XXVIII Cto España AA OPEN 2026 — Santa Eulària (Ibiza)

The Santa Eulària des Riu event offers four race distances—3000m, 5000m, 7500m, and 10000m—held annually in the Mediterranean waters of the Balearic Islands. Scheduled for April 24, 2026, the competition serves as a national-level gathering organized by the Real Federación Española de Natación and the local sailing club. Swimmers face a course defined by the unique coastal geography of the eastern Ibiza shoreline, where historical industrial remains meet open sea conditions. Those preparing for longer, multi-island challenges in the area can look to the UltraSwim Ibiza-Formentera, which takes place just over a month later in late May.

Coastal landmarks and water dynamics

Navigating the bay requires attention to the specific features that shape the local current and swell. To the west, the silhouette of the Puig d'en Fita hill serves as a primary reference point, its slopes illuminated at night by scattered residential lights. On the eastern boundary, the Punta Arabí promontory guards the bay, where the inlet of Redona contains rocky reefs that demand a wide berth. These reefs are historically significant as the site where the steamboat Mallorca ran aground in 1913. Near S'Argamassa, participants swim past the structural remains of a Roman industrial settlement, where ancient water conduits still trace the shoreline. Further along the coast, the beach of Agua Blanca presents a different challenge; the 'white horses' or choppy waves here are generated by persistent sea breezes, creating a dynamic surface environment that contrasts with the sheltered sections near the river mouth. The Riu de Santa Eulària, the only river in the Balearic archipelago, flows into the bay here, occasionally altering local salinity levels after heavy inland rains. Overlooking the entire race area from a 52-meter vantage point is the fortified church of Puig de Missa, a structure designed in the 16th century with a rounded bastion intended to command the harbor with artillery. Swimmers will also pass the triple-arched Pont Vell, a stone structure that has spanned the local valley since at least the early 18th century.