III Travesía Solidaria La Manga 2026

The III Travesía Solidaria La Manga takes place on June 27, 2026, featuring three distinct race distances: 1500m, 3300m, and 4500m. The event utilizes the unique geography of the Mar Menor, a coastal lagoon separated from the Mediterranean by a 22-kilometer sandbar. Swimmers covering the 4500m distance start at the Club Náutico Dos Mares, while the 1500m event remains centered at the Club Náutico Los Nietos. Entry fees include a branded swimming cap and a post-race meal, with transportation by boat provided to the starting line for the longer distance. For those seeking additional local challenges, the calendar includes dates like the Mar Menor crossing at Los Nietos earlier in the spring.

Historical waters and volcanic geology

Navigating these waters offers a rare vantage point over the five extinct volcanic cones that emerged approximately 7 million years ago, including the prominent Isla Mayor. The seabed here once supported a thriving Roman industry dedicated to the production of 'garum', a fermented fish sauce that relied on the sheltered depth of the lagoon for heavy merchant vessels. Throughout the swim, one can trace the defensive history of the coastline; the watchtowers commissioned by monarchs Charles V and Philip II remain silent sentinels against the era of Barbary pirate raids. The area was also the site of the Battle of Cape Palos in 1938, a pivotal naval engagement during the Spanish Civil War that unfolded just beyond the lagoon's narrow channels.

Natural markers and landmarks

Beyond the human history, the terrain reflects a legacy documented in the 14th-century 'Libro de la Montería', which described the sandbar as a habitat for deer and wild boar. Today, these historical connections persist in local toponyms like Isla del Ciervo. Swimmers might spot the distinctive Neo-Mudéjar architecture of the baron’s palace on Isla Mayor, a structure that dominates the horizon. The environment is further defined by the complex 'encañizadas' fishing systems, an Arab-era legacy still visible in the natural channels, and the remnants of Neolithic settlements at Las Amoladeras that remind us of the area's ancient reliance on these specific waters. While migratory loggerhead turtles were once common in these dunes, the current race day focus remains on the protected, enclosed conditions of the lagoon.