Alejandro Candela Open Water Swim

Event information

About the event

The Travesía a Nado Alejandro Candela is swum on Saturday 17 October 2026 in Costa Teguise, in the municipality of Teguise, and it is the fourth of the five stages of the XII Lanzarote Open Water Swimming Cup 2026. Club de Natación Nadamas runs it, inside the series coordinated by the island sports service of the Cabildo de Lanzarote.

It lands on a busy weekend, though not because of another swim: the Unique Trail Lanzarote finishes at the Mirador del Río that same Saturday, so the island has a mountain race in the north and a swim in Costa Teguise on the same day. The final stage of the Cup, the Papagayo Beaches Crossing, does not come until 7 November.

Course and distances

The swim is on a circuit at Playa de Las Cucharas (Costa Teguise). The two sources that give a schedule do not agree, so both are here.

The entry platform, under its «Horario y lugar de la prueba» heading, says:

«A partir de las 11:00 salida en Playa Las Cucharas en varios horarios; Salida de la travesía de 1500 metros (Infantiles, Junior y Master). Las otras salidas irán a corte a la salida adulta que se avisará en el mismo lugar de salida, 50 m (Prebenjamines), 400 m (Benjamines) y 800 m (Alevines)»

The swim’s own rules are more specific and give different times. They are signed by Club Nadamás, were published on 14 September 2026 and are posted both on the platform and on lanzarotedeportes.com:

• 1,500 m (infantil, junior and máster): men’s start at around 11:30 and women’s at around 11:45
• 50 m (prebenjamín): 10 minutes after the last swimmer from the previous start finishes
• 400 m (benjamín): 10 minutes after the last swimmer from the previous start finishes
• 800 m (alevín): 10 minutes after the last swimmer from the previous start finishes
• 4x200 mixed relay: 10 minutes after the last swimmer from the previous start finishes
• Lunch and prize ceremony: around 14:30

The two versions contradict each other on the long start, 11:00 on the platform and 11:30 in the rules, so the sensible thing is to be on the beach at 11:00. And mind the «17/10/2026 11:00» the platform prints next to the entries: that is the event start time, identical in every category, not the start time of each distance. For the short distances neither source gives a clock time: they go off in sequence, each one after the previous finish, and it is announced at the start itself. If you are bringing a child, there is no time to write in the diary: you have to be there.

The six entries the platform opens, with the birth years exactly as it writes them:

• 1.5 km: infantil, junior and máster (2012 and earlier)
• 800 m: alevín (2013 to 2014)
• 400 m: benjamín (2015 to 2016)
• 50 m: prebenjamín (2017 to 2021)
• Inclusiva, the inclusive race: 300 m
• 4x200 mixed relay: infantil, junior and máster

In 2025 the swim was held on 11 October at Playa de Jablillo, and in 2026 it moves to Las Cucharas, although the event rules still carry the old name in their internal headings («MAPAS DE LA TRAVESÍA JABLILLO», «REGLAMENTO DE LA V TRAVESÍA EL JABLILLO»).

The bib, the chip and the cap are collected the day before, on Friday 16 October at the Centro Deportivo Santa Rosa, from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00. Bring an ID card or a document that identifies the participant. You can collect someone else’s with written permission and a photocopy of their ID.

Entry and prices

Entries are open. On 3 October 2026 the platform shows the «Inscribirme» button live in all six categories and 117 people signed up. It does not publish when it opened them, checked on 3 October 2026.

The fees, read on the platform on 3 October 2026, are 20 EUR for the 1.5 km (infantil, junior and máster), 12 EUR for the 800 m alevín, 10 EUR for the 400 m benjamín, 5 EUR for the 50 m prebenjamín, 5 EUR for the 300 m inclusiva and 2.50 EUR per swimmer in the 4x200 mixed relay. It is a flat fee: no price bands and no surcharge for signing up later. Article 5.6 of the Cup rules sets 8 EUR for benjamín, but what you pay on the platform is 10 EUR.

