MARATHON SWIM · 22 KM
Bay Crossing · 22 km
Praia dos Meros → Pouso de Cajaíba. Solo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmers.
The Bay Crossing spans Ilha Grande bay: it starts at Praia dos Meros, on the island, and finishes at Pouso de Cajaíba, on the mainland. It can be swum solo or by teams of two, three or four.
Solo swimmers may have up to two pace-swimmer entries of at most one hour each, with one hour between them.
The route in numbers
- Distance
- 22 km
- Start
- Praia dos Meros
- Finish
- Pouso de Cajaíba
- Formats
- Solo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmers
- Pace swimmer (solo)
- Up to 2 one-hour swims
- Relay leg
- 60 min per swimmer, fixed order
- Equipment
- Standard, no wetsuit
Who has swum this route
Figures from the BISA swim log. The fastest time in a selection is a reference, not a ratified record.
- completed swims
- 1
- solo
- 1
- relay
- 0
- since
- 2026
- Fastest solo time logged
- 8 h 15 min 40 s · Alessandra Cima · Jul 20, 2026
Alessandra Cima · Jul 20, 2026 · From Daniel Righetti’s archive
Most recent completed swims
| Date | Swimmer or team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2026 | Alessandra CimaSolo | 8 h 15 min 40 s |
Other routes
- 12 kmFuga da IlhaAbraão → Praia do Engenho (Portogalo)Solo only
- 16 kmChallengeFreguesia de Santana → PousoSolo or two-person relay
- 25 kmThe PassageLopes Mendes → Praia do Cazuza (Portogalo)Solo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmers
- 37 kmShelteredMeros → AbraãozinhoSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
- 48 kmUnshelteredAroeira → LongaSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
- 76 kmCompletePalmas → PalmasSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
Go deeper
- Marathon swimming in BrazilOpen water marathon and ultra marathon swims on Ilha Grande, Brazil: seven routes from 12 to 76 km, solo or relay, under MSF-aligned rules with escort boat and official observer.
- Rules and ratificationBISA rules for marathon swims on Ilha Grande, aligned with the Marathon Swimmers Federation: standard equipment with no wetsuits, official observer, relays, pace swimmers, sea conditions and ratification.
- English Channel and Oceans SevenCompare BISA's Ilha Grande routes with the English Channel and the Oceans Seven: distances, no-wetsuit rules, escort boat and observer. Long swims in Brazil during the northern off-season.
- Marathon swim preparationWhat BISA requires for a marathon swim on Ilha Grande: medical and training certificates, feeding from the boat, pace swimmers, crew on board and swimming through the night.
BISA · ILHA GRANDE
Want to swim Bay Crossing?
Tell BISA the format and the seven-day window you have in mind. The team checks availability and explains the next steps.