Canary Islands - a few questions please?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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This is for those that have been and know the Canary Islands well. If you can answer some or all of the below it would be a great help :)

I've never been and we're sailing down the Portuguese coast at the moment. The intention is to sail there around Mid August and spend 3 weeks approx before laying up the boat until early November. We'll then return and sail to Senegal.

Questions:

1. We hate marinas. What's the general rule for anchoring? Somewhere I read it can be problematic and permission is required?
2. Where is a good and cost effective place to leave the boat for 6 weeks. Happy to haul out or be afloat.
3. We like walking, remote Anchorages, diving and surfing. Where would you recommend?
4. We're behind schdule so willnknly have about 3 weeks? Is that enough or should I try and allow more time in November to enjoy the Canary Islands more?
5. What is winter sailing like there should we decide to hang about a little longer?
6. Any other advice for anything all greatly received! Good hikes, restaurants not tonne missed, great diving spots etc :encouragement:
 
I've been many times to the Canaries and love it, but only once sailing, and that was in January. To my mind it was as good as anywhere. The main problem in winter is that when the occasional storm does blow in it can be very bad indeed, but rarely lasts long When I sailed there we had 70+kts of wind one evening, which kept me busy, as I had drawn short straw for anchor watch while the rest went ashore! The last serious storm I experienced was last January. I dont know the wind speeds, but it lasted a couple fo days, and buult up massive seas, which was great fun to watch from ashore... In my experience the bad weather tends to come from the west, through North to NE. Normally in January you get a steady NE wind coming in around 20kts with temps around 18 - 23c

I have read more than once that beaching your boat other than in an authorised harbour is illegal. Perhaps someone can confirm.

Im no expert, but there are few 'remote anchorages' though Im sure you could find good shelter along the east and SE side of the Islands. Holding? Not brilliant I would suspect from what I have seen. Be careful of strict Marine Conservation rules, which they take quite seriously. Diving is a major sport on the islands.

I wouldnt have thought 3 weeks was enough to 'do' the Islands thoroughly, bearing in mind some are 50 miles or more apart.

Favourite remote spots? N and NW Fuerteventura does it for me up round El Cotillo and Coralejo, and particualrly Isla Lobos off Coralejo. Likewise Graciosa off the N tip of Lanzarote, where you can walk for miles and see nothing. W Coast of Fuerte is the same, but more inaccessible, and certainly not from the sea, as its a rock bound coast with no shelter. Iget the impression though I would be glad to be corrected, that basically its marinas, larger harbours or nothing for the average cruising boat out there. But in my view, not to be missed! A couple of days witha Hire Car (AutoReisen are the best and cheapest) will leave you wanting more!
 
We been thinking about having a winter on the islands for a few years now , a chance from the Med , but we enjoy anchoring and living on our hook , been told more then a few times , the swells make it very uncomfortable.
Keep watching this thread .
Captsenb be along soon to fill us both in
 
It is many years since I was there on a yacht.

However, this vlog is current and starts in Lanzarote.

Winded Voyage Series 3 ep1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfiVitLIdWc&frags=pl,wn

It's now up to Series 3 ep56 and he has visited a few of the islands - a mixture of anchoring and marinas (though marinas are in the majority).

The vlog is an acquired taste to say the least but there is some relevant info contained within the videos (none of them long).
 
the islands are split into two east and west . N to N/E Trade winds & N/E Canary current means the farther west you go the harder it is to claw back. more so in winter . Sheltered anchorages are rare.
west of Tenerife can be dangerous.
You'll need to speak spanish in boat yards.
you need to do a lot of homework to do it safely
 
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not sure about anchoring on the north coast of la gomera !! would of been a nice view of los organos....
 
Hiya. Biig topic really, and, as always, a bit subjective. November and December generally still fair weather but night time temperatures do noticably drop. Do get a bad weather system at the end of the year from time to time but more often Jan/Feb/March.

So if you wanted to split your voyage, maybe some pit stops at Graciosa, South Lanzarote and behind Lobos have all been mentioned as good anchorages. Was on the one at Lobos today....:cool:

As far as I know, its only the Nature Reserve is around the Chinijo islands, of which Graciosa is a part. You should get a permit before anchoring at Playa Francesa but its not easy. Perhaps if you stopped to fix a small engine fault or something? Rarely does anyone turf you out......

Papagayo beaches are well sheltered S. Lanza.... but you may see organs on the beach!

Fuertaventura. For victuals, you can anchor behind the cruise ship dock in Rosario and tender to the dinghy ramp, visitors welcome.

