Anchorages in the Balearics

DrBob

DrBob

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Just about to disappear off down to the South of France to help sail a boat from Toulon round to La Coruna via Gib.

Looks like the plan is to cross to Menorca and then to work our way down the Balearics for 4 or 5 days - last week in March.

Anyone got any recommendations of "must see" anchorages? At least one needs to be convenient to get some supplies in but the others could be more remote. None of the crew has sailed the Balearics before.

Any suggests greatfully accepted

Dr Bob
 
My number one "must see" anchorage in the Balearics is the Cabrera National Marine Park. This is a series of islands just south east of Mallorca. It is a protected Marine Park and anchorage is prohibited. However, the Park Service has laid fifty moorings that must be reserved in advance before you arrive. You apply at the Park Service Office in Palma, which can be done by fax. They will give you a reservation number that will be checked by the Park Rangers when you arrive. It is a little bit of work but it is worth it. It is a stunningly beautiful envirionment with many rare and protected species. The Park Rangers are very helpful, they will give you a very good information folder when you arrive and they are arranging walks around the islands.

Sorry, can't give you the contact numbers. That is in the Cruising Assn's pilot book of the Balearics which is aboard my boat and I am not. You might find it by Googling "Cabrera Marine Park". Enjoy it.

For the rest, about any anchorage on Menorca will be very nice as well, but Cittadulla on the west side might take the price.
 
Thanks for the info on the marine park. I googled it and found the fax number. I will try and get a fax off this week to see if we can book!

I've read in a couple of places that Cittadulla can be a bit bouncy - are there any problems there?

Thanks for the input.

Dr Bob
 
In Menorca the north facing Cala Fornells is a good anchorage, well sheltered. Mahon is very well sheltered and a particularly nice town. The anchorage close to the entrance, under the fort, is very good and the fort is worth a visit. Cross from there to Mallorca, I would head for Pollensa for plenty of anchorages and reasonable shopping. Head south clockwise, there are loads of excellent anchorages all the way. Cabrera on the south-east corner is well worth a visit but you must have a permit first, usually available from most marinas around.

If you don't want to go to Palma, a nice place but can be expensive in the season, there is a very well-sheltered anchorage immediately outside the marina at Puerto Portals, but for a really beautiful one go on a few miles to Cala Portals, where you can get right inside a deep, narrow bay.

Crossing to Ibiza I would go round anti-clockwise, lots of good anchorages down this coast, depending on swell direction. Perhaps the best is Cala de Port Roig on the south coast.

The absolutely not to be missed is the furthest south - Puerto El Espalmador, between Espalmador and Formantera. It's like every Bounty advert you ever saw, rolled into one. A shallow passage of white sand between the two main islands, anchorage big enough for almost any number of boats, crystal clear water - couldn't be better. Oh, and I didn't mention the nudists - but maybe not too many at this time of year!
 
Yes, if there is a westerly wind a swell will work its way into Cittadulla and bounce you around, especially on the outer places on the harbour quay. In any other winds it should be fine. There is a "Yacht Club" building on the north side of the harbour with three or four guest moorings which is usually fine. If those are taken, you can normally raft alongside whoever is there. Talk to the Yacht Club attendant.
 
Re:Ciutadella

Spent a night on visitor quay in October 2005.Nice place, good value, excellent restaurants in town ( and some pretty good shops as well!) But there is a nasty local phenomenon (rissaca? resacca?) sorry, senior moment, whare a kind of tidal wave sweeps into the harbour and destroys everything.
Apparently difficult to predict, fairly rare. Wouldn't stop me going back
 
Hi Dr Bob

We have some cruising/port notes on our website here under the heading 'Bay of Cadiz to Malta'. These include info/notes on Balearic anchorages, based on our experience there last summer (2006). I hope it maybe useful?

I'm sure you will enjoy the Islands, we had a great time - anchored for 42 nights with no problems.

Have fun

Wayne
 
Thanks to all for the inputs. Some great stuff here.

Hitrapia - like the web site. I will have a good look tomorrow evening. After teh Balearics we will head west and up to the Spanish Rias in a few long passages and then have 4 or 5 days in the Rias.

Probably have a few more questions in a couple of day.

Dr Bob
 
Re:Ciutadella

Think its called Rissaga. Its something to do with storm surge I think, first warning is when all the water runs out of the harbour. Been posted before but worth a look again.

