Anchorages between Lagos and Barcelona

[Richard10002]

Planning the trip from Lagos to Malta, (where we will spend next winter), and really want to avoid the high season marina charges as much as possible.

Will probably mostly day sail from Lagos to Barcelona, (or wherever we leave the coast for the Balearics), and would be interest to know af any nice, or safe, or safe and nice, overnight anchorages between the two.

Many Thanks

Richard

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Loads listed in the Pilot book (Gib to Denia). Not all are suitable for overnighting if the wind is wrong. It seems to be that the South coast of Spain is pretty barren and exposed - we are planning to go ALmerimar to Gib non stop, if the wind is right, for much the same reasons.

 

[Anonymous]

Isola Culatra (must do, don't miss, allow a week)
Rio Guardiana (we missed it, will get there in due course)
Mazagon (safe but don't like town)
Gib anchorage is closed so have to use La Linea - tender theft is a huge issue and you are likely to have it stolen, don't leave it in the water or ashore unattended. You have to get other yachts to ferry you back and forth, so I am told.
Anchor in entrances to marinas on way up coast - pretty normal custom
Motril (inside port, on RHS just after first mole long bus ride to town)
Herradura Bay if the weather is right (land on beach, swell can be a prob for getting back to yacht)
Adra? (don't know if you are still allowed to anchor
Almeria (inside port but no place to leave tender)
W & E of Cabo de Gata (overnight anchorages for weather/rest)
San Jose (marina too small for Rogue anchor off with fvs.)
Garrucha (anchor down far end of fishing harbour no good tender park)
Cartagena - was told of a good anchorage La Azoih or Azhoi, said to be A++ not used but marina is worth visiting (ask for info here) as town has loads of history and marina is right in town centre
South and north of Cabo de Palos some anchorages, check
Mar Menor (not personally but will try this year)
Torrevieja (they were throwing anchoring yachts out, last September and you are very unwelcome, holding very patchy, dreadful in places, new marina under construction. Money grubbing lot, leave 'em to their pitiful existence)
Moraira (excellent anchorage and reasonably priced marina if weather turns)
- We used Moraira as departure and arrival point for Formenterra will probably do the same this year

 

[Richard10002]

Many Thanks David, plenty to get me busy plotting there!

 

[Swagman]

Hi Richard,
Possibly with the exception of Culatra and Rio Guardiana, IMHO you'd be best to do this leg in one hit.
Algaves the nice bit - frankly the rest is not the most scenic part of Spanish coast - and 4 days would see you in Bercelona where excess time could be spent in prettier and safer anchorages north and east (ie Balearics).
Cheers
JOHN

 

[Vindleka]

Hi Richard

We did this trip in Summer 2005 and found it very difficult to find anchorages. The following might be helpful:
Entrance to Marbella - The marina was full but they let us anchor in a sheltered area outside and then onto the fuel pontoon for the night foc.
Motril - Inside the harbour just off the marina. Sheltered and comfortable.
Garrucha - At the end of the harbour past the marina berths. Very comfortable.
Mar Menor - By Isla Perdiguera. Very comfortable.
Torrevieja - In the harbour off the marina. Lots of yachts were there at that time. Swell came in but not too bad.
Albir - Just tucked in round the headland. Great anchorage in theory but swell came in all night despite a favourable wind direction. Very uncomfortable.
Cala Sardinera - Same thing but very attractive anchorage.
Castellon - Looked like you could anchor in the harbour but we couldn't find anyone to ask. Next time we would just do it as the marina was very uncomfortable.
Vinaroz - in the harbour just off the marina. Very comfortable.
Cambrils - In the left part of the harbour between the fishing boats and the town. Very comfortable.

Hope that helps Have a good trip!

 

[All_at_Sea]

Rio Guadina is a two day trip and worth the stopover, you can navigate easily up the 20 miles to San Lucar. On down the coast El Rompido is a great place to stop, good holding along way up the inlet so no problems and protected.

Give Mazagon a miss and head for the mouth of the Seville river - name escapes me - and you can anchor off either side - very nice.

On past Cadiz worth a stop at Sancti Petri, easy anchoring and pretty beaches etc. Then do the hop to Gib.

 

[Steve Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
Moraira (excellent anchorage and reasonably priced marina if weather turns)

[/ QUOTE ]
Good choice; anchorage is suberb; marina visitors moor on the left as you enter harbour on the wall ALONGSIDE. Very easy walk to the Pepe la Sal supermarket in the town plus a wonderful choice of restaurants.

Go further north and you can anchor north and south side of Javea bay so take your pick dependent on the wind.

Can anchor in the shallows on the northern side of the long north wall for Denia Marinas (btw Tanya no longer works for the marina - she is currently working in a Harley shop selling bikers gear)

www.seraph-sailing.com

 

[jwdorst]

The river to Seville is the Quadalquivir. Best starting point is probably from the Chipiona marina a couple of miles from the river mouth. The marina office has, basic, printed information about tides, locks at Seville, bridge in Seville etc. The current in the river can reach 8 knots and the bottom is very muddy/sandy. Our prop shaft seal, which relies on two surfaces pressing together for watertightness, became very un-watertight as a result of sand between the surfaces! The river is also quite shallow but there is a clearly marked channel all the way up because the river is used quite extensively by freighters (Seville has a small but active commercial port) that all travel up and down the river more or less simultaneously because of tidal restrictions.

Agree that anchoring at the mouth of the river is great. Opposite the fishing port of Bonanza. It's very wide there, and the current is at it's mildest.

Would also recommend a couple of days trip to Seville. Once through the locks don't stop at the 'marina' immediately to starboard, but continue on to the next bridge (check operation with Chipiona marina) and take a berth at the Club Nautico Seville. We wintered there in 2004-2005. Reasonable prices and a 20 minute walk to the town centre.

The trip up river can be made in one tide. Count on using your engine. We found spending the night at anchor half way was not very relaxing. River very narrow, strong current, holding not great, lot's of freighters. Not a lot of sleep. There is nowhere to tie up along the way as far as I know.

The trip up is interesting. Seville is fantastic.