Circuito Mares — Vitória

Praia de Camburi stretches along the oceanfront of Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo in Brazil, offering a sweeping coastline for open water swimmers. Here, the Circuito Mares — Vitória takes place as an open water swimming race in the Atlantic sea. The event brings competitors into the open water over four distinct courses: 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 2,500 meters, and 5,000 meters. Organized by Circuito Mares, the competition forms part of a multi-sport program featuring swimming, running, aquathlon, stand up paddle, and paddleboard. The Circuito Mares was founded in 2014 by physical education professional and sports event manager Fabrício Vieira, driven by his passion for swimming. While the circuit established its regular calendar with a five-stage season based across coastal locations, the Vitória event represents its first edition held outside the state of São Paulo.

Staged as a special edition, the contest does not count toward the circuit's annual ranking points, giving it a distinctive celebratory atmosphere focused on the joy of ocean sport. Held in October, the race aligns with a thriving local open water culture. Praia de Camburi is increasingly recognized as a prime destination for sea swimming, supported by a growing network of sports consultancies that conduct regular ocean training sessions along the beach. During the event, the swimming, aquathlon, and running courses are secured with buoys, markers, and control points to maintain safety. Swimmers encounter clear navigation corridors, with the wide bay opening before them as they sight the turning marks across the rolling water.

Two days at Praia do Camburi: kids, aquathlon and four swim courses

The Circuito Mares stage on Praia do Camburi took place on 17 and 18 October, the first time the circuit visited the beach. The four swim courses are called Challenge (5 km), Marathon (2.5 km), Short (1 km) and Start (500 m). On the Saturday the programme had swims of 50 and 100 metres and runs of 100 and 200 metres for children, followed by a talk with Fabiola Molina. The aquathlon paired a 1 km swim with a 5 km run on the sand strip of the beach. Praia do Camburi is the city’s main sports and leisure hub, with kiosks, a cycle path and a busy boardwalk.

Baía das Tartarugas: green turtles and nursery waters

Praia de Camburi is the only beach situated on the mainland of Vitória, extending for a full six kilometers. The mainland shore is bordered by coastal ecosystems that encompass tropical forests, mangrove stands, sandbanks, and dune vegetation. In the waters off the beach, conservation takes center stage within the Baía das Tartarugas Environmental Protection Area. Created in 2018, this sanctuary became the very first marine protected area in Vitória, established to safeguard local sea life and ensure its long-term survival. The area holds particular importance because Vitória is one of the coastal cities with the highest concentration of green turtles in all of Brazil. The bay is also inhabited by rays and pods of dolphins, while migrating whales seek out these calm waters for reproduction. Yet Praia de Camburi continues to provide a dependable marine haven, drawing diverse wildlife.

From Pier de Iemanjá to Ilha do Boi

The shoreline at Camburi is framed by notable recreational and cultural landmarks. At the northern end of the beach stands Atlântica Parque, a seaside park inaugurated in 2019. The statue of the Queen of the Sea at the Iemanjá Pier serves as a revered maritime emblem. About three kilometers from the race area lies Ilha do Boi, an island surrounded by living rock with only a few small points suitable for landing. Once separated by open water, the island is now permanently connected to the main island of Vitória by landfills. Covered in dense woods, Ilha do Boi possesses a freshwater spring that flows year-round, alongside the Bonecas spring, which is known to dry up during periods of severe drought.

Defending Vitória Bay: Morro do Moreno and Penedo

The waterways around the bay hold centuries of maritime heritage. Portuguese captain Vasco Fernandes Coutinho landed his vessel Glória at Prainha on May 23, 1535, at a site about six kilometers from the race area. The name Prainha refers to the small size of the cove compared to other beaches in Vila Velha. To escape attacks from indigenous peoples and foreign powers, settlers moved across the channel to an island previously known as Guanaani, founding Vitória on September 8, 1551. To defend the lowlands of the new capital from seaward invasions, colonial authorities constructed a network of coastal fortresses. Within the Prainha complex sits the Fort of São Francisco Xavier de Piratininga, built at the base of Penha Hill about five kilometers from the race area to protect the southern bar of the bay.

English and Dutch privateers attacked the fortification in 1705 while it was still being built. A 1724 report recorded the fort as possessing nine pieces of artillery and a badly damaged wall, leading to a major redesign in 1726 that gave it a circular layout armed with fifteen guns. By 1801, records noted that the fort stood upon a bright rock where the sea did not reach its wall. The nearby coastline was later expanded into the Bay of Vitória through a land reclamation project carried out in 1970. During a colonial defense, Morro do Moreno was set on fire to deter the English privateer Thomas Cavendish from entering the bay.

The shallow depth of the entrance and the fear of traps prevented Cavendish's ships from passing the channel. Further inland, about seven kilometers from Camburi, rises Penedo, a striking 135-meter-high granite mountain-island situated at the mouth of the Aribiri River. In 1587, Gabriel Soares de Souza described the massive rock as having no measurable depth at its base. During the colonial period, defenders stretched a large iron chain between Penedo and the Forte de São João to physically bar enemy ships from penetrating deeper into the bay. Penedo was also the site where Thomas Cavendish was defeated and imprisoned, losing approximately eighty men. Slicing through the open water off Praia de Camburi, swimmers push through the Atlantic swell that has anchored the bay for centuries.