Travesía Bahía Playa Blanca

The water here holds a distinct stillness, yet beneath the surface, you are swimming directly over the submerged echoes of human ambition. As you stroke through the bay, the silence of the seabed is interrupted by the sight of human forms resting on the ocean floor, part of the underwater sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor. These figures, anchored near Las Coloradas, represent the first such installation in the Atlantic, turning the act of swimming into a passage through an artificial reef designed for conservation. It is a surreal vantage point for the Travesía Bahía Playa Blanca, a 1500-meter race that brings athletes to the southern tip of Lanzarote.

Historical currents and landmarks

Beyond the sculptures, the scale of the landscape asserts itself. Looking toward the horizon, the silhouette of the Punta Pechiguera lighthouse guides your trajectory. Rising 50 meters, this structure flashes its white light every thirty seconds, acting as a sentinel for the La Bocaina strait that separates Lanzarote from Fuerteventura. The strait is notorious for heavy westerly swells, though the race course is positioned to utilize the more sheltered coastal waters of Yaiza. This southern coastline is where the first European settlers landed in 1402, establishing the site of El Rubicón. The history of the area is further marked by the remnants of the Cathedral of San Marcial de Limoges, which stood here until 16th-century English pirates destroyed the structure, leaving the site as a quiet historical anchor to the modern race.

Race day and local context

The Travesía Bahía Playa Blanca is part of the XII Copa de Natación en Aguas Abiertas, a series coordinated by the Cabildo de Lanzarote. For those who find this distance a fitting challenge, the season offers other opportunities to experience the island's varied marine conditions, such as the II Travesía La Tiñosa held in August. The event typically attracts a mix of local swimmers and visitors, with the race organization managing the logistics necessary for a safe crossing, including escort craft and clear marking of the 1500-meter route. Whether you are navigating the proximity of the underwater statues or tracking the distant rotation of the lighthouse beam, the swim remains a direct encounter with the volcanic and colonial legacy of this southern cape.