David Meca: “The Canary Islands are the perfect place to visit any day of the year.”

Let’s go back to the beginning. How old were you when you learned how to swim?

I was a kid with some developmental problems and I wore orthopaedic shoes, which led the doctors to prescribe what would ultimately become my passion and my job. At five years old, I was already swimming and competing.

Your sporting career took you to the Canary Islands, where you made a name for yourself in the archipelago in the early 2000s. Tell us how this relationship with the Canary Islands came about.

It all started with an association called Mundo del Silencio (World of Silence), which was an organisation of friends based in Arona who worked together to take care of the sea, the plants, the animals, etc. I became friends with them and, to raise awareness for their cause, we swam from La Gomera to Tenerife, specifically to Los Cristianos. I liked the challenge because it had never been done before, and I especially liked the background when they told me about the history of Garajonay. I had the immense pleasure of enjoying crystal clear waters and sharing the journey with dolphins and whales; there’s photographic proof of this, which, despite being a quarter of a century old, is still in spectacular condition.

From then on, I fell in love with the islands and their people, so much so that my parents and I came to live here for a while. My connection to the archipelago was also cemented by other challenges, like the route from Tenerife, to Gran Canaria, then Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Isla de Lobos, and finally La Graciosa. Each of these crossings was accompanied by a call to protect marine flora and fauna. All of this was driven by ten years of support from Plátano de Canarias. David Meca is known for the world championships, for the challenges, but also for being the swimmer who championed the banana on his crossings.

You came to the Canary Islands to, in a way, never leave.

This sums it up perfectly: in the ten years I lived in the United States, my ID card still said I was Canarian; I loved to brag that I was an islander, even though I was born in Sabadell.

What do the Canary Island waters offer that others you’ve swum in do not?

It’s not just the water—how clean and crystal clear they are—, it’s also everything that surrounds them, especially the warmth, kindness, and friendliness of the people. The Canary Islands suck you in. I’ve always said that we don’t have to go far to enjoy pristine beaches, unique species, and luxury hotels; we have all that here, on our islands. Now, I live in Madrid for work, but every so often, I spend a whole week in the Canary Islands with my family to enjoy its essence, air of relaxation, its climate, and the food.

We know you specialise on the surface, but have you had the opportunity to explore the archipelago’s seabed?

Although it may not seem like it, I have a lot of respect for open waters. I haven’t dared to go scuba diving. I’d love to, but I don’t think I’m capable of it. I remember that, on my first crossing from La Gomera to Tenerife, I encountered some whales and they accompanied me during the journey. My heart was beating faster than usual, and it wasn’t because of the effort, it was because I was swimming among six whales that appeared to be playing with me.

With that said, competing or training in the waters of the Canary Islands fits in perfectly with tourism and an interest in everything that ‘our’ Atlantic Ocean has to offer.

As I said, for me, it’s become the perfect place to come any day of the year to enjoy pleasant temperatures and wonderful hotels with spectacular cuisine. I love it so much so that I can’t imagine going two or three months without travelling to the islands; I need to recharge my batteries there with everything I said before, and the good times.