EMMAX Open Water Swim: 240+ swimmers race at Playa Honda on 29 August

On Saturday 29 August the seafront at Playa Honda becomes a swimming arena for the 14th EMMAX Open Water Swim, one of the most established fixtures on the San Bartolome sporting calendar. The event was presented on the Playa Honda seafront avenue, a few metres from the only permanent open water swimming circuit currently in place on Lanzarote.

More than 240 swimmers have signed up, including around a hundred travelling from other Canary Islands. Ten nationalities will be represented: Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Albania and Argentina. Roughly 75% of entrants live on Lanzarote, which says a great deal about how rooted the race has become among local swimmers.

The headline distance is the 4 kilometre crossing from the Islote de la Fermina in Arrecife to Playa del Curita in Playa Honda. It counts towards the Copa Canaria and starts at 10:30. From 12:00 onwards come the shorter events of the Copa de Aguas Abiertas Isla de Lanzarote: 1.2 kilometres, 800, 400 and 50 metres, plus a 3x200 metre relay.

The programme also includes the INCLUSIV@ category, which is completely free and reflects the organisers' commitment to making the sport accessible to everyone. Athlete Andres Ferrer will be one of its central figures. The mayor of San Bartolome, Isidro Perez, described the EMMAX swim as an essential date on the municipality's calendar.

Watching from the shore

Spectators get a good deal here. The finish at Playa del Curita is the focal point of the morning, with the leading 4 kilometre swimmers arriving after the 10:30 start. The seafront avenue is easy to walk and works well for the staggered starts from 12:00, when the shorter distances and the youngest swimmers take to the water. If you drive, park away from the seafront and walk the last stretch, as the area gets busy. Bring a hat, water and sunscreen: there is almost no natural shade along the avenue in late August.