Ultra do Ita 2026

Riding the outgoing current of the Rio Itapanhaú turns a grueling 15-kilometre ultramarathon into an unusually fast glide. Known locally as the Ultra do Ita, a popular abbreviation for the Ultramaratona Aquática do Rio Itapanhaú, this open water swimming race takes place in Bertioga in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. First organized in 2018, the event is staged by the Associação 14 Bis, bringing marathon swimmers together for a unique point-to-point journey from river to sea. The 15,000-metre course begins inland at the height of Mangue Seco, where competitors dive directly into the winding freshwater flow of the Itapanhaú River. Swimmers navigate downstream before the waterway merges into the saltwater Bertioga canal, ultimately finishing beneath the historic Forte São João.

With the river current actively pushing swimmers along the course, participants experience exhilarating speeds rarely seen in distance events, covering ground much faster than in typical open water marathons. Transitioning from the river into the tidal Bertioga canal brings a noticeable shift in water temperature and changing tidal currents. Swimmers must adapt their stroke as the freshwater gives way to denser sea currents, all while taking in the pristine greenery.

The Ultra do Ita in legs: Itatinga and the Rampa Municipal

In the mixed relay of three swimmers, the first leg is about 6.1 km to Itatinga, the second about 4.2 km to the Rampa Municipal, and the third about 4.7 km to Forte de São João. In the Mega do Ita, a separate 21 km race on the same river, the first of four relay legs runs about 6.2 km to Mangue Seco.

Restinga de Bertioga: mangroves and Atlantic coastal forest

Restinga de Bertioga State Park is a coastal reserve established in 2010 to protect intact expanses of mangroves, restinga coastal scrub, and lowland Atlantic rainforest. Bertioga borders the open Atlantic Ocean to the south, creating a rich coastal transition zone where freshwater drainage systems mingle directly with tidal saltwater.

Forte de São João: 16th-century ramparts at the Bertioga canal

Swimmers finish the crossing right by Forte de São João da Bertioga, positioned on the channel bar directly across from the island of Santo Amaro to guard the canal entrance. Defensive works here date back to the earliest years of Portuguese settlement, beginning with a timber palisade built in 1551 by Diogo de Braga and his sons, which was subsequently destroyed during an attack by the Tupinambá people. The site holds deep colonial heritage: in 1563, Jesuit priests Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta stopped at the fortification to celebrate mass before embarking on their journey to Iperoig. In 1710, the garrison was completely reconstructed out of stone and lime masonry, mounting eleven artillery pieces to secure the Bertioga bar. By the 18th century, the stone bastion and its angular sentry boxes overlooking the water served as an official inspection and registration post for all vessels entering the port of Santos.

Guarujá's headlands: Praia do Éden and the tombolo of Mar Casado

At the Morro do Mar Casado, high tide causes the incoming seas from Mar Casado and Pernambuco beaches to converge, temporarily turning the headland into an offshore island. The hill is linked to the mainland by a rare sand tombolo, officially safeguarded under state heritage legislation due to its environmental fragility and steep, erosion-prone slopes exceeding 45 percent. Further along the headland of Morro do Sorocotuba, tucked between Enseada and Pernambuco beaches, lies Praia do Éden.