Travessia Morro a Morro — 15K

Held in the open sea along the dramatic coastline of Vila Velha in the state of Espírito Santo, the Travessia Morro a Morro takes swimmers through southeast Brazil. Organized by Vibe Positiva Sports, the 15,000-meter ultramarathon challenges competitors with a continuous ocean crossing between natural landmarks. Setting out into the swell, you feel the vastness of the open Atlantic as the coastline stretches out toward the horizon. The marathon route forms a point-to-point journey that guides swimmers past towering coastal formations and offshore islands. The swim heads out beneath Morro do Moreno, sweeping around Praia do Bananal and tracking past the historic Santa Luzia Lighthouse. From there, the course ventures into open water toward Ilha Pituã and the rocky outcrops of the Ilhas Itatiaias before making its way back to land. After miles of navigating crystal-clear ocean swells, the event brings swimmers across a vibrant finish line directly on the sand at Praia da Concha.

Morro do Moreno and the maritime defense of the bay

The massive headland of Morro do Moreno rises directly from the sea to frame the natural shipping channel into the port. Geologically composed of ancient granitoid rock with dark mafic enclaves, the promontory was already recorded as Monte de João Moreno on maps drawn by the Portuguese cartographer Luis Teixeira in 1590. A freshwater mineral spring still runs within the formation. During the colonial era, the hill's commanding vantage point served as a vital lookout post to protect the settlement from pirate fleets. When the English privateer Thomas Cavendish attempted to force his way into the bay, defenders set fire to the slopes of the morro to signal alarm and deter the attack.

Confounded by the shallow bar of the channel and fearful of coastal traps, Cavendish's fleet turned back without penetrating the bay. About five kilometres deeper inside the estuary, the maritime defenses relied on another natural fortress: the 135-meter granite monolith of Penedo, standing at the mouth of the Aribiri River. In 1587, the explorer Gabriel Soares de Souza marveled at the sheer rock face that plunged directly into water of unmeasurable depth. To bar entry to raiding ships, colonial forces stretched a massive iron chain directly across the channel between Penedo and the Forte de São João. Recognizing its dramatic presence and history, the state declared the mountain-island an official heritage site in 1986.

Prainha and the bastions of São Francisco Xavier

Just two kilometres from the race start lies the sheltered cove of Prainha, named for its modest pocket of sand compared to the sweeping ocean beaches of Vila Velha. It was here, on May 23, 1535, that the Portuguese captain Vasco Fernandes Coutinho dropped anchor with his ship Glória to establish the original settlement. At the rocky foot of the hill, facing the Atlantic waves, stands the circular Fort of São Francisco Xavier de Piratininga, built to guard the southern entrance of the bay. Resting on an exposed rock ledge, the fortress was refitted in 1726 with fifteen heavy artillery pieces. Today, the stone ramparts look out across the outer waters, offering visitors an intimate window into the coastal defenses that once protected these sea lanes.

Jacarenema Reserve: the restinga and the Jucu estuary

About nine kilometres south of the main race venue, the shoreline gives way to the wild expanse of the Jacarenema Ecological Reserve. Covering 307 hectares of protected coastal territory, the reserve preserves native Atlantic Forest restinga vegetation thriving across the Morro da Concha sandbar and the estuary of the Jucu River. Swimmers who explore the area will find a quiet natural contrast to the urban waterfront, where coastal paths and sandbanks remain open for swimming and paddling.

Praia da Costa and Itapuã: life along the waterfront

Back along the main swimming coastline, the ocean is buffered by rocky islets that create unusually placid bathing conditions. Nestled between Praia do Governador and Pedra da Sereia, Praia da Sereia enjoys calm, protected waters that earned it the international Blue Flag environmental certification. While offshore gaps and deeper currents have historically demanded caution from mariners, these protected bays offer swimmers clear, peaceful water directly off the sand. Further down the curve of the bay at Itapuã, maritime tradition remains an everyday reality around a prominent offshore rock reef. Here, along Avenida Antônio Gil Veloso, an active fishermen's colony maintains its moorings, with fishermen living right along the waterfront just paces from the waves.

The beachfront comes together along the 5-kilometer promenade and bike path of Praia da Costa, where coarse yellow sand slopes into gentle waves. At the northern point, near the Santa Luzia Lighthouse constructed in 1870, evening crowds gather on the rocks to watch fishing smacks return across the bay.

The 15 km line to Praia da Concha and past winning times

The Morro a Morro 15 km swim passes Praia da Costa, Praia de Itapuã and the Coqueiral de Itaparica before the finish at Praia da Concha. The islands and islets around the route make the sea oscillate, which makes the Morro a Morro challenge more intense. In the edition reported by Swim Channel, the swim ran between Morro do Moreno and Morro da Concha in Vila Velha, and more than 30 athletes took part. In that edition the men's race was a duel to the final stretch between Matheus Tavares and Luiz Eduardo Mattedi, and Tavares won in 3h19min00s. Brunella Breder won the women's 15 km in 3h37min24s in that edition.