The World’s Top 100 Island Swims are interesting, unique, beautiful and exciting island swims that can involve solo, stage, competitive, relay or charity open water swimming or served as swim vacations that are held to, from, on, in, between, near or around islands in any open body of water.

There are literally tens of thousands of island swims around the world.

Please help us choose 100 of the world’s greatest island swims to update the following alphabetical list by emailing headcoach@openwatersource.com:

World’s Top 100 Island Swims

1. 20 Bridges Manhattan Island Swim, 45.9 km circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island in New York City
2. 40 Bridges Manhattan Island Swim, 91.8 km circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island in New York City
3. 358 Swim, 3 km, 5 km, 8 km on the Hamilo Coast at the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines
4. Alcatraz Island swims, 2 km swim between Alcatraz Island and Aquatic Park in San Francisco Bay, California
5. Alligator Lighthouse Swim, 14.8 km marathon charity swim in Islamorada in the Florida Keys, Florida
6. Apolima Strait Swim, 22.3 km crossing between Upolu and Savai’i across the Apolima Strait in Samoa
7. Bali Ocean Swim, 1.2 km, 5 km and 10 km races on Kuta Beach, Bali
8. Barbados Open Water Festival, 1.5 km, 3.3 km, 5 km, 10 km races in Carlisle Bay, Barbados
9. Beach-to-Beach Power Swim, 1, 2.25, 3.5 miles in Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Hawksnest Bay in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
10. Beginish Island Swim, 6.43 km circumnavigation swim around Beginish Island in Co. Kerry, Ireland
11. Bermuda Round-the-Sound, 0.8 km, 2 km, 4 km, 7.25 km and 10 km races in Bermuda
12. BEST FEST, 10-race 7-day competition in Mallorca, Spain
13. Big Island Swim Challenge or BISA, 37 km swim in Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
14. BISRA GaddinAbtGarnish, 1 km, 3 km, 5 km and 7 km swims around Garnish Island in Glengarriff, Co. Cork, Ireland
15. Bonaire EcoSwim, 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, 5 km, 10 km races in Kralendijk, Bonaire
16. Canal de Menorca, 37 km crossing between the Balearic Islands of Menorca and Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea
17. Caramoan 7K Swim Challenge, 3.5 km and 7 km races between islands in Camarines Sur, Philippines
18. Catalina Channel, 32.3 km crossing between Santa Catalina Island and the California mainland
19. Cebu Strait, 12 – 16 km strait crossing from Cabilao Island to Argao on Cebu Island in the Philippines
20. Cocos International Crossing, 3.52 km channel crossing from Cocos Island to Guam
21. Cook Strait, 23 km crossing between North Island and South Island in New Zealand
22. Cork Distance Week, 8-day swim camp + Body Brain Confusion Swim in Sandycove Island and Sherkin Island in Cork, Ireland
23. Croatian Elaphiti Islands – Dubrovnik, 5-day swim vacation in the southern Dalmatian Coast along Croatia’s Elaphiti island
24. Croatia Open Water Swim Cruise 9-day swim vacation in Split and Dalmatian Islands, ending in the Faros Challenge
25. Curaçao Channel Crossing, 26.1 km crossing from Klein Curaçao to Curaçao
26. Duke of Marlborough Hotel Bay of Islands Classic, 3.3 km, 750m, 300m, 200m and 100m from Paihia to Russell, New Zealand
27. El Cruce, 3 km and 10 km races from Cancún to Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo, Mexico
28. Enoshima – Jogashima Channel, 21 km island-to-island crossing in eastern Japan
29. Escape from Mañagaha, 2.4 km channel crossing between Saipan and Mañagaha in the Northern Mariana Islands
30. Escape from Spike Island, 1.8 km swim in Cobh Harbour, Ireland
