Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

With the maximum limit of swimmers reached and over 200 swimmers already on the waiting list, the traditional Traversata dello Stretto is a highly popular 5.2 km swim in Italy that dates back nearly 50 years.

But as Nino Fazio says, “There are many more swims in Sicily.”

Traversata dello Stretto is part of a series of open water swims in Sicily near or in the Strait of Messina in August and September.

The Strait of Messina is a narrow channel between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria on the Italian mainland.

The first race in the series is the Traversata dello Stretto which features a rather difficult course across the Strait of Messina.

First crossed in 1930 by early pioneering open water swimmers, the Strait has strong currents and natural whirlpools that make for a challenging and enjoyable event to do and watch, especially on a clear day.

The Traversata dello Stretto starts at Torre Faro, crosses the Strait of Messina to a turn in Cannitello in Calabria on the Italian mainland, then traverses along the Italian coast where the swimmers finish in the Villa San Giovanni. Photos and information are posted here.

Other races include the Trofeo Baia di Grotta, the 1.8 km Trofeo Onda Azzurra along the Calabria coast, the 3.7 km Favazzina-Scilla swim in August, the 5.1 km Memoria Nino Sofi and the 3 km