Natalia Sasu and Herminio Fernández win El Río: thirty years of swimming between Lanzarote and La Graciosa

Natalia Sasu and Herminio Fernández have won the thirtieth Travesía a Nado El Río, the swim across the channel between Bajo Risco beach in Haría and Caleta de Sebo on La Graciosa. Behind them came María Wood and Lily Gopar in the women's race, Álvaro Cabrera and Diego Vázquez in the men's.

El Río is not a swimming pool: it is open water, with the current running between two islands. That is why every edition is a joint effort by the island sports service, the security consortium, Emerlan and volunteers, in the water before and after the swimmers.

New this year: the Chinija

The Travesía Chinija, a version for children, was held for the first time. "It matters that they know it, so that when they grow up they take part too," said sports councillor Juan Monzón, who called the event "one of the most important swims in the regional and even the national calendar".

Next time

The thirty-first edition already has a date: 9 October 2027. Anyone tempted has thirteen months to train.