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World-Class Kayak and Canoe Racing Returns to the Parc de la Mar This September
If you happen to be near the Cathedral on Saturday 19 September, don't be surprised to find some of the world's best kayak and canoe sprinters racing laps in the lagoon right beneath it. The III Trofeo Ciutat de Palma de Piragüismo, organised by the Real Club Náutico de Palma, returns to the Parc de la Mar with its biggest field yet, and for the first time, canoe alongside kayak.
What's New This Year
The previous two editions were kayak-only events held in October to coincide with Día de la Hispanidad. This year the organisers have added the C1 canoe category, completing the full traditional flatwater discipline within the Ciutat de Palma format. According to Carlos Borrás, the event's coordinator and an RCNP coach, the addition is meant to keep the competition growing while preserving what makes it distinctive: a compact, spectator-friendly sprint circuit rather than a conventional long-distance course.
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Why It's Happening in September Instead of October
Regular followers of the event might expect it around Día de la Hispanidad in mid-October, as in previous years. This year is different because of scheduled renovation works at the Parc de la Mar planned by the Ajuntament de Palma, which pushed the organisers to bring the competition forward by nearly a month. The result is a slightly earlier date on the calendar, but the same striking setting: a purpose-built sprint course on the lagoon, with the Cathedral rising directly behind the competitors.
The Format That Makes It Different
Rather than a long, point-to-point race, paddlers compete on a compact circuit designed specifically for the Parc de la Mar, with the start and finish in the same spot and a tight turning buoy, known as the ciaboga, that adds a genuine tactical edge to every heat. It's a format built as much for spectators as for the athletes: the entire race unfolds in view of anyone standing along the lagoon's edge, without needing to move to follow the action.
Who's Competing
Entry in the Open categories is available to competitive paddlers, and the strongest finishers progress through to an Elite round that has, in previous editions, included Olympic, World and European champions. Past years have drawn some of the sport's most decorated names to Palma for a single afternoon of racing, which is part of what's made this event stand out on the local sporting calendar in only three years.
Watching If You're Coming From the Southwest
The Parc de la Mar sits right along the same stretch of seafront as September's other big public event, the Rels B concert, so if you know that part of Palma, you already know the setting. Unlike a ticketed stadium event, this is free to watch from around the lagoon's edge, and it's an easy one to combine with a wander through the old town or a coffee facing the Cathedral. If you're driving in from Santa Ponsa or elsewhere in Calvià, parking in the centre and walking the last stretch is generally simpler than trying to get right up to the water's edge, particularly given how popular the vantage points around the lagoon tend to become once racing gets underway.
The Practical Takeaway
This is a free, genuinely high-level sporting event happening in one of Palma's most photogenic public spaces, and it's easy to miss if you're not specifically looking for it. If you're in the city on 19 September, it's worth timing a visit to the old town around the racing.
