Decisions, decisions- overwintering (southern spain portugal)

[SimonJ]

Winter in Portugal

Portimao still a good bet. Plenty of room , good facilities, fair price & good winter climate.

Spanish marinas do not like to take bookings and are often way out of town.

Check security situation in Almerimar - have heard lots of desperate immigrant workers who have lost their building project jobs are turning to (boat & other) theft in order to survive and are a big problem.

Lots of people love Lagos but we prefer it as a place for brief visits rather than a long stay as Portimao is less of a goldfish bowl, more roomy with a real town nearby. The latter means cheap local eating places, sources of spares and goodies from hardware shops etc. Sewing shops, movies and the rest.

Villamoura is miles from anywhere but may be a good place to leave a boat. It is surrounded by artificial and expensive tourist inspired outlets.

Gardiana river is very attractive but cold during the winter as cold air sweeps down river - best to vist in Autumn or Spring. The major disastrous flooding of a few years ago may be repeated a second time ...

In summary Portugal has the best climate and probably best prices and plenty of capacity - also good air links via Faro (where you can also leave your boat).

 

[Carolwildbird]

THANK YOU ALL! This is good food for thought and i'm printing this out to read off line (in internet cafe with short battery life, and need to source new windlass!)

Thanks to some of your posts, think I'm going through a paradigm shift- maybe we don't need to find somewhere to "overwinter", but find places we like and stay as long as we are enjoying it, and then move on when weather window exists... so maybe a couple of months in lagos, if we like it and then go east.. Almerimar in the spring for walking in the alpaharras, or something...

We're currently enjoying Viana do Costelo - lovely place! Porto next.

 

[Manuel]

maybe we don't need to find somewhere to "overwinter", but find places we like and stay as long as we are enjoying it, and then move on when weather window exists... so maybe a couple of months in lagos, if we like it and then go east.. Almerimar in the spring for walking in the alpaharras, or something...

That is going to be much more expensive as you won't get a six month deal. A six month winter booking paid cash up front can save you 10% even without haggling.

Weather can be very unpredictable in the winter. Many liveaboard cruisers rely on having that six month slot with an address etc. to do all the business they need to before cruising again. Most people prefer to get settled by mid October but not everyone is 'most people', your choice

For anyone on a very tight budget, you can still anchor free of charge in the Mar Menor all winter, I believe, if you are nice and if you move about a bit. It is an option but you must be simpatico or they will turf you out.

 

[JamesFrance]

Hi Carol,

If you watch the weather forecasts carefully, there is no good reason not to move around during the winter. We find this one very accurate for the east coast of Spain:
http://www.passageweather.com/

You would certainly get a warm welcome if you and Susie come up the coast as far as Sant Carles.

 

[BobCooper]

Overwinterng

Hi Carol

You've got some good advice. The only thing I can add is that Almerimar is set on a very dry corner of Spain, so you'll probably have more sunny days than elsewhere. We stayed there in our first winter and enjoyed it, went back 3 years later on the way out of the Med mainly I suppose because it was a known quantity and we knew a few people there. Easy to drive to Granada, Seville, Cordoba, etc. Ski-ing in the winter too above Granada, a couple of hours away, if you're that way inclined.

Bob

 

[somerset]

Hi Carol,

If you watch the weather forecasts carefully, there is no good reason not to move around during the winter. We find this one very accurate for the east coast of Spain:
http://www.passageweather.com/

You would certainly get a warm welcome if you and Susie come up the coast as far as Sant Carles.

James
Fully endorse your comments re cruising in the winter in the Med but I would caveat it with being sure of a berth at the end of each hop.I have spoken to 2 couples who were refused berths in Spanish marinas despite v.bad weather (there was mention of this happening to the couple cruising the Iberian Peninsula in a Contessa 26 with their 2 young children in their articles in PBO a while ago).

On another occasion one of them sought shelter and was reduced to motoring inside the breakwater all day and overnighting on the fuel berth because no berths were available.

 

[Manuel]

I have spoken to 2 couples who were refused berths in Spanish marinas despite v.bad weather

Happened to us twice this summer but not in bad weather. I altered the itinerary accordingly to be sure of a refuge. Some Spanish marinas are less than half full others are completely full. The 'yacht club' marinas seem full and the owners are not going out. Marinas with mostly visitors, annual, winter, monthlies, or short visits seem empty. This year has been very unusual right along the Spanish Mediterranean coast from that point of view. Loads of room in Torrevieja (new marina), Cartagena (new marina) and Almerimar. Port Vell was very empty a few weeks ago but maybe bertholders in the Islands? Friends have just told me they have managed to get into Queensway Quay Gib Normally impossible but seems they have been offered a berth. Other friends tell me that people are taking their boats to Morocco. But I can't confirm that's true.

 

[macd]

Here's a vote for Ayamonte, on the Spanish side of the Guadiana river, looking across to the Algarve. Lovely town which far from dies in winter. The marina's slap in the town centre, handy for shops and superbly sheltered. The liveaboard community is quite small, but the life in town more than makes up for it. And if you fancy a winter break, a chug up the Guadiana is on your doorstep. Note, though, that the marina has no lift-out facilities. For that you'd need to go round the corner to Isla Canella/Christina. Nearest airport is Faro, about 1hr away.

I have friends who wintered in Seville (more accurately the western fork of the Guadalquiver, rather than the eastern fork which goes through Seville centre) and thoroughly enjoyed it.