This has the most deserted areas in the Islands and is very popular with Hikers. A reasonable priced marina to leave the boat for a few weeks is Gran Tarajal and also to explore from. took a spanking in a storm late last year but all sorted now.

That will leave the western islands to expolore on your continuing passage after your return.

Most peoples favourite is La Gomera wich will do all the things you want but personally I would go for the shelter of the marina. Was there early one November and it rained like the Dambusters had been operating nearby. Big wet.

Think you will like them, generally peaceful. Good pilot now available from Imray. Try www. canarycruisingguide.com. :encouragement:
 
I don't think 3 weeks is enough. We spent 4 most months and could have spent longer. We are now in Cape Verde
There are anchorages but they aren't as good as you will have been used to in Spain and Portugal. The Atlantic islands guide is better for anchorages than the Canaries cruising guide.
We didn't get checked at playa Francesca. There is surf a short walk away in the right condition.
Los lobos has been mentioned, also surf there.
Valley gran ray on gomera is a good anchorage and base for walking from.
We took a northerly route to see los organos but wouldn't want to stop there.
Anchorage on west of La palma. Great 3 day walk from the highest point to the point in the south coast.
Worth hiring a car to get see further inland and for walks/ accessing surf spots.
There are more good anchorages we found but I won't list them all.
Look at the guide and look at the charts.
Try maps.me for walking routes, much better than google maps for showing paths.
Have a good sail.
 
The ARC makes the Islands �� very busy until they head off in November with an adjusted bank balance and no wind ����⛵️
 
capnsensible said:
Fuertaventura. For victuals, you can anchor behind the cruise ship dock in Rosario and tender to the dinghy ramp, visitors welcome.

This has the most deserted areas in the Islands and is very popular with Hikers. A reasonable priced marina to leave the boat for a few weeks is Gran Tarajal and also to explore from. took a spanking in a storm late last year but all sorted now.

That will leave the western islands to expolore on your continuing passage after your return.
Click to expand...

I think you've made the plan. Sounds like a sensible idea!
 
OK so what best to see with an afternoon off and a hire car from Las Palmas marina ?

PS. we were not challenged in the Gracioso anchorage for a few hours but decided nearby marina nicer as anchorage had little wind shelter (though fine from swell)
PPS Any sun here? Been cloudy since we arrived
 
dunedin said:
OK so what best to see with an afternoon off and a hire car from Las Palmas marina ?

PS. we were not challenged in the Gracioso anchorage for a few hours but decided nearby marina nicer as anchorage had little wind shelter (though fine from swell)
PPS Any sun here? Been cloudy since we arrived
Click to expand...

The sun is all south round Playa Blanca! Actually you can anchor outside Rubicon and make arrangement with the Marina to Dinghy in. Big and small supermarkets on site, but a bit tourist pricey.

Love that Marina at Graciosa. Sand streets, peace, great couple of restaurants once the day trippers leave!

Can drive up to the mountainy bit of GC. Personally I like to track the history of rum....

http://www.gran-canaria-info.com/eat-drink-fun/was-rum-invented-in-gran-canaria

Other side of the peninsular to the marina in Las Palmas is a rather old fashioned beach and prom. Weirdly nice.

Enjoy!
 
northcave said:
I think you've made the plan. Sounds like a sensible idea!
Click to expand...

Should you visit Gran Tarajal, you will find that the small town is a brief walk up an incline from the marina. As you ascend, you will see on your starboard hand, a fish restaurant run by the local fishermans cooperative, Coffradia. The mixed fried fish dish in there is as good as it gets! ;)
 
capnsensible said:
Can drive up to the mountainy bit of GC.
Click to expand...

Great thanks, good advice. Hired car and went inland. Amazing scenery and some lovely small villages. Went for walk from the car park at Pico de las Nieves. Stunning. And nice change from slightly industrial port area at Las Palmas.
The road south from there also stunning, as were the dunes at the southern tip. But not sure the concrete jungle elsewhere in the south is quite so nice !
 
Sorry to bring the thread back again but just curious, are we better off filling our fuel in the Canaries or before we leave in Portugal? No idea of the comparable costs.
 
northcave said:
Sorry to bring the thread back again but just curious, are we better off filling our fuel in the Canaries or before we leave in Portugal? No idea of the comparable costs.
Click to expand...

when i sailed the canaries i was living in tenerife, so never did that trip , but those that i knew that did. went via algadir in morrocco
 
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