Rissaga Ciutadella

I liked Cala Macarella, Menorca.(South coast approx 10 miles south Ciutadella) Its the pretty one on all the postcards. Very busy in season, but great when no trip boats.
 
It is a Tsunami-like thing caused by movements of the sea bed. When I was there in July 2006 the harbour was shut due to the risk (cannot be predicted with accuracy) and we were forced to anchor in the anchorage outside. That anchorage, when busy, requires you to take a stern line ashore and it is quite rocky. Could be tricky for a cruising couple without crew unless they are geared up for it and have done it before as the rocks are a bit difficult to get onto in places. In 2006 there was constant navtext warnings about the risks.

Minorca tends to polarise people who know the Balearics into 'likes' and 'hates' more than either of the other two main islands. I have found more 'hates' than 'likes' and the views seem to be deeply-held. It is a very personal thing. Minorca has a different weather system to either Ibiza or Majorca and it tends to be VERY WINDY. The dairy produce is good /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Menorca

Maybe we were lucky. The wind was light when we were on the north coats, where there are some really fabulous, remote anchorages. By the time the wind got going we were in reasonable shelter on the south side. Did experience some gutsy thunderstorms around there, in August. Perhaps not so in the immediate future?
 
Re: Menorca

My pilot goes into some detail about the different weather in Minorca but it's below a bunk at the moment and not to hand. All I have committed to memory is that all of the islands are susceptible to sudden strong winds that can take you by surprise - very little warning but Minorca has a weather pattern shared with the Gulf of Genoa rather than the Peninsular and Gulf of Lions weather that dominates in the other islands.

Then again, 2006 was a very difficult summer weather wise in the western Med. It was only our second summer but others who have cruised this area for years remarked that it was a particularly bad year. We were happy enough though, until Minorca in late July and August, and the weather got better again after we got south of Majorca. Maybe it's global warming. Must catch up with Frank Singleton again and see what his views are.
 
I belong to the "love Menorca" category. I found it the nicest of the islands with the most friendly people and best restaurants.

Regarding the Rissauga; it is claimed that the local fishermen are good at predicting it and if you see all the fishing boats leave, it is time to slip off those mooring lines. If you see all the water leaving the harbour, you are already too late....
 
ISTR that the water drops by 100mm or so a few hours before - something like that...but it is very local. There are proper harbour 'traffic' lights at the entrance to Ciutadella and while we were there, they were constantly on 'don't enter' even though there were plenty of boats in there.
 
Re: Menorca

We were there in 2005. That year was notable for the unusual number of Mistrals/Tramontanes which, as you say, affect the north coast of Menorca quite considerably. When we left from Ciudadella north to the Spanish mainland the predicted swells were 2.5 metres, so we waited a couple of days. Wind didn't seem to extend much further south than Menorca, but the swells certainly did.

In 2006 we had high pressure everywhere throughout July but then it became unsettled in August, forcing us to spend long periods at anchor or in port in Sardinia.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Minorca has a different weather system to either Ibiza or Majorca and it tends to be VERY WINDY

[/ QUOTE ] Very windy - at times. It's on the SW corner of the mistral affected area. That means that 30% of the winter period it blows a hooley, and 5 - 10% of the summer sees some brisk winds. March, April and October lie between, and if a depression enters through the straits of Gib, watch out!
 
[ QUOTE ]
After teh Balearics we will head west and up to the Spanish Rias in a few long passages and then have 4 or 5 days in the Rias.


[/ QUOTE ] You may find my web site useful for this part of the journey, particularly regarding strategies for the north bound section along Portugal. Besides that I list quite a lot of the 'must sees' along the route and among the rias.

Your biggest threats on this trip will be the mistrals while on passage from Sardinia to Menorca, and the Atlantic swells as you head north along the Portuguese and Spanish coasts (which will close some of the harbour entrances). It'll be a great trip though . . .
 
Agree with the "very windy" categorisation of Menorca. I was stuck for a week with force 7-8 passing by. Then the forecast dropped to force 2-3 and we set out across the Gulfe de Lion towards the French Riviera only to be met by force 10. Tested the boat's heavy weather performance and it passed with flying honours. Not so with the crew though....

Regarding the Rissauga: I have not actually heard it being reported as having happened anytime in the last 8 years. I have heard of the tsunami that landed in Mahon in early 2004 and created similar and serious damage. Anybody has any better information?
 
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