Anyone have any experiences of Almerima Marina?

[Cin70]

Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

Just that really! We are thinking about an annual contract. I know there is a Carrefour 6km away, is that on the level or uphill? Is the Marina secure and how are the Med moorings in the winter when it's stormy? What about bars and restaurants?

Thanks everyone.

 

[ironmaiden]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

We are also thinking of going there as well, noonsite gives a bit of info on it but we would also be grateful for any info.

 

[Richard10002]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

I called in for a couple of days on my way to Malta in 2007, and on the way back in 2009, so a long time ago. However... I recall there being a big supermarket a short walk away, lots of bars and restaurants - had some good meals, a good chandlery and boat yard, and a number of individuals expert in a variety of boat related stuff.

It was very very hot in July 2009!!!

If it hasn't changed for the worse, I would happily give it a try for a year, based on my experiences.

 

[PlanB]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

I have friends who plan to overwinter there this year, having visited en route to the Balearics from the Costa del Sol. Because it's cheaper. Other people who have stayed there say it's very big and very expat, especially Brits. Some people think this is good, others not. I guess it comes down to personal choice.

 

[jordanbasset]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

This is a post I have previously made about Almerimar, only caveat is that it is 7 years out of date
'Having spent the winter in Almerimar, everything was close that you needed. Good range of restaurants, Spanish and international, plus similar range of bars (yes there were three British bars but if you did not want to use them you did not have to, I used them to watch British sport, Football and Rugby).
Three chandleries on site which can pretty much get you anything you want and you can now work on your own boat, including stainless steel work and canvas work. Very good supermarket within a few strides of the boats
Also found the activities arranged by the liveaboard community at Almerimar excellent and really felt part of a community. Again if you did not want to go to the quiz nights or take part in the walking groups you did not have to.
In addition to the British there were also Dutch, French and Swedish liveaboards there

 

[Cariadco]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

A few years ago, I left my boat there for a couple on Months. The Marina staff were helpful and the mooring not too expensive. Found the bars and restaurants to be fine (especially the Irish Bar) and soon found a local Brit to take us, and pick up from Almeria Airport.
Had a couple of Brit lads do a job on the boat's steering and they were great (They worked for a local Spanish guy)
All in all, I liked the place.

 

[Garold]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

We were there for a month last summer. We left the boat for a couple of weeks to visit the UK.

The price was cheap. The safety was pretty good but the wind whistles across the marina so it can ‘feel’ very blowy there. It does apparently get very windy there in winter so choose your berth with this in mind.

The berths all just Med moor onto the quay so no security with gates etc but there were a few marineros who seemed to be wandering around constantly. We had nothing disturbed even when we left the boat. We did however moor bows-in for privacy.

The toilets etc were clean and fine except a bit dated.

The local Mercadona supermarket was large and only a short walk from the boat. Other supermarkets were available but more of a bike ride away.

The chandlers were helpful but not particularly good value. We had some stainless work done by a guy close to the boatyard and it was good value.

We went into one of the bars and were put in touch with an English guy who runs an airport taxi service which was useful.

In July last year there were a wide selection of European cruisers around but the Brit bars were great for live sports.

Overall, we felt it was exactly what we expected without the pretensions of some of the other marinas along that coast.

Hope this helps

Garold.

 

[rivonia]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

The Marina is HUGE. Not expensive and lots of eateries. Good clean showers toilets. Lots of different nationalities. Great to over winter.

 

[Hadenough]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

The Marina is HUGE. Not expensive and lots of eateries. Good clean showers toilets. Lots of different nationalities. Great to over winter.

When was that?

 

[Heckler]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

Just that really! We are thinking about an annual contract. I know there is a Carrefour 6km away, is that on the level or uphill? Is the Marina secure and how are the Med moorings in the winter when it's stormy? What about bars and restaurants?

Thanks everyone.

Was there last year, marina was cheap, as in half price of others on way up. Im sure it was only €16 a night for ours. Supermarket literally yards away. Proper Tapas bars full of Spaniards on site, loved it. Only issue is airport a good hike.
Stu

 

[KellysEye]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

We really disliked Almerimar marina there is no security and at the time there was an ugly concrete jungle of uninhabited flats alongside the marina, for a reason I don't understand there is a liveaboard community there. We never went there again.

 

[JFowler]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

In 2011 we were looking for somewhere to winter aboard & narrowed it down to Almerimar or Cartagena. We stopped in Almerimar for a week or so to see what it was like and at the end of that time both said ‘ we hope we like Cartagena!’. Fortunately we did- Cartagena is a wonderful lively city very much open all winter. The live aboard community at YPC was fantastic and we had a terrific winter.
Almerimar by contrast is a concrete jungle in the middle of nowhere. There are certainly all the facilities you need on site, but as a place to live (for us) it was awful. If you just want to leave the boat and go home then it’s fine.
That’s just our opinion- there are others who love the place.