31. Fastnet Rock, 6.5 km swim on the most southerly point of Ireland
32. Fiji Swims, 1 km, 2.7 km and 18 km races at Treasure Island and Beachcomber Island, Fiji
33. Five Islands Challenge, including 7.4 km Manono Island Swim, 5 km Fanuatapu – Namu’a Islands Swim, ​5 km Namu’a Island to Lalomanu Swim, 5.3 km Nu’usafe’e Island Swim, 3.5 km Matautu Island Swim in Samoa
34. Flowers Sea Swim, 1.6 km, 5 km and 10 km races on Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands
35. Freedom Swim, 7.4 km swim from Robben Island to Big Bay in Cape Town, South Africa
36. Generation Homes Sand to Surf, 2.6 km and 1.25 km races around Moturiki Island in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand
37. Guernsey, 48.28 km circumnavigation swim around the island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy
38. HK360Swim, 45 km circumnavigation swim around Hong Kong Island
39. Île du Diable or Devil’s Island, 14 km crossing from the French Guiana coast in South America
40. Île d’Oléron, 3 km crossing to French mainland
41. Inisbofin Swim, 12.8 km swim from Inishbofin to Connemara, County Galway, Ireland
42. Isle of Wight, 90 km circumnavigation swim in the English Channel
43. Kapiti Island Swim, 5.6 km swim between Kapiti Island and North Island in New Zealand
44. Kaulakahi Channel, 27.35 km crossing between the islands of Kaua’i and Ni’ihau in Hawaii
45. Lake Toba Festival – World Super Swim 3-day 117.6 km circumnavigation relay around Samosir Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia
46. Linden Scott Swim Around Gasparee Island, 5.6 km circumnavigation swim around Gasparee Island, Trinidad & Tobago
47. Lord Howe Island, 30 km circumnavigation swim in the Tasman Sea east of Port Macquarie, Australia
48. Malta-Gozo-Malta Open Water Swimming Competition, 5.5 km and 11 km in Malta in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, Italy
49. Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli, 36 km professional marathon swim from Capri to Napoli, Italy
50. Marnaton eDreams Formentera, 4 km and 11 km races on the island of Formentera, Spain
51. Maui Channel Swim, 15.9 km relay between the islands of Lanai and Maui in Hawaii
52. Molokai Channel, 45 km channel crossing between Molokai Island and Oahu in Hawaii
53. Moz Coral Open Water Race, 10 km race from Haapiti – Site Tiahura on Mo’orea, Tahiti
54. Naples Island Swims, 200m, 500m, 1 km, 1.6 km and 4.8 km races in Long Beach, California
55. Navarino Challenge, 1.6 km race in Navarino Bay at the port of Pylos in Greece’s Ionian Sea
56. Nevis to St. Kitts Cross-Channel Swim, 4 km crossing from Nevis to St. Kitts in the Caribbean Sea
57. World Aquatics Marathon Swim World Series, 10 km professional marathon swim in New Caledonia
58. Okinawa Uruma Hamahiga Open Water Swim, 0.4 km, 0.8 km, 1.6 km and 3.2 km on Hamahiga Island in Okinawa, Japan
59. Pennock Island Challenge, 13.2 km circumnavigation swim around Pennock Island in Ketchikan, Alaska
60. Perhentian Island Marathon Swim, 16 km circumnavigation swim in Pulau, Perhentian Besar in Malaysia
61. Quicksilver Reef Swim – Green Island, 1.5 km + 3 km swim from Green Island, Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia
62. Race For The Conch Eco-SeaSwim, 0.5 mile, 1-mile and 2.4-mile races in Turks & Caicos
63. Rathlin Swim Challenge, 11.3 km race from Rathlin to Bellycastle in Northern Ireland
64. Rattlesnake Island Swim, 3.1 km and 7 km swim across Okanagan Lake in Peachland, British Columbia, Canada
65. Rottnest Channel Swim, 19.7 km crossing from Perth in Western Australia to Rottnest Island
66. Round Jersey, 51 km circumnavigation swim around the Island of Jersey in the English Channel
