The magic of an island swim

Ben Lane visits Porto Santo for the Madeira Island Ultra Swim and discovers an event that blends world-class racing, welcoming community spirit and the stunning beauty of the Atlantic into an unforgettable experience

This event is one of the best I have ever seen, and it could be incredible.” Peter Plavec is standing on a beach in Porto Santo, two and a half hours by ferry from Madeira, looking out towards the Atlantic. He says it casually, to no one, as if the thought escaped before he had time to work it up. Peter is an Instagram sensation, a top ten global swimming influencer, and one of the smoothest swimmers I have ever seen. When he speaks, his 107K followers tend to listen. I listen too; he has one of those personalities that exudes dogmatic wisdom, especially when it comes to swimming.

We were in Porto Santo for a swimming event like no other: the Madeira Island Ultra Swim, better known as MIUS, held in May. It is easy to describe in simple terms: a race, a weekend of open-water swimming, a gathering of swimmers on a remote island. But that would miss the point.

MIUS feels like something bigger is beginning to form. The Regional Government of Madeira, through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, has backed MIUS as part of a wider ambition to connect Madeira and Porto Santo with the sea, active tourism and international sporting experiences. A €180,000 development and cooperation plan has also been formed with the Madeira Swimming Association to support tourism promotion and events, including MIUS.

That support matters because it shows MIUS is not simply a swim race in a spectacular location. It is being treated as part of the islands’ future identity: attracting international swimmers, supporting the region beyond the main holiday season and presenting Madeira as a serious destination for ocean adventure. Eduardo Jesus, Madeira’s Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, has spoken about events such as MIUS adding value to the territory, boosting the local economy and helping Madeira and Porto Santo attract international audiences. Open-water swimmers are not passive tourists. They travel with purpose, explore the coastline, stay longer, bring families, tell stories and often return.

For Madeira and Porto Santo, this matters even more. Islands need rhythm beyond the summer months, and MIUS offers exactly the kind of activity that can help combat seasonality while giving the island a clear sporting identity. But strategy only gets you so far. What gives MIUS its pulse is the people. Mayra Santos runs Swim Madeira, guiding sea lovers along the coastlines, volcanic landscapes and open water of the region. She is also a prolific swimmer, having recently completed the crossing from Madeira to Porto Santo. “For me, MIUS is much more than a race,” she says. “Even though it is a competitive event, I do not swim for competition itself. I swim because of an inexplicable passion for the ocean.” The sea, she says, has transformed her life over the past decade.

Peter’s story carries a similar thread. He started swimming seriously at 30, after years working long hours on cruise ships and searching for something that might change his life. He found cold water first, then freestyle, then distance, then a swimming community that pulled him forward. That feeling runs through MIUS. Yes, there are start lines, race numbers, elite athletes, national titles and results. But there is also something looser, warmer, more human happening here.

Mayra says she never had the chance to be a “real athlete” when she was younger. So standing on the same start line as worldclass swimmers feels surreal. “MIUS gives me that feeling,” she says. “For a moment, I feel like a super athlete too.”

That is the event’s real magic. I witnessed some incredible scenes from the shore and also swam the 1.5km event, thrilled to be among such an eclectic mix of swimmers. The fastest swimmers, national and Olympic standard, raced hard around the buoys near the port of Porto Santo. The biggest round of applause, however, was for a woman in her seventies who finished last but emerged smiling, exhausted and into a wall of hugs and applause. Right there is the magic. MIUS is special because it places everyone into the same event experience. Not in separate worlds or carefully divided lanes, but together in the same sea at the same time. That is why the event feels different. We can all swim as we wish alongside those at the top of their game and those simply out for a morning dip.

Every moment was captured by drones, a film crew and an underwater camera. Everyone was visible. Everyone was part of the story. Everyone could complete their own swim in a setting of raw beauty, with calm support all around them. Fábio Bastos, President of the Madeira Swimming Association, describes MIUS as much more than a sporting competition. For him, it is a celebration of the ocean, personal achievement, sporting excellence and the connection between sport and nature. In another setting, that might sound like official language. In Porto Santo, it is spot on.

The island has the rare quality all great swim destinations need. It looks good from the beach, but feels even better once you are in the water. There is the long golden sweep of sand, the clarity of the Atlantic, the mild conditions, the sense of space and the feeling that Porto Santo understands the sea rather than simply using it as a backdrop. This is where MIUS starts to make sense. It is part national championship, part public participation event, part sports tourism showcase. Somehow, it manages to be all three without losing its warmth.

A few hundred swimmers from multiple countries took part over two days, helping MIUS establish itself as one of the key regional, national and international stages for open-water swimming. MIUS already has almost everything a great race needs. The setting is there. The organisation is there. The accommodation is top class. The atmosphere is there. The only thing missing, as Peter says, is more international swimmers. More people coming from more places. More stories arriving on the island. More energy in the water. That feels less like criticism and more like a signpost.

As outsiders, we saw the potential immediately. Fábio sees it strategically. Mayra feels it deeply. The Regional Government understands its wider tourism value. After being there, it was hard not to see it too. MIUS already has many of the ingredients required to become one of Europe’s standout open-water swimming events: a spectacular setting, serious organisation, a growing international profile, strong local pride, strategic public support and that intangible thing every event wants but cannot easily manufacture: atmosphere. The magic of Madeira and the surrounding islands is not just that they are beautiful, but that the event feels like it belongs there.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

We stayed: ilabaleira.com
For more information: miusmadeira.com
Ferry: portosantoline.pt