III São Silvestre do Mar — Madeira

The III São Silvestre do Mar is an open water swimming race organized by SwimMadeira in the sea of Funchal Bay, along the sun-warmed coast of Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Held at the end of December, the event brings the festive energy of the holidays directly into the Atlantic swell. The swim draws its inspiration from the island's celebrated running tradition, the 'Volta à Cidade do Funchal' or 'Corrida de São Silvestre', which was first contested in January 1959. That road race is considered the oldest São Silvestre race in Portugal and ranks among the oldest anywhere in Europe. While the runners trace the city streets past Praça do Município and along Avenida do Mar, the swimmers take the celebration into the bay right beside the promenade.

In past editions of city swimming events along this shore, courses have charted the open ocean between the Lido and Ponta Gorda, drawing fields of about a hundred open water athletes. Winter here does not mean shivering on frozen banks: ocean temperatures around Funchal remain mild throughout December, allowing swimmers to take on the Atlantic without the deep chill typical of continental Europe. Entering the swell, you feel the brisk surge of salt water lifting your stroke.

Water and shore for the São Silvestre do Mar

SwimMadeira lists the III São Silvestre do Mar as a special edition for 26 December on its calendar of open water events. SwimMadeira puts the water temperature around the Madeira archipelago between 18 and 24 °C (64-75 °F) and advises a wetsuit in the colder months. The Praia Formosa beaches of Funchal connect to the Lido promenade, and a second promenade links them to Câmara de Lobos.

The volcanic depths of Funchal Bay

Funchal Bay opens out into the North Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Morocco. The entire island of Madeira is in fact the summit of a colossal shield volcano that rises six kilometres from the ocean floor. Madeira's perimeter spans 150 kilometres of rugged volcanic rock. Praia Formosa is the largest public bathing beach in Funchal, formed of dark volcanic pebbles and three small black sand beaches. Along the urban waterfront, modern promenades and sun decks have been engineered directly into the natural basalt rocks, celebrating the island's volcanic skeleton right at the waterline. Stepping into the sea means sliding off smoothed basalt ledges straight into clear, buoyant water.

Funchal Harbour: corsairs, island piers and submarine shells

Yet these open Atlantic waters brought danger as well as commerce: in 1617, Barbary corsairs descended on the coast, abducting over 1,800 people from Madeira and Porto Santo. Funchal's first boarding pier was completed in 1762, extending out to the fortified islet of Forte de São José. In 1890, the islet of Forte de Nossa Senhora da Conceição was connected to expand the quay, only for severe ocean storms to batter and destroy the new pier extension soon after its construction. The harbour breakwater was finally completed in May 1933, creating the protected waters that still shelter boats today. Military history reached the bay again during the First World War, when the German U-boat SM U-38 slipped into Funchal harbour and shelled the city for two hours from three kilometres out. Today, the waters are peaceful, filled only with ferries, sailing craft, and swimmers navigating the historic shoreline.

Ponta do Garajau: whale lookouts and seabirds

To the east, the amphitheatre of the bay is bookended by Ponta do Garajau, a dramatic promontory jutting from Madeira's southern coastline. For generations, the high bluff of the cape served as a lookout station for spotters scanning the horizon for whales and sperm whales. Below, at Calhau do Garajau at the base of the cliffs, a whaling station once processed animal fat. That hunting past is long gone, and the headland is now treasured as a protected sanctuary for observing ocean seabirds riding the Atlantic updrafts. Across the water on the bay's western headland sits the grand Belmond Reid's Palace, perched high above the cliffs. Swimming here offers a grand sense of scale, guiding your line of sight out to sea.

Lido and Praia Formosa: seafront pools and coastal life

In the coastal parish of São Martinho, the shoreline comes alive around the Lido bathing complex, which anchors Funchal's seaside hotel district. The facility features heated saltwater pools replenished daily—including a fifty-metre adult pool—and sturdy ladders that grant swimmers immediate access into the open ocean. When a massive storm destroyed the pools and shore facilities in February 2010, the complex was rebuilt from the foundations up, reopening in the autumn of 2015 to welcome swimmers back to the water's edge. Just along the coast, the Quinta Calaça bathing complex provides its own direct entry into the sea, complete with Blue Flag waters and a dedicated diving centre. Further east along the waterfront, the Praça do Povo forms a wide garden promenade facing the bay, built over the coastal landfill created after the 2010 floods and transformed into an open public terrace.

After swimming, the Lido promenade invites unhurried strolls among palm trees and botanical plantings, opening up wide views across the ocean toward the towering sea cliff of Cabo Girão. Evening brings soft lighting and the sound of breaking surf to seaside café terraces, while the marina area buzzes with waterfront bars. Winding through the narrow cobblestone alleys of the historic Zona Velha, swimmers gather in centuries-old taverns to toast their race with a glass of local poncha, finishing the Atlantic year with salt still on their skin.