Travesía Isla Caraballo

Isla Caraballo hosts the Travesía Isla Caraballo, an open water swimming event organized by OWA in the river waters off Colón, Entre Ríos, Argentina. Swimmers launch into a vast fluvial landscape that combines long-distance downstream swimming with wild riverbanks. Named after the nearby Caraballo Creek, this wide sandbank emerges with sun-bleached shores that have earned it the local moniker of the 'Entre Ríos Caribbean'. The setting provides an open, untamed starting arena surrounded by shallow shoals and broad skies. The isolated sands serve as a resting and feeding habitat for numerous migratory birds, where ospreys, terns, and skimmers skim the water surface and wheel overhead.

The OWA courses from Caraballo to Piedras Coloradas

The centerpiece of the competition is a demanding 18 km downstream marathon that begins directly at the Caraballo sandbank. From the sandbar, swimmers navigate down through scenic natural environments, passing the historic riverside community of Pueblo Liebig and the town of San José before reaching the port of Colón. Cutting through the main channel requires steady pacing and endurance over several hours of river navigation. The duration and physical challenge of the descent are heavily influenced by the unpredictable currents of the Río Uruguay. While these powerful flows can test navigation and pace, the race program adapts safely to the river's conditions, with the 150 to 350-meter Kids' event adjusted on race day to keep every swimmer secure.

Alongside the long-distance route, the weekend features point-to-point races designed for various levels, including a 5 km course starting at San José and a 2.5 km swim setting off from Playa Norte, both finishing at Piedras Coloradas in Colón. Once the distance events wrap up, action turns to the shoreline for the Knockout Swim, a fast-paced team competition held over an explosive 50-meter beach circuit that starts and finishes right on the sand.

Bancos del Caraballo and the Liebig-to-Colón stretch

The Bancos del Caraballo are large dune formations in the middle of the Río Uruguay. The dunes of the Bancos del Caraballo are sediment dragged along by the Río Uruguay from its source in the north, and willows are the first trees to colonise them before gallery forest takes over. In OWA's 2026/27 calendar the Open Water Colón weekend is based at the Camping Club Piedras Coloradas in Colón, Entre Ríos, and runs over two days. The 10 km leg of the Open Water Colón weekend is a point-to-point swim on the Río Uruguay from the public beach at Liebig to Colón. On that 10 km leg the current is with the swimmers, and the estimated times run from 1 h 35 min to 2 h 30 min.

Esteros de Farrapos: the border wetlands and islands

About five kilometres from the race area, the river ecosystem broadens into the Parque nacional Esteros de Farrapos e Islas del Río Uruguay, a vast protected wetland encompassing 21,565 hectares of islands and riverbanks. The river system itself—comprising the main stem of the Río Uruguay and its meandering side channels—accounts for 4,013 hectares of the reserve. A core sector of 17,496 hectares, including 24 sedimentary islands, was designated as a Ramsar site in 2004 to preserve its international importance. The surrounding waters and island forests support remarkable biological diversity, hosting over 200 bird species, including great egrets and southern screamers, alongside the Phrynops hilarii freshwater turtle. Mammals, reptiles, and amphibians thrive across the archipelago, with the park acting as a refuge for pumas and standing as the only protected area where the maned wolf has been recorded.

Colón, Pueblo Liebig, and the riverside settlements

Life along this stretch of the river revolves around its sandy shores and historic ports. About ten kilometres from the race area, on the eastern bank of the Río Uruguay, sits the town of San Javier, which functions as a primary gateway to the Esteros de Farrapos wetlands and its maze of islands. Swimmers and accompanying travelers exploring the river can base themselves near the water at Puerto Viejo, where a well-equipped camping area provides direct access to the broad currents of the Río Uruguay.