Key facts to get ready for the Fuencaliente open water swimming race

La Palma is an island of contrasts. The volcanic sands of Fuencaliente go together with the tall pine trees of El Paso or the impressive Barlovento ravines. Discovering Isla Bonita can be quite an adventure, especially if you do it coming from the sea. 

The Island has prepared an event prepared for the most adventurous, that will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2022. Sport, open water swimming and intense competition await you on the Fuencaliente Swim Crossing. In addition, the municipality is the location of the La Palma & Teneguía Princess resort, the best hotel for athletes in the area. 

Swim trips are complex open water swimming competitions (in the sea, lakes, reservoirs or rivers) that require some prior training.

Characteristics of the Fuencaliente Swim Crossing

To compete in the Fuencaliente Swim Crossing, you need to know the routes, beaches and distances involved, in detail. The crossing includes an 8000-metre swimming competition, a second 5000-metre swimming competition and then a third 100-metre swimming competition.

If you want to finish among the top positions, you must test the swim crossing routes several times before the day of the competition.

The Fuencaliente Swim Crossing will begin with the delivery of ID tags and a bag for each participant at the La Palma & Teneguia Princess, followed by a technical speech. After that, check-in is carried out for each competition, which may then start. 
The longest distance crossing starts from La Zamora Beach. When the first participants swim through Puntalarga Beach, the 5000-metre race will start; the race with the shortest distance will start when they reach Echentive Beach. They will all end in El Faro beach in Fuencaliente.

Prepare for the Fuencaliente Swim Cruise

Preparation is key if you are going to take part in a competition like the Fuencaliente Swim Crossing.

First of all, a good starting point would be to start training in a pool, thus improving your race times. If you set a training plan for yourself where you increase the intensity and speed of your strokes every day, your performance in the race will improve. It is also important that you train on beaches or on the open sea, to get used to the conditions of the swim crossing.

On the other hand, it is very important to combine training in water with a complete physical preparation. Working out and doing routines at your usual gym will help you achieve your goals. Jogging can also be an interesting complementary activity to gain endurance and avoid fatigue during the swim crossing. 

Taking care of your diet is also necessary to achieve good results. A diet rich in fish, meat, legumes, vegetables and fruit will be your best ally. 

Make sure everything you need for the race is ready at least one day before the competition. You will not have to worry about anything else but swimming. Making a list and crossing off the items you have put in your suitcase or backpack will help you not to leave anything behind. 

Familiarize yourself with the swim crossing equipment. You need to feel comfortable with the wetsuit you are going to use, it needs to be your size, fit your body and let you swim with total freedom. As for the goggles, we recommend you not to use new goggles for the competition because you do not know how they will perform, maybe they will let water in, or you will be uncomfortable wearing them.

Vital & Fitness en el Hotel La Palma & Teneguía Princess

The resort’s gym is equipped with the Canary Islands’ latest and most innovative fitness facilities. All of them are endorsed by “TECHNOGYM”, the world’s leading brand of fitness equipment. 

After using the weight room, you can work up a sweat in the spinning room, to tone your muscles and enjoy doing sports in a place that is just perfect to let you prepare for the swim of your dreams.

If you want to do sports in a more relaxed way, you can enjoy activities organized by the animation team such as aerobics, aqua dance or aqua gym. 

If you are more into sports and competition, the hotel has a paddle court, tennis court, and beach volleyball area. You have all the advantages to choose which sport best suits the training you want. Not only that, you can also try your hand at archery, indoor soccer, darts, sjoelen, shuffleboard and many other games. On the other hand, the minigolf course will help you relax after a day of training.

On top of everything else, the hotel has prepared a special area for children. Their children’s animation team will entertain them, so that you can go on with your day in the most relaxed way. 

Also, you can enjoy all the facilities of the best hotel for athletes in La Palma, which is offering a 10% discount for bookings made until July 24, 2022.

You can find all the information on registration, schedules and routes at the website:

https://ociosalud.com/eventos/ii-travesia-a-nado-fuencaliente/ 

Click here for more information on our promotion to stay at the La Palma & Teneguía Princess resort: 

https://www.hotellapalmaprincess.com/en/fuencaliente-swimming-crossing/

We do not know if mermaids exist, but if they can be found anywhere in the world, it is in the waters of Fuencaliente.

Categories: Canaries, Tips, Be inspired, La Palma