, the park incorporates the wetlands of Salobrar de Campos, along with coastal ponds and stabilizing forests of pine and juniper trees. Fleur de sel is actively harvested in the historic salt flats situated directly behind the beach. During the spring and autumn months, these peaceful coastal wetlands also become an essential feeding and resting ground for migrating common flamingos. About five kilometres from the race area, near the entrance to Sa Ràpita on the Campos coast, stands the historic Torre de Son Durí.

Built during the Modern Age, the stone tower served to defend the coast against pirate raids. Two watchmen were stationed inside to monitor the sea for approaching pirate vessels. Whenever danger was spotted on the water, the lookouts lit a fire atop the tower to signal the population. The structure ceased to sit right on the seafront following the late twentieth-century construction of the La Rápita Nautical Club, but its silhouette still watches the bay. Since 2003, Es Pontàs has been world-renowned as a venue for deep-water soloing, where climbers tackle steep routes without ropes over deep water. In 2006, Chris Sharma established the groundbreaking 9a+ route on the arch, beginning from a small ledge two metres above the sea surface. The route made history as the very first deep-water soloing climb to reach the 9a+ difficulty grade. For swimmers competing at BEST Fest, the coastline offers an immersion in clear Mediterranean water.