Oceanman Lago d'Orta

Oceanman Lago D'Orta is an open water swimming race held in June across the deep freshwater of Lake Orta, situated by Gozzano in the Piedmont region. Swimmers can test themselves across a comprehensive spectrum of distances, ranging from a 500-metre sprint relay to intermediate courses of 1.5 and 5.5 kilometres, all the way to the flagship 14-kilometre marathon traversing the length of the lake. The long-distance route leads through crystal-clear water flanked by alpine ridges and historic shoreline villages, steering directly alongside the storybook island of San Giulio. Out on the open lake, long-course competitors face the sustained pull of natural return currents, though the constant company of assigned canoeists provides close safety and steady directional navigation throughout the crossing.

In conditions where heavy rain and gusts ruffle the ordinarily calm surface, organizers have previously reorganized the competition around a sheltered two-kilometre circuit fronting the Lido di Gozzano. In those rough-water circumstances, the race adopts an Australian-style dynamic where competitors exit onto the shore at the end of every lap to run through the finish gate before plunging back into the swell. Under normal skies, the beachhead becomes a natural amphitheatre where all courses conclude together, creating a lively festival atmosphere as marathoners and sprinters share the same sand.

Lake Orta: the Simplon glacier basin and the Nigoglia

The deep body of water beneath you was carved out by the southern tongue of the ancient Simplon glacier. Unlike many shallow mountain pools, Lake Orta conceals an underwater ridge roughly one hundred metres deep that stretches across the narrows between Punta Crabbia and the village of Ronco, effectively bisecting the basin into two hydrographic chambers. Rather than draining southward toward the Po plain like its neighbouring valleys, the lake empties exclusively through the Nigoglia stream at its northern tip, an unusual geological trait where the outlet flows toward the high mountains.

Isola di San Giulio: the fortified sanctuary of Queen Willa

The visual anchor of the course is the Isola di San Giulio, situated roughly 400 metres off the eastern shore, measuring just 275 metres long by 140 metres wide with an entire perimeter of 650 metres. Swimmers stroke past an outcrop whose archaeological layers date back to prehistoric times, where excavations have unearthed ancient ceramic fragments attesting to continuous settlement from the Neolithic period right through to the Iron Age. Between the fifth and sixth centuries, the rocky crag was transformed into a fortified bulwark guarding the southern approaches from the Simplon Pass. The stronghold witnessed turbulent frontier conflicts, including the dramatic execution of the Lombard Duke Mimulfo, who was beheaded on the island in the year 590 under the orders of King Agilulfo for political treason.

Centuries later, in 962, Queen Willa, wife of Berengario II, retreated to the island and fortified its perimeter with stone battlements remembered as the Queen's Wall to resist an imperial army. She held the rock against the forces of Emperor Otto I of Saxony through a fierce two-month siege before finally surrendering her garrison. Today, the silhouette that swimmers admire from the water is dominated by the monumental Bishop's Seminary, constructed in the nineteenth century after the original medieval castle was demolished in 1841.

Granite cliffs and mountain torrents: Madonna del Sasso to Pescone

The most prominent eastern tributary is the Pescone, which springs from the steep slopes of Mount Mottarone and rushes down through dramatic, precipitous gorges before pouring into the lake. Its swift descent has historically powered early twentieth-century hydro turbines and still provides exhilarating whitewater rapids for kayakers heading down toward Pettenasco.

Lido di Gozzano: golden beach and Galvani's springboard

The Lido di Gozzano beach extends for 150 metres of fine golden sand, making it entirely unique in scale and character on Lake Orta. The bay enjoys direct sun exposure from dawn until twilight, providing the perfect natural platform for resting muscles after hours in the lake. Standing boldly above the sand is the highest lake diving tower in Italy, a striking piece of mid-century concrete architecture designed in 1954 by Mario Galvani and faithfully restored to its historic prominence. Just behind the sand runs a preserved cobblestone segment of the Via Francisca del Lucomagno, an ancient pilgrims' highway. As the competition winds down, the lido's lakeside restaurant welcomes athletes under the broad shade of mature plane trees, offering simple post-race lunches by day and open-air dining under the stars. By nightfall, the lake waters turn mirror-smooth, reflecting the distant warm illuminations that wash across the facades of San Giulio Island, bringing a tranquil finish to an ambitious swim across Piedmont.