Travesía Playas de Papagayo breaks participation record as 4.5km race nears capacity

More than 300 swimmers have registered for the Travesía Playas de Papagayo swim on November 7^th.

The Travesía Playas de Papagayo swim is approaching a record-breaking edition on November 7th, with more than 300 swimmers already registered and just ten places remaining in the main 4.5-kilometre race.

With two weeks to go, the event has surpassed previous participation records. The programme also includes races over 1.2 kilometres, 800 metres, 400 metres and 200 metres, alongside 50-metre and 150-metre events, an inclusive category and 3×200-metre relays.

The competition will count towards the Canary Islands Open Water Cup and will conclude the Lanzarote Cup, with results expected to play a decisive role in the final standings of the island circuit.

Registration remains open at www.b15active.com.

Olympic swimmer among competitors

The line-up includes Juan Carlos Vallejo, known as “Kimbo”, an Olympic swimmer who won the 4.5-kilometre wetsuit race in 2025.

Alberto Lorente, known as “El Hombre de las Aguas” (The Man of the Waters), will also return for his third appearance at Papagayo. The ultra-distance swimmer holds several Guinness World Records and has completed challenges including swimming around Mallorca, a distance of 267 kilometres.

In the women’s category, competitors include Marta Armas, winner of the 2026 Mar de Las Calmas Swim, and Sybille Bouchet, a two-time European Masters champion in Madeira in 2023.

Erika Machín, an ultra-distance specialist who swam more than 30 kilometres in the Battle of Rande, will also take part.

Another participant is Araceli Tabares, a swimmer with multiple sclerosis who continues to take on new challenges in open water.

Coastal clean-up held at Los Ajaches

Alongside preparations for the race, about twenty people took part in a clean-up of the coastal area of Los Ajaches on Sunday, collecting rubbish that had accumulated along the access trails to Papagayo.

Organised in collaboration with Lanzarote Geopark, the activity also included a talk by biologist Yaiza Parra on the impact of plastics on the marine environment.

Yaizart.es and AOExperiencia also collaborated on the initiative, which reinforces the event’s commitment to conserving the natural environment.

Sponsors and partners

The Travesía Playas de Papagayo is sponsored by the Grand Hyatt Lanzarote Hotel, Yaiza City Council, Lanzarote Island Council, CACT, Turismo Lanzarote and Tripasión Eventos.

Collaborating partners include Línea Romero, Marina Rubicón, Bar Snack Playa Dorada, Hotel Sandos Papagayo, Yaizart.es, the “la Caixa” Foundation, the Canary Islands Swimming Federation, Libby’s, Tirma and Coca-Cola.