COPA MARNATON eDreams

Organized by MARNATON, the MARNATON eDreams Ibiza by Baleària serves as the final stop of the Copa MARNATON eDreams national open water swimming circuit. Swimmers gather on the island in October to round out the racing season along one of the most untouched coastal stretches in the archipelago. The event offers three distinct point-to-point courses tailored to different endurance levels, all converging on the same sandy finish line at Port de Sant Miquel. The longest challenge spans 8,000 meters, taking swimmers from the bay of Cala Xarraca across open coastal waters to the port. A mid-distance course covers 4,000 meters beginning at Es Caló d'en Calders, while a 2,000-meter sprint sets off from the sheltered waters of Cala Benirràs.

Out on the course, the sea reveals the wilder character of northern Ibiza, where clear turquoise waters provide exceptional visibility over untamed seabeds. Even when offshore breezes kick up a slight chop across the surface, swimmers can look straight down through the brine to watch the rocky contours below. Reaching the sheltered beach at Port de Sant Miquel brings immediate relief, leading straight into the celebratory Splash & Blast Sunset Party held at the Cala San Miguel Resort right by the shore.

North Ibiza: Port de Sant Miquel, Benirràs and past editions

Port de Sant Miquel, also known as Port de Balansat, has a beach of coarse-grained sand about 100 metres long, 3.5 km from Sant Miquel. Port de Sant Miquel was once where smugglers hid their goods in caves such as the En Marçà cave, which can now be visited on guided tours. Cala Benirràs is a coarse-sand beach about 132 metres long and 30 metres wide, at the foot of the Puig des Guixar, which is 189 metres high. In front of Cala Benirràs stands the rock island of Es Cap Bernat, almost 30 metres high, and fishing shelters line the shore. At the first MARNATON eDreams Ibiza by Baleària about 250 swimmers covered 12 km, 6 km and 1.5 km, starting at Port de Sant Miquel and finishing at Portinatx beach. At the 2026 edition the organisers described the sea as somewhat choppy but with good visibility.

The Pitiusas sea: pine-covered cliffs, mild temperatures and water clarity

Ibiza and its neighboring island Formentera form the Pitiusas archipelago, an ancient name inspired by the dense woodlands of three different pine species. The surrounding Mediterranean plays a defining role in shaping the local climate, moderating air extremes and keeping freezes and severe weather exceptionally rare throughout the year. Thanks to this maritime buffer, the sea remains pleasantly mild well into autumn, offering welcoming conditions for endurance swimming long after continental waters have chilled. The Santa Eulalia river represents the only true river in the Balearic Islands, yet it has remained dry for many years due to the overexploitation of local aquifers.

Sa Caleta and Puig des Molins: Phoenician bays and ancient shores

Human communities established settlements across Ibiza and Formentera between 2000 and 1600 BC. Centuries later, around the middle of the 7th century BC, Phoenician traders arrived on the island and established the settlement of Sa Caleta on the southwest coast. Sa Caleta occupies a distinct horseshoe-shaped bay that provided an ideal natural harbor for early sailors looking to moor their vessels out of reach of heavy waves. Today, exploring these ancient shorelines offers swimmers a direct window into millennia of seafaring heritage.

Playa d'en Bossa to Botafoc: watchtowers and historic navigation lights

Along the east-facing shore lies Playa d'en Bossa, a vast beach running for 2.7 kilometers with natural fine white sand that spans between 20 and 30 meters in width. The bay is exposed to winds blowing straight from the sea toward the land, creating a wide marine playground over a shallow, gently sloping seabed. The water here deepens very gradually, measuring just half a meter deep at 25 meters from shore and only one meter deep at 50 meters out. At Playa d'en Bossa stands the Torre de la Sal Rossa, a remarkably well-preserved stone defensive tower. Further around the bay, navigation has long been anchored by the historic islet of Botafoc, about three kilometers away, where islanders once lit bonfires to guide mariners entering the harbor.

Construction of the permanent Faro de Botafoc began in October 1859, and the beacon was officially inaugurated in November 1861. Because the rocky islet offered scarce building ground, the lighthouse keepers' quarters were designed vertically across two floors to make use of the limited space. The beacon was modernized with electricity in 1918 and continues to flash on a seven-second cycle, alternating between white and red beams depending on the sector. Its red light sector specifically alerts approaching vessels and night navigators to the treacherous underwater contours of the Malvins and Esponja islets.

Platja S'Estanyol and Talamanca: fishermen boathouses and sea caves

Swimmers scouting calmer training waters or looking for recovery swims after the races at Port de Sant Miquel will find sheltered havens tucked into the island's indented coast. The bay of Talamanca curves into a shallow, protected inlet of natural fine sand that remains largely buffered from rough winds. Facing southeast, dominant sea breezes push gently toward the land over a bottom that transitions from soft sand and submerged marine vegetation to deeper rock formations. Tucked further along the coastline is the secluded inlet of Platja S'Estanyol, oriented toward the east and deeply sheltered from the prevailing coastal winds. The cove is framed on one flank by flat stone platforms where swimmers can slip effortlessly into the calm, transparent water.

Along the northeastern edge of the cove stand rustic wooden boathouses built by local fishermen, lending the shoreline a timeless maritime atmosphere. Beneath the surface, the rocky perimeter hides underwater caves that draw snorkelers and swimmers to explore its submerged crevices before leaving the island.