300km Revezamento em Águas Abertas

Escorted by a cruising sailboat, relay teams rotate day and night through the Atlantic to complete an extreme 300-kilometer voyage off the coast of Porto Belo. The 300km Revezamento em Águas Abertas is an endurance open water sea challenge held in the coastal waters of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Organized by Correr E Nadar, the test pushes squads of marathon swimmers across a continuous 300-kilometer trajectory through the open ocean. It stands apart from standard circuit competitions, turning open water swimming into an expedition where pacing, maritime endurance, and team strategy dictate every leg. The format operates as a sustained relay where swimmers trade shifts in the water while following the hull of a dedicated support sailboat.

Organizers structure these ultra-distance ocean challenges across customized lengths that can range through 100, 200, 300, and up to 500 kilometers with continuous vessel escort. Out in the swell, one teammate works against the ocean currents and rolling waves while the remaining squad rests, navigates, and refuels on board the vessel. Entering the water in March, teams experience late-summer ocean conditions along the South Atlantic coastline, trading strokes under the midday sun and beneath starry night skies.

Porto Belo Bay: sheltered waters and offshore island

The geographic base for these maritime expeditions lies in the protected contours of Porto Belo, set within a natural cove in the state of Santa Catarina. The coastline here wraps around a sheltered bay. This protected configuration makes the inlet an ideal harbor for expedition craft to prepare gear, set nautical charts, and slip out toward the open sea. Along the inner coastline of the bay, the local beaches feature soft, fine white sand and remarkably calm waters that provide a gentle environment for swimming and water sports. While the outer sea delivers relentless chop and deep swells during a long-distance crossing, the bay itself provides a tranquil aquatic refuge. Swimmers can acclimatize, test their gear in serene sea conditions, and enjoy the transparent inshore shallows before embarking on hundreds of kilometers along the open coast.

Enseada das Garoupas: Azorean settlements and coastal history

Long before ultra-marathon swimmers took to these waters, the bay served mariners as a strategic anchorage known originally as Enseada das Garoupas. The natural enclosure offered safe haven, facilitating its growth over the centuries into a vital regional fishing harbor. Fishing skiffs and coastal vessels have plied these channels for generations, drawn by the sheltered geography that still welcomes maritime voyages today. During the mid-18th century, the Portuguese Crown established permanent settlements here by bringing immigrant families from the Azores archipelago. These island settlers brought deep seafaring traditions to the Brazilian coastline, establishing communities that lived directly from the bounty of the sea. Security in the bay was not always guaranteed, however, as the early coastal settlement repeatedly faced raids by Spanish forces.

Praia do Estaleirinho and the wild shores of Estaleiro

Beyond the tranquil curve of the central harbor, the surrounding coastline gives way to wilder headlands and open-water beaches that showcase the untamed character of the Atlantic. Nearby Praia do Estaleiro remains a secluded coastal sanctuary framed by preserved native vegetation. Accessible only via a walking trail, the beach meets the sea with striking transparent greenish waters that lap against pristine coastal forest. Just along the peninsula lies Praia do Estaleirinho, a coastal stretch spanning 700 meters of shoreline facing the open ocean. In contrast to the tranquil waters within the sheltered bay, the sea at Estaleirinho is powerful and clear, delivering vigorous surf and dynamic currents to the coastline.

It provides an exhilarating glimpse of the oceanic force that endurance relay swimmers confront once they leave the safety of protected coves. Praia do Estaleirinho holds international Blue Flag certification, recognizing its rigorous environmental standards and exceptional water clarity. It also serves as the inaugural gateway of the Interpraias route, the first of six coastal beaches linked along this scenic maritime shoreline.