Abbracciamoli Stretto di Messina

The morning in Messina begins long before the first swimmers enter the water. Local residents and the organizing team from Abbracciamoli APS gather along the shores of Capo Peloro, creating a rhythm of anticipation that defines this annual event. While many swimmers choose to test their endurance in the earlier Strait of Messina Crossing at the beginning of August, the Abbracciamoli event on August 31st offers a distinct, late-summer perspective on these legendary waters.

The currents and the myths

Swimming here means navigating the fabled collision of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. The strait is defined by its powerful tidal currents, which can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h in the narrow section between Ganzirri and Punta Pezzo. As you stroke, you are crossing the historic home of the monsters of Greek mythology, whose legendary whirlpools have terrified mariners for millennia. Today, the sea level difference of up to 27 cm between the two basins drives these currents, turning the swim into a dynamic interaction with the physical forces that shaped ancient lore. In these waters, deep-sea upwelling often brings the temperature 4-10 °C lower than the surrounding Mediterranean, a startling contrast that keeps you alert through the 3500m course.

Views from the channel

As you navigate the strait, the landscape provides a constant, towering presence. Mount Dinnammare dominates the horizon, rising to 1,127 meters; its name, derived from the Latin 'bimaris' or 'two seas', reflects the panoramic reality of the climb, where the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas meet under the gaze of the Aeolian Islands. You might also spot the massive steel pylons, relics of a past high-voltage power line, which stand as monuments of industrial archaeology on the Sicilian and Calabrian shores. The intensity of the strait occasionally draws deep-sea life to the surface, and it is not uncommon for observers to note the presence of bathypelagic species like the silver hatchetfish. This route has seen centuries of history, from the arrival of the 'Death Ships' in 1347 to the departure of the fleet for the Battle of Lepanto. Even the memory of Richard the Lionheart, who established a temporary fortification here during the Third Crusade, feels tangible as you cross the same path taken by countless voyagers throughout the ages.