The Festival runs for five fabulous days – three days of practice swims and two days of “Races”. You can choose to swim one day or all five! Experience three open water swimming locations in Barbados.
The races are a wonderful mix of ages and abilities, serious swimmers and swimmers just there for enjoyment. Distances: 1.5K, 3.3K, 5K, 10K.
Every year we welcome numerous first time “sea-swimmers”. Finisher Medals & Age Category Medals. Random prizes – swim and you may win!
Over the years many familiar faces of the open water world have been seen at the Festival – Olympians, World Champions, Masters Champions, marathon swimmers, Triple Crowners, Pan Am Medallists, National Champs, Ice swimmers, World Record Holders, Pro-triathletes, Swim Administrators & more.
THE VENUE: CARLISLE BAY
The focal point of the Festival is the magnificent Carlisle Bay. The swimmers rave about the ideal open water swimming conditions at the venue, Carlisle Bay, a protected Marine Park. The Bay is truly idyllic but also steeped in history, as a former bustling seaport, visited by the likes of George Washington and famous British Admiral, Lord Nelson. Suitably, the Bay now lies adjacent to the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site: “Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison”.
This historic bay was named after the ‘Earl of Carlisle’, who at that time was James Hay. He was a Lord Proprietor of the British West Indies colonies which included Barbados. Carlisle Bay was once a port for large ships which could not fit in the Careenage Harbour, in the nearby capital city of Bridgetown.
Crystal clear calm water that laps gently onto a long white sand beach and little or no undertow. A swimmer once likened Carlisle Bay to a “large swimming pool but even more beautiful”.
