goeasy123
Active member
Any hints and tips on cruising the Canaries while waiting for the Atlantic crossing? Best time to arrive/leave, best cruising area, places not to miss, any interesting events/festivals etc? Any input much appreciated.
Cruising the Canaries??
- Thread starter goeasy123
- Start date
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
Capnsensible will be along soon.
davethedog
Active member
We spent almost 3 years in Gran Canaria and visited the other islands there and would recommend spending a decent period of time there and visit all the islands, as all are different and all within a day sail range of each other. Regarding places to visit, I would recommend:
- Gran Canaria:
- Marina Puerto de Mogan. Small marina and can be challenging to berth (as not much room) but a great place to visit. Best to book well in advance.
- Anchorage at Anfi del Mar (about 6nm to the East of Puerto de Mogan). Excellent holding and a nice play to stop.
- La Palma. But the marina will be full with the ARC boats and the anchorage outside will also be very full.
- Tenerife:
- Santa Cruz marina. Located near the city centre. They have the Santa Cruz carnival in Feb/Mar each year and that is something to experience.
- El Hierro/Palma/Le Gomera:
- All 3 islands are unique and La Gomera is very good if you like walking and exploring.
- Lanzarote:
- Capn Sensible home turf...he will know more about here than anyone and sure he will be along soon.
- But we have spent time at Marina Arrecife to the NE of Marina Rubicon and a very modern marina.
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capnsensible
Well-known member
What he said!
lustyd
Well-known member
Is Marina Arrecife on the north of the island? Or is my chart upside down?
davethedog
Active member
You are indeed correct, I should have been more succinct in that it is North of Marina Rubicon (well NE really)!
capnsensible
Well-known member
Apologies for short answer, was just boarding a flight. Doing plane change now will be back in Lanza tonight do post away with any questions, will be in Sensible Towers on line tomorrow.
lustyd
Well-known member
I’ve only cycled there but didn’t remember anything like that in the north so thought it worth asking as it’s a lovely bit of coast and we may sail there in a year or so
ashtead
Well-known member
It can be a tad windy on some the south tenerife coasts. We used to be perched in Adeje province and some of the marinas down south might have challenging entrances in wrong conditions.
capnsensible
Well-known member
The marina is in Arecife. Its big but September to December often full.
It's also a long way from victuals in the big supermarket. Most islands is best to hire a car for a day or two and combine a bit of touristy with wallet emptying. Rates actually aren't too bad and a lot of food lines are cheaper than UK.
La Gomera ...San Sebastian and El Hierro areexceptions for shops, walkable.
capnsensible
Well-known member
This book is excellent and shows uncharted anchorages that are safe. For that, also look where locals go, especially south of Gran Canaria.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
capnsensible
Well-known member
lustyd
Well-known member
Probably worth highlighting CI Car as I've found them the best rental on the island. They've never even tried to inspect the car let alone try to stiff me for extras after return, and their rates are very good. Their process seems to be mostly tossing keys to customers or catching them as people throw them on the way to check in at the airport, and results in no queuing at all.
Kelpie
Well-known member
We spent a little time in the Canaries but were not especially impressed with it as a cruising ground. Possibly we were unlucky and/or not well enough informed about the different anchorages, but it seemed to be a place where you would end up in marinas the majority of the time.
Absolutely loved Las Palmas, anchorage was pretty tight but it's a lively city and quite bike friendly.
Di the council still run the marina there in their peculiar but low cost way?
Absolutely loved Las Palmas, anchorage was pretty tight but it's a lively city and quite bike friendly.
Di the council still run the marina there in their peculiar but low cost way?
AndrewB
Well-known member
I've done the Canaries several times. Lovely cruising ground, but strictly one-way. From Lanzarotte to Hierro, it's like tiptoeing out to the end of a high-diving board. Going back is all but impossible in the strong NE trades. So out at end, then it's the high-jump to the Caribbean!
dansaskip
Well-known member
Graciosa - of which they say “When you land on Graciosa you take off your shoes and forget the world” That is it on the cover of that Cruising guide.
Scillypete
Well-known member
Not entirely so.
I went from Madeira to La Palma, then La Gomera to Tenerife (they didn’t seem to welcome visiting yachts) to Gran Canary to Fuertaventura and headed north up the east coast and then across to Lanzarote where we also sailed up the east coast and eventually to la Graciosa before heading back down the Lanzarote coast. Like anywhere you wait long enough the weather will give you an opportunity.
Frogmogman
Well-known member
I’ve heard that cruising in the Canaries is very cheep.
I’ll get my coat.
I’ll get my coat.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Nah, not so. I've twice visited every island in an anti clockwise direction. Takes around ten days. Based in Lanzarote. Nipped across to Gran Canaria a good few times. And lots more trips. Just be prepared for bits of it to be not easy.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Marinas with visitor berths in abundance in Tenerife are San Miguel in South East. Near airport, bit of a walk to ...anything. Santa Cruz in the north east, big city, got the lot and a bus ride to fab beach. There are other small places, some local boats only. Check the pilot! .
