Circuito Mares — Vitória

Arriving in Vitória, the road tracing the coast reveals the city’s complex geography, an island-capital defined by its defensive history. As you approach Praia de Camburi, the horizon is dominated by a stark industrial skyline, a constant reminder of the region’s economic engine. This stretch of sand, where the Circuito Mares hosts its annual challenge, sits directly in the shadow of the Port of Tubarão. While you prepare your gear, the massive iron ore terminal operates at a staggering pace of 16,000 tonnes per hour, an industrial scale that grounds the local reality. The water itself is a dynamic estuary, fed by the Bubu and Santa Maria de Vitória rivers, flowing into a bay so narrow that historical captains found it a formidable bottleneck.

The water and the route

Swimming here means navigating an environment shaped by both colonial fortification and modern commerce. The bay, originally named Guanaani, was established as a stronghold in 1551 by Vasco Fernandes Coutinho to repel Dutch and French incursions. Today, the water remains a tactical space for athletes, offering distances of 500m, 1000m, 2500m, and 5000m. The current can be significant, influenced by the bay’s narrow entrance, requiring a steady pace. Keep an eye out for the Third Bridge, the second-tallest in Brazil, which serves as a massive navigational landmark across the bay’s mouth. While you might encounter the lush mangrove vegetation typical of the Atlantic Forest on the fringes of the coastline, the primary challenge remains the open water itself. Athletes often feel the influence of the cold Falklands current, which can trigger sharp drops in water temperature, a factor to consider when choosing your equipment. For those looking to calibrate their season, this race offers a different profile than the mid-year tests found at Travessia Vista do Mestre, and it serves as a high-intensity precursor to the long-distance challenges like the 15K Morro a Morro held just two weeks later.