Balearics Cruising

[Deleted User YDKXO]

We're going on our 2 week boating hols soon and we want to do the Balearics but the question is where to go. I know its going to be difficult in July/August but I'd like to find some less crowded anchorages and harbours. We dont need nightlife or fancy restaurants but we do need sandy beaches and safe swimming for kids
Has anyone got any recommendations?

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[MedDreamer]

Menorca NM.

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<hr width=100% size=1>Living the dream

 

[longjohnsilver]

As you're considering coming back to the UK I can thoroughly recommend Teignmouth, lovely beaches, unpretentious, good pubs and no nite life, would suit you sir!

As for the Balix, was in Puerto Anthrax (think that's how it's pronounced) last year, very pleasant but not endowed with great beaches, but there must be some fairly close by.

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[Renegade_Master]

Hi Mike inclined to agree with Medreammer on this, apparantly , I have'nt done it yet :~( but there are some 100+ beachs/coves around Menorca, some of which one can only access by boat. Nice and secluded

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[Matthewb]

Puerto Andraitx - pronounced Andratch.
Lovely place, great restaurants but you're right, beaches aren't up to much though I think someone told me there are maybe some round the headland towards the West.

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[tcm]

all the anchorages empty out at 5pm sharp.

Formentera is good, near the marina, but keep an eye on the boat.

Es trenc is blue-water anchorage with ace beach on SE corner of majorca S coast- quite dreamy. Could stay there for ages.

Arenal on e end of palma bay and Club Nautico very near middle of palma have swiming pools free of charge as part of the marina - recommended. Although arenal is quite smart marina, outside the marina seems to have all been carefully modelled as a tabloid-readers nightmare-holidays-in hell film set.

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[tcm]

Re: Menorca

yep, tho quite a way for Deleted User, coming from denia?

cala gardenia is ok on the south side, fab holding in sand, and you can sneak into the single hotel on the beach to play table tennis. I wd stay well out to deter swimmers, tho had no trouble.

Cuitadella is awful if any east wind, and there often is - lots of rafting and lots of swell. But cuitadella used to be the capital, and better than mahon imho.

Mahon even further away. Massive natural harbour, sod all beach.


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[TomIsitt]

Menorca is lovely, but sandy beaches are few and far between. The most unspoiled of the islands.

The south side of Mallorca has sandy beaches, but lots of tourists. See TCM's recommendations, plus Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia.

Ibiza has sandy beaches in parts, but keep away from the mentalist Club 18-30 holiday crowd.

Formentera probably best best for peace and quiet, sandy beaches, etc. Espalmador is a famous anchorage, but it can get pretty busy.

In 2002 MBY did island pilots of all four islands in the Feb, June and July issues inclusing lush aerial photos. Give the office a bell and we'll see if we can sort something out for you.

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Thanks, Tom. Being an anorak, I keep all back issues of MBM/MBY so I'll be able to refer back to them

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Menorca

Its 188 miles from Denia to Menorca. I was thinking of a couple of days hard cruising to get there and then slowly amble back to Denia over the rest of the holiday
What I really want to avoid is what happened to us last year in SoF and has happened already in Spain ie. every harbour is full of visitors and having to spend hours on the phone every day trying to find a visitors berth for the evening. Is Menorca like that?
Does a €20 note free up a visitors berth like it does in SoF?

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[tcm]

Re: Menorca

as i remember, i needed cash for the fuel pump in mahon, which was a bit of a bugger- or (yes, that's it) my credit card didn't work.

Seemed ok this time of yr 2 yrs ago - just turned up, no prob really. Likewise cuitadella seems to gettem all in somehow - not like s france - these are proper ports where they can't say ner, no room cos the next place is miles away, so there'll be some sort of space, tho earlier is better.

one way (learned from phil @suncoaast) is just to pitch up, no vhf call at all, and plonk it in wherever looks like a recep quay. My own scheme was to wait till after 8pm, when all officials gorn home, and plonk it anywhere, free. You do need small pperson as alarm clock to ensure out and away by 7am local.





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[Nautorius]

Highly Recommend Menorca. Lovely beach at Binebecca and two bars to swim to. Cal 'n' porter is a lovely little bay as well with three bars to swim to. Cala Galdena is nice but popular.

Basically stick to the south of the Island. The north is very boring and exposed by contrast. Just motor between Mahon and Cuitadella and you will find loads of places. If one bay is full just go to another. Most bays have beach bars open in the summer. Get a good chart and watch where the locals go. The 'Calas' of Menorca can be well hidden. To check if you can fit in (Small tight entrances) send the kids in the Inflatable to check it out.

Overall I have spent several wonderful summers exploring this Island. It is not cheap.... but it is a little quieter.

You can often moor off in the bays (or Mahon) but as everywhere in the Belearics Finger berths are rare in Season.

Non Flybridge boats can slip into Cal 'n' Bosch. The Fuel is a marina side petrol station (Rarely a long wait)

Good look it is worth it.


<hr width=100% size=1>Will I ever find the perfect boat?

 

[petem]

Re: Menorca

If you're in Palma from the 19/7 to 21/7 or Cala D'Or from 22/7 to 29/7 give us a shout and we'll meet up for a beer.

Pete

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