Entries close on Wednesday 14 October at 23:59 Canary Islands time, three days before you swim. The date does not come from Sportmaniacs, which publishes no closing date at all, checked on 3 October 2026: it is set by article 5.1 of the XII Cup rules, which govern all five stages and say, word for word, that «El cierre de inscripción de cada travesía se establece cada míercoles de la semana del evento a las 23:59h (hora canaria)», the Wednesday of race week at 23:59 Canary Islands time, typo and all. Read on 3 October 2026 in the PDF published by lanzarotedeportes.com. As the 17th is a Saturday, the Wednesday of that week is the 14th. The platform warns that «No se hará devolución después de proceder la inscripción», no money back once you have entered.

The capacity is not clear. That same article 5.1 says «Cada travesía tendrá un máximo de 450 plazas», a maximum of 450 places per swim, but this swim’s own rules bring the number of participants down to «Entre 100-250 máximo», between 100 and 250. With 117 entries on 3 October 2026 there is room under either figure, but the one to take seriously is the lower one.

Two kit rules catch people out. The official cap is compulsory and it is the same one for all five swims in the series, so you keep it from race to race; a replacement costs 2 euros at the Ciudad Deportiva Lanzarote reception desk. The chip is compulsory too: failing to return it costs 20 euros and blocks your next entry.

Who can swim

The categories and birth years are set by article 11 of the Cup rules: prebenjamín 2017 and 2018, benjamín 2015 and 2016, alevín 2013 and 2014, infantil 2011 and 2012, junior 1 2009 and 2010, junior 2 2007 and 2008, and máster from A to M for 2006 and earlier, plus an adapted category graded by level of disability. There is a mismatch with the platform, which opens the 50 m as «Pre-benjamín (2017 a 2021)» while the rules recognise only 2017 and 2018. If the child was born in 2019 or later it is worth asking the club before paying, because article 6.4 disqualifies anyone who swims in a start that does not match their age.

Neither the Cup rules nor this swim’s rules ask for a federation licence or a medical certificate, checked on 3 October 2026. Article 3.1 goes no further than a recommendation: each swimmer takes part at their own risk and is advised to have «disponer de la revisión médica que lo acredite», a medical check to show it. Accident and public liability insurance are covered by the organisers, under article 5.2.

Wetsuits and water temperature

Below 18 °C a wetsuit is compulsory. From 18 °C upwards it is banned, with referee discretion up to 20 °C, a band in which it is optional for máster swimmers. Outside the range of 16 to 31 °C the race is called off, and in adapted swimming a wetsuit is allowed even above 20 °C. All of that is article 6.2 of the Cup rules. This swim’s own rules, on the other hand, ban it with no qualifications: «Los nadadores no podrán usar aletas, manoplas, reloj, gafas con tubos de respiración ni trajes de neopreno (según establece el reglamento FINA)», no fins, hand paddles, watch, snorkel goggles or wetsuits. In October the sea around Lanzarote normally sits comfortably above 18 °C, so swimming without a wetsuit is the likely scenario, but the call is made on the beach on the day. Officials come from the Canary Islands Swimming Federation.

How the Cup scoring works

Article 7 of the Cup rules sets it out. To appear in the overall standings you have to swim at least 3 of the 5 races. The best 4 scores count, or the best 3 if one stage is cancelled. Article 7.3 says the first 16 in each category score points, but the table printed underneath lists only fifteen scores (19, 16, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1): the 7 is missing, and it does turn up in the club table in 7.4. The Cabildo puts on a trophy ceremony when the series closes, but neither the rules nor lanzarotedeportes.com publish its date, checked on 3 October 2026.

Planning your race

Costa Teguise is a windy corner of the island. The trade wind usually builds through the afternoon and ruffles the surface, so the morning tends to give the easier water; check the forecast the day before and leave it there. The beach has facilities right on the sand and parking close by, which is not the case at most swims on the island, and the shoreline lets spectators follow the whole thing without moving.