Travesía Bahía Playa Blanca

Organized by the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the event is a staple stop of the Copa de Natación en Aguas Abiertas de Lanzarote circuit. The race covers a classic single-distance course of 1,500 meters across the bay. In previous editions, swimmers have lined up along the water after descending the ramp of the Marina Rubicón nautical school, forming an imaginary starting line directly in the sea. Other editions have sent waves off from the sands of Playa Dorada, staging staggered starts where the women's field departs five minutes behind the men. Once underway, the bay presents a remarkably fast stretch of water where swimmers settle into a comfortable, rhythmic stroke. Unless stronger coastal winds kick up, the sea surface remains cooperative and flat, allowing competitors to take full advantage of favorable currents.

The finish line sits on the small town beach, where crowds of locals and companions line the water's edge to cheer the arrivals. The beach landing carries an authentic community atmosphere, celebrated in past years when adaptive athletes received roaring ovations from the entire shoreline. After exiting the sea, hundreds of swimmers and spectators gather around the seaside square next to the Brisa Marina restaurant, sharing a giant post-race paella before the trophy ceremony.

Estrecho de la Bocaina: the channel between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Lifting your eyes from the bay reveals the open expanse of the Estrecho de la Bocaina, the 15-kilometer channel of the Atlantic Ocean separating Lanzarote from neighboring Fuerteventura. For the vast majority of their geological history, the two islands formed a single landmass, now severed by depths between 30 and 35 meters. A full channel crossing takes marathon swimmers anywhere from five to eight hours. About four kilometres along the shore stands the Faro de Punta Pechiguera, marking the boundary of the Bocaina channel. Built as part of the 1856 Canary Islands Lighting Plan and inaugurated in 1866, the original basalt ashlar masonry tower guided ships through the strait for some 120 years.

Generations of Atlantic salt spray have battered its stonework, iron, and timber, leaving behind an evocative maritime landmark against the open sea. Anchored right in the middle of the strait lies the Islote de Lobos, a volcanic cone rising 127 meters above the surrounding Atlantic. Today, the submerged seabed around the islet is blanketed with lush Cymodocea nodosa seagrass meadows where parrotfish, sea bream, and groupers glide through crystal-clear depths.

Castillo de las Coloradas and the Rubicón archaeological coast

Just two kilometres from the race course, overlooking the Bocaina Strait, the Castillo de San Marcial de Rubicón perches on Punta del Águila atop a 15-meter sea bluff. Completed in 1742, this round stone fortress was erected to defend the island's southern shores against pirate incursions that had terrorized the coast since the 16th century. Only seven years after its construction, Algerian corsairs landed on the promontory, burning down the fortification as they marched inland to raid Femés. This rugged shoreline was mapped in the late 16th century by Torriani. Down by Playa de la Cruz, the old well of Pozo de la Cruz marks the site of the original Norman settlement of San Marcial del Rubicón. Nearby at Playa de la Cera, coastal military bunkers have found a far more welcoming purpose, transformed into rustic seaside dining terraces directly above the sand.

Los Ajaches and the sheltered coves of Playas de Papagayo

The ancient volcanic massif of Los Ajaches stands about six kilometres from the race bay. Dating back eleven million years, this deeply eroded formation stretches from Punta del Papagayo to Playa Quemada, protected today as a natural monument and Special Protection Area for birds. Tucked within the borders of Los Ajaches are the famed Papagayo coves, offering ideal waters for warm-up swims before race day. Swimmers can spread out across Playa Mujeres, the largest stretch of sand in the sector at 400 meters long.

Salinas de Janubio: volcanic lagoons along the western shore

Heading about nine kilometres from Playa Blanca, the dramatic volcanic lagoon of Salinas de Janubio opens up along the coast. Created when volcanic eruptions poured lava into the sea, forming a natural coastal barrier, the lagoon spans roughly 1,000 meters in circumference with an average depth of three meters. Handcrafted between 1895 and 1945, the historic salt pans form an intricate geometric grid that still harvests salt from Atlantic seawater. The salt pans shimmer in brilliant pinks and deep reds, a natural coloration produced by microscopic Dunaliella salina algae, Artemia crustaceans, and halophilic bacteria thriving in the brine. Because of this rich aquatic ecosystem, the lagoon serves as a vital refuge, nesting ground, and resting site for migratory waterbirds within a designated Special Protection Area.

It stands as a striking reminder of how volcanic geology and ocean water intertwine across Lanzarote's coast. About thirteen kilometres from the race area, another marine curiosity lies at Charco Verde, where an intense green lagoon sits beside an 18th-century volcanic crater. The lagoon stretches 100 meters across, its striking color fueled by sulfur and Ruppia maritima algae fed by seawater seeping underground directly from the Atlantic.