16th Travesía Playas de Papagayo Swim attracts record 450 participants in Playa Blanca

Tomás Carrascosa and Marta Armas won the main 4.5-kilometre race as the 16th Papagayo Beaches Swim brought a record number of swimmers to Playa Blanca.

A record 450 swimmers took part in the 16th Travesía Playas de Papagayo Swim on Saturday, with races held off the coast of southern Lanzarote.

The event began at Marina Rubicón, where participants boarded a Líneas Romero ferry to reach the starting point off the Papagayo beaches. The main 4.5-kilometre race started at 10.20am, with the first swimmers reaching Playa Dorada in less than an hour.

In the wetsuit category, Tomás Carrascosa won the men’s race ahead of Raúl Fernández and Raúl Toral. Nicole Molini won the women’s event, followed by Sarah Bonner and Silvia Gopar.

In the no-wetsuit category, Adrián Reino took first place in the men’s race, ahead of Borja Estrada and Arnaldo Domínguez. Marta Armas won the women’s competition, followed by Sybille Bouchet and Laura García.

The event also hosted the final round of the Lanzarote Open Water Cup.

Diego Vázquez won the 1,200-metre race, followed by Besay Delgado and Nicolás Padrón. Nora Delgado took the women’s victory ahead of Adara González and Jimena Martín. Andrés Martín also competed in the adapted swimming category.

The 800-metre races were won by Aarón Mederos and Andrea Fraga, while Alexander Delgado and Dana Sandoval won the 400-metre events.

Swimmers from several Lanzarote associations took part in the inclusive category, which was once again one of the highlights of the day.

The 3×200-metre relay brought the competition to a close. Los Petisuis won ahead of Mojopicón and NBA, with eight teams taking part.

There was also an artistic swimming display by Club Pingüinos of the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife, with members performing in the sea rather than their usual swimming pool.

The prize-giving ceremony took place on the terrace of the Grand Hyatt Lanzarote Playa Dorada Hotel, attended by Yaiza’s Councillor for Sports, Ángel Lago, and representatives of the hotel and organising committee.

A charity lunch in aid of ALANEM was also held, bringing the day’s activities to a close.

The event was sponsored by Yaiza City Council, Lanzarote Island Council, CACT, Turismo Lanzarote, Tripasión Eventos and the Grand Hyatt Lanzarote Hotel.

Yaiza mayor Óscar Noda thanked the sponsors and partners for their support, saying: “holding sporting events in such exceptional natural settings as the Papagayo Beaches allows us to promote the image of Playa Blanca and Yaiza as a premier destination for outdoor and family sports.”