Circuito TH5 Travessia — Etapa 6 (Bertioga)

Praia da Enseada sets the scene for Circuito TH5 Travessia — Etapa 6 (Bertioga), an open water swimming race held in the coastal waters of Bertioga, São Paulo, Brazil. The competition unfolds at Praia do Indaiá, giving swimmers a wide and welcoming shoreline in the municipality bordered to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The gathering is organized by TH5 Eventos, a seasoned team that began its open water sports activities back in July 1993 in Santos. Scheduled in December, the event features distances tailored for every level of swimmer. Participants tackle the 700-meter short course, the 1,200-meter medium course, or the 2,200-meter long course, while younger newcomers take part in a dedicated 150-meter Kids Swim. Diving through the gentle surf, swimmers encounter the quiet rhythm of the bay as they round the offshore turn buoys.

Forte de São João: sixteenth-century stone by the canal

About two kilometres from the race area, the historic Forte de São João da Bertioga stands guard on the Bertioga channel bar. Positioned directly facing the island of Santo Amaro, this defensive post was engineered to protect access to the Rio Bertioga canal. The maritime passage was contested from early colonial times: in 1551, an initial palisaded settlement established by Diogo de Braga and his sons was destroyed in an assault by the Tupinambá people. To hold the strategic waterway, the earliest sixteenth-century fortification was constructed as a solid stone bastion equipped with angular sentry boxes jutting toward the tides. In 1563, the Jesuit priests Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta stopped at the coastal stronghold to celebrate mass before embarking on their journey to Iperoig.

The fortress was completely rebuilt in stone and lime masonry in 1710, bristling with eleven pieces of artillery to command the channel. During the eighteenth century, the site took on another vital maritime purpose, serving as the official registration point for ships sailing toward the major port of Santos.

Parque Estadual Restinga de Bertioga: mangroves and coastal forest

The lush green backdrop that borders Bertioga belongs to the Restinga de Bertioga State Park, created in 2010 to preserve delicate coastal habitats. The reserve shelters vital ecosystems where tidal mangroves, coastal sandbank restinga, and thick rainforest meet the edge of the Atlantic. Across this shoreline, small rivers flow into the sandy beaches, establishing a dynamic exchange between fresh water and the sea. During high tide, fish and crabs make their way into the small river at Praia do Perequê, only to be carried back outward with the running current when the tide ebbs. The river at Praia do Perequê supports thriving wildlife, providing home territories for river otters, capybaras, and an array of coastal birds. At Praia do Perequê, a small freshwater waterfall spills onto the left side of the beach, tumbling directly into the sea breeze.

Morro do Mar Casado and Praia do Éden: the headlands

Morro do Mar Casado is anchored to the mainland by a tombolo, a rare geological sand spit along the shores of São Paulo state. At high tide, the rising sea joins the waters of Mar Casado and Pernambuco beaches together across the spit, isolating the hill into an offshore island. Getting to Praia do Éden means following a steep foot trail down 110 irregular steps cut through dense forest greenery. Any effort on the stairs vanishes upon reaching the sand, where a calm, clear, greenish sea spreads across a private pocket measuring just over 100 meters long. With water depths plunging down to ten meters, this protected inlet offers exceptional clarity for snorkeling among submerged coastal rocks.

These sheltered waters contrast with wide, exposed strands such as the 1,800-meter Praia de Pernambuco or the 2,400-meter Praia do Perequê. At Praia do Perequê, sandy bottoms receive rolling ocean swells that usually break between half a meter and one meter high, occasionally swelling up to a meter and a half.

Praia da Enseada: the twelve-kilometer promenade and beachfront

Returning to the race venue, the shoreline along Praia da Enseada stretches for twelve kilometers from the town centre all the way to the Indaiá neighborhood. The beach offers light, firm sand shaded by rows of coconut trees, with welcoming kiosks dotted along the edge of the water. A revitalized promenade borders the entire beachfront, creating a scenic track that fills with walkers during the cooler hours of the morning and late afternoon. Running alongside it, a paved cycle path allows cyclists to ride the full twelve kilometers of the coast from end to end. For visiting athletes and supporters, the shore provides convenient public comfort with dedicated showers and restrooms right by the sand. Beachgoers can also rent chairs and sun umbrellas directly on the sand at accessible prices. After finishing a hard race, there is nothing quite like relaxing under a beach umbrella with your feet in the warm sand, watching the water roll across the shallows.

Canto do Indaiá: the sixth stage and benchmark swim times

Etapa 6 of the Circuito TH5 Aquathlon & Travessia is based at Canto do Indaiá in Bertioga, in front of the Jolly Roger Bar. In the Travessia, the final time is taken once the swimmer leaves the water and passes through the finish gantry. The sixth and last stage of the circuit, in December, settles the top three overall in each race and category and closes the 2026 ranking. The circuit's fourth stage, the Etapa Centauro, was held at Canto do Indaiá on Sunday 2 August. In that stage the women's overall winner of the 700-metre Travessia Curta finished in 14min49s. The women's winner of the 1,200-metre Travessia Média took 22min20s, 42 seconds ahead of the runner-up.