Dino-Cirella — Traversata della Riviera dei Cedri

The Dino-Cirella is a 25km open water marathon swim along the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, connecting Lido Caporena in Praia a Mare to Lido delle Sirene in Cirella. Scheduled for mid-September, the event challenges participants with a long-distance course that requires significant physiological endurance and strategic management of sea conditions. Swimmers depart at 8:30 AM, navigating a route that spans the Riviera dei Cedri and concludes after approximately seven hours of effort. Logistics are managed by AQA Cosenza, coordinating the safety protocols necessary for such an extended passage, which includes both individual attempts and a five-person relay format.

Historical and coastal landmarks

As athletes progress south, the coastline reveals the defensive architecture that historically protected this region. Swimmers pass the Arcomagno natural arch in San Nicola Arcella, before navigating the waters near the Abatemarco River, where the Norman castle of San Michele remains a prominent silhouette against the horizon. This structure was once a vital component of a defensive network, synchronized with the tower of Sant'Andrea to alert the mainland of approaching threats. Further along the route, the proximity to the Lao River marks the ancient boundary between Lucania and Bruttium, a geographic feature that has defined the movement of people in this area since antiquity.

The approach to Cirella

The final phase of the swim brings competitors toward the island of Cirella, a limestone formation covering 0.12 square kilometers. Visible from the water, the island reaches 40 meters in elevation, its cliffs shaped by centuries of marine erosion into small inlets and caves. On its summit stands a square military fortification, constructed in 1562 to provide a lookout point against raiding Turkish pirates. While navigating these final kilometers, swimmers often pass over dense meadows of Posidonia oceanica, an ecosystem that supports a variety of marine life including the Pinna nobilis, the Mediterranean’s largest bivalve. The seabed here is layered with history, occasionally yielding Greco-Roman artifacts, a reminder of the maritime heritage that has characterized this stretch of the Tyrrhenian for millennia. For those seeking shorter distances in similar conditions, the Cirella Trophy offers a different pacing in June, while the San Nicola Arcella Trophy provides a regional championship setting in July.