 

[jordanbasset]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

When we first arrived in Almerimar we had similar thoughts, it was a concrete jungle. We fully intended to move on after a week or two but then we changed our minds due to the people we met there and the sheer ease of staying, everything essential was on your door step. Plus the many activities, but am aware that would be some people's version of hell.
We did spend a week in Cartagena on our way through, I guess because we were there in April when many of the liveaboard community had either moved on or formed a close knit group we never managed to meet up with any of them. The town was lovely, but felt after a week we had seen what we needed to see and moved on. We commented to ourselves after that we were glad we stayed in Almerimar, but if we had been in Cartagena over the whole winter perhaps we would have had a different view. Horses for courses I suppose.

 

[duncan99210]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

Rates are really good but don't include water and electricity. When we looked ta overwintering there, we were put off by the high daily fixed cost for electricity - €3 or 5 or so a day iirc. When you added that to the cost the rates weren't quite so good. But friends loved the place!

 

[Gymrat]

Was there in 2014 and 2015 in September. As has been mentioned a large supermarket five minutes walk. Two chandleries, one Spanish and one British run. Large British run boat yard and hoist and can live on the hard. A lot of over winter boats arrived at the end of September. All the quayside where the empty apartments are is open but there are a two gated sections of pontoons. Cartagena is very nice and you have a choice of two marinas and a more going for it.

 

[Yngmar]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

We've stopped there in May for a couple days. Safe to enter in an easterly gale (we know). Friendly marineros and office staff. Facilities were a bit odd - a single central toilet paper dispenser, which was often empty. We just brought our own rolls. No soap dispenser either. On the upside, it was the cheapest stay on the entire way since Portugal. Some of the quays have security gates, some are just at the roadside with no security, and a lot of car traffic speeding through. The quays between houses have excellent wind shelter, but can get very sweltering. The outlying ones probably have better ventilation at the cost of being more exposed. Two laundries, one self-service at the El Tonel bar, the other serviced by a German lady is also the Trans-Ocean outpost and library. Lots of liveaboards and many boats rotting away. Several chandleries where much could be found, but no bargains. Big Mercadona supermarket is a 5 minute walk away. Beach about the same distance, with showers.

It's not a real town though, more of a beach holiday settlement, there's very little around and Almeria (the actual town) is a very long way away. We also visited Cartagena and would prefer this for wintering. Similarly friendly marina, but with a real town (and a pretty impressive one in our opinion). Also the gales tend to not reach into that corner, although you get a bit of swell coming in depending on where you're berthed. Wind funnels into the natural harbour with tall mountains on both sides, but no problem as berths are aligned accordingly (i.e. not beam to wind).

Oh, forgot to mention about Almerimar: Wifi not included. We paid for a week of use and were not impressed.

 

[Sea Devil]

Re: Anyone have any experiences of Almerimar Marina?

Just that really! We are thinking about an annual contract. I know there is a Carrefour 6km away, is that on the level or uphill? Is the Marina secure and how are the Med moorings in the winter when it's stormy? What about bars and restaurants?

Thanks everyone.

We have been in dozens of times on our way to and from Balearic Islands and Malta and consider it one of the very best on the Costa del Sol - in fact one of the best in the western med and that's not just because it's so inexpensive but because it's a very pleasant and secure place to be.

There is a big supermarket 3 minutes walk from the main visitors mooring area as well as a little 'corner shop' right on the quayside.

It is very secure partly because it is so busy, the marinaros are around all the time as are other yachties. The marina area, restaurants shops and cafés are a centre for 'visits' a day out for lots of local families. Several ex-pat bars like McGowens are excellent and so are the all Spanish bars. Everyone seems to give you free tapas with every drink so actually paying for lunch is not necessary - you drink it.

They have a big travel lift and lift out area with all trades around - sail makers, upholstery, engineers, English run chandlers with great prices, doctor dentist a couple of pharmacies.

The down side is that it is a bus ride to the nearest small Spanish town and Almirimar airport is a 60€ taxi ride away although if you ask in McGowens it can be less...

We passed many happy days there waiting for weather or getting electronics repaired or replaced. Every one has different tastes but after Gibraltar it's the place we loved best. If you can make the logistics work it's perfect and very secure even in bad weather unlike many of the other nearby marinas

The down side is that the 3000 boat complex of mainly