67. Sado Channel Crossing, 40 km prison island swim from Sado Island to Niigata Prefecture on Honshu in northern Japan
68. St. Croix Coral Reef Swim, 1.6 km, 3.2 km and 8 km races in St. Croix in the Caribbean Sea
69. Saipan Swim Club Ocean Swim, 0.6 km, 1 km, 1.3 km, 2.5 km races in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
70. Sandycove Island Challenge, 2 km race around Sandycove Island, Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland
71. Santa Barbara Channel, 19.6 km crossing between Anacapa Island and the California mainland
72. Santa Cruz Channel, 30.5 km crossing between Santa Cruz Island and Oxford on the California mainland
73. Santorini Experience, 2.4 km and 10 km race on Santorini Island, Greece
74. Sherkin Island Swim, 2 km swim from Sherkin Island to the Cork mainland, Ireland
75. Shonan Open Water Swim, 800m, 2.5 km and 10 km races from Zushi to Enoshima in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
76. Singapore Open Water Swim Stars, 1 km and 3.5 km races at the Sea Sport Center in Singapore
77. Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union Sea Swim, 3.2 km race in Colombo, Sri Lanka
78. Strait of Bonifacio, 11 km crossing between Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy) in the western Mediterranean Sea
79. Strait of Messina, 3.1 km crossing between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in southern Italy
80. Strel Swimming Adventures Croatian Island Hopping, 7-day swim vacation in Croatia´s Dalmatian Coast from Krapanj island
81. Swim Around Charleston, 19.3 km circumnavigation swim around Charleston, South Carolina
82. Swim Around Key West, 20.1 km circumnavigation swim around Key West, Florida
83. Swim for Haiti, 1.5 km and 10 km races on Ile des Arcadins in Haiti
84. Swim The Island, 1.7 km, 3.5 km, 5 km races in Isola di Bergeggi, Italy
85. Swimming Holidays in the Canary Islands, 6-day swim vacation in the Canary Islands, Spain
86. SwimTrek Galapagos Islands, 8-day swim vacation in the Galapagos Islands
87. SwimTrek The Maldives, 6-day swim vacation in the Maldives
88. SwimVacation British Virgin Islands, 6-day swim vacation in the British Virgin Islands
89. Tahiti Swimming Experience, 4 x 200m relay, 2 km fun race, 5 km multi-day event in Tahiti
90. The Around-Coronado Swim, 18.6 km circaround Coronado Island in San Diego, California, USA
91. Big Blue Swim Lefkada Ionian 12 Islands, 7-day swim vacations in Lefkada Island in the Ionian Sea the west of Greek mainland
92. Torneo Internacional de Natación en Aguas Abiertas, 7.5 km swim from Isla de la Luna to Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
93. Travesía a Nado El Río, 2.6 km swim from the Playa de Bajo Risco in Lanzarote to Caleta de Sebo, La Graciosa, Canary Islands
94. Travesia Media Maraton de Tabarca, 22 km swim in Tabarca, Spain
95. Tsugaru Channel, 19.5 km crossing between Aomori Prefecture to Hokkaido in northern Japan
96. Valentia Island Circumnavigation, 25.8 km circumnavigation swim around Valentia Island in western Ireland
97. Vanuatu Ocean Swim, 1.5 km and 3.2 km races in Port Vila, Iririki Island, Vanuatu
98. Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 3.8 km race across Waikiki Beach on Oahu in Hawaii
99. World Heritage Okinawa Safa-utaki Swim, 500m, 1 km, 1.5 km and 3 km relay in Azama Sunsun, Nanjo City, Okinawa, Japan
100. Xiamen-Kinman Swimming, 7.1 km crossing from Xiamen, China to Kinmen, Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait

Email headcoach@openwatersource.com to make recommendations for additional or replacement island swims for this list.

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