Travessia Poliana Okimoto — Etapa Bertioga

On the sheltered curve of Cantão do Indaiá, swimmers line up alongside Olympic medalist Poliana Okimoto against the emerald Atlantic backdrop of Bertioga. This coastal gathering is the Travessia Poliana Okimoto — Etapa Bertioga, an open water swimming race set in the open sea along the coast of São Paulo in Brazil. Okimoto founded the competition to bring people closer to open water swimming and make the sea feel accessible to everyone. Her presence gives the start line a distinct prestige, as she remains the first Brazilian woman to win an Olympic medal in aquatic sports, having captured the bronze in the marathon swimming event at the 2016 Rio Games.

Rather than merely greeting participants from the shore, she wades into the surf to swim the course directly beside them. The competition lays out a wide spectrum of distances in the sea, offering courses of 500, 1,000, 2,500, and 5,000 meters. This broad spread caters to every background, whether someone is taking on a sprint for their first ocean race or tackling a full five-kilometer test of endurance. The event has expanded into one of the largest open water swimming gatherings in Brazil, having welcomed record turnouts of approximately 3,000 swimmers to the beach at Cantão do Indaiá. The race maintains an inclusive and family-friendly environment focused on positive energy, encouraging whole families to spend the day gathered together on the sand.

April on Praia do Indaiá: the first stage of the 2026 Travessia

The first stage of the 2026 Travessia Poliana Okimoto was held on 26 April on Praia do Indaiá, on the São Paulo coast, with about 3,000 participants. The 2026 edition celebrated ten years since Poliana Okimoto’s Olympic bronze in the marathon swim at the Rio Games. The Travessia Poliana Okimoto was created in 2018. For the second year in a row the programme includes a Kids race. Praia do Indaiá lies at the end of Praia da Enseada and is known for clean water suited to sailing and for marine life that attracts divers.

Forte de São João guarding the Bertioga channel

Just two kilometers from the race area, the early colonial history of the São Paulo coastline centers on Forte de São João da Bertioga. The fort was established right on the Bertioga channel bar, positioned directly opposite Santo Amaro Island to control the strategic entrance of the Rio Bertioga canal. In 1551, an early palisaded outpost constructed on the point by Diogo de Braga and his sons was attacked and completely destroyed by the Tupinambá people. The structure was later rebuilt in stone and lime masonry in 1710 and reinforced with eleven pieces of artillery to command the channel. Throughout the eighteenth century, the fortress acted as the mandatory registration checkpoint for all maritime traffic sailing into the bustling port of Santos.

Parque Estadual Restinga de Bertioga and Rio Perequê wildlife

Bertioga is bordered to the south by the open ocean, where the Atlantic washes against the shore. Behind the coastline lies the Restinga de Bertioga State Park, created in 2010 to preserve a crucial belt of coastal ecosystems. The park protects vast tracts of coastal mangroves, native restinga vegetation, and lush Atlantic rainforest that shelter the region's biodiversity. Swimmers exploring the waters of Perequê will find a clean, sandy bottom underfoot and ocean surf that typically breaks between half a meter and one meter, occasionally lifting to 1.5 meters. On the left side of the beach, a small freshwater waterfall tumbles directly onto the sand. It offers an idyllic natural shower where you can wash the salt from your skin after a swim in the sea.

Praia do Éden and the tombolo of Mar Casado

Praia de Pernambuco extends for 1,800 meters of uninterrupted sand. At its edge rises Morro do Mar Casado, a prominent hill connected to the shore by a tombolo, which is a rare sand spit formation in the coastal geology of São Paulo state. During high tide, the rising sea merges the waters of Mar Casado and Pernambuco across the sandbar, turning the headland into an isolated island surrounded by waves. Because of its distinctive geological value and fragile environment, the island is officially protected under Resolution 40/85 of the State Secretariat of Culture. Its dramatic slopes predominantly exceed 45 percent, creating steep terrain that remains naturally susceptible to erosion and landslides.

Just around the headland on Morro do Sorocotuba, between Praia da Enseada and Praia de Pernambuco, lies the hidden alcove of Praia do Éden. This secluded beach consists of a tiny ribbon of sand measuring just over 100 meters in length, tucked away from coastal traffic. Reaching the water requires descending a steep, rustic path featuring 110 irregular steps winding through the thick hillside vegetation. The reward at the bottom is an exceptionally tranquil bay defined by calm, clear, greenish waters protected by the surrounding headland. With water depths reaching down to 10 meters, the cove creates an outstanding environment for coastal snorkeling and leisurely sea swimming. Floating above the green depths gives you a quiet view of the rocky underwater world before heading back to the mainland.