G
Guest
Guest
COULD ANYBODY OFFER SOME ADVISE ON CRUISING AROUND GIBRALTER AND NORTH AFRICA IE MARINE SMYTH AND SURROUNDING AREAS MANY THANKS
GARY
GARY
PuffTheMagicDragon
Active member
I might be biased but, in reality, North Africa means Tunisia.
Morocco - not very friendly with their neighbour Algeria. Perrennial problems with drug running, do not seem to look kindly at foreign yachts.
Algeria - Beautiful country, would not go there again if you paid me: reason being that the fundamentalist movement is very energetic. I do not fancy having my throat slit just to prove someone's point. Worst case was when seven Italian sailors met this fate while asleep on board their own ship.
Tunisia - Now that's different! Beautiful country, extremely friendly people, very well organised and courteous. Their marinas are clean, efficient, secure and inexpensive. You can cruise until around half-way down the East coast; after that it could become a nightmare of shallows, especially if you sail single-handed. There are loads of archaeological sites to visit. It helps if you speak French (school type, not sailor's!).
At that stage I would not recommend going further East but consider turning North to Sicily, perhaps stopping at Lampedusa and / or Malta on the way. Each of these legs is one good day's sail, less than 80 miles.
The above is purely my own opinion: I have no reason to plug one country or to slug another.
Remember that the Mediterranean can be quite hairy from mid-September onwards.
Fair Winds!
Wally
Morocco - not very friendly with their neighbour Algeria. Perrennial problems with drug running, do not seem to look kindly at foreign yachts.
Algeria - Beautiful country, would not go there again if you paid me: reason being that the fundamentalist movement is very energetic. I do not fancy having my throat slit just to prove someone's point. Worst case was when seven Italian sailors met this fate while asleep on board their own ship.
Tunisia - Now that's different! Beautiful country, extremely friendly people, very well organised and courteous. Their marinas are clean, efficient, secure and inexpensive. You can cruise until around half-way down the East coast; after that it could become a nightmare of shallows, especially if you sail single-handed. There are loads of archaeological sites to visit. It helps if you speak French (school type, not sailor's!).
At that stage I would not recommend going further East but consider turning North to Sicily, perhaps stopping at Lampedusa and / or Malta on the way. Each of these legs is one good day's sail, less than 80 miles.
The above is purely my own opinion: I have no reason to plug one country or to slug another.
Remember that the Mediterranean can be quite hairy from mid-September onwards.
Fair Winds!
Wally
Paulka
New member
I fully agree.
... And insist : Algeria is an absolute No-Go!
Even in an emergency!
I'll probably sail to Tunisia next July .... but it's pretty far from Gib.
Good luck.
Paul
... And insist : Algeria is an absolute No-Go!
Even in an emergency!
I'll probably sail to Tunisia next July .... but it's pretty far from Gib.
Good luck.
Paul
G
Guest
Guest
You might try a visit to Ceuta which is opposite Gib and a short sail across the straits.It is the spanish equivalent of gib in that its apiece of africa that they are hanging onto.Nice Marina and superb huge public swimming complex within 5 minutes walk from Marina.Cheapest booze anywher due to duty free situation.Interesting little place.
Puerto Banus is worth a visit if you want to see how the other half lives.If you like steak then there is a restaurant there called El Gaucho that just does barbecued meat - brilliant and surprisingly cheap.
Its worth hiring a car and heading inland to see the 'white villages' amongst which Ojen is v.good provide you visit after tourists leave in the late afternoon good local reataurant there.
Whilst ashore I would visit ronda once the haunt of Hemingway and Orson Welles spectacular gorge and views.
Gib itself is worth a tour.If you speak to any of the taxi drivers they will give you a guided tour to all the points of interest and wait while you go round them.It also means you pay less on the entry fees.Used to be a dive called Bourbon Street in the main drag.Good jam sessions if its still there.
The other places are El Duquesa nice spot -quiet - but I think the entrance may be a bit shallow as far as i can remember.Estepona is ok restaurant there called Cala Dor fronting onto the Marina worth a visit.
Puerto Banus is worth a visit if you want to see how the other half lives.If you like steak then there is a restaurant there called El Gaucho that just does barbecued meat - brilliant and surprisingly cheap.
Its worth hiring a car and heading inland to see the 'white villages' amongst which Ojen is v.good provide you visit after tourists leave in the late afternoon good local reataurant there.
Whilst ashore I would visit ronda once the haunt of Hemingway and Orson Welles spectacular gorge and views.
Gib itself is worth a tour.If you speak to any of the taxi drivers they will give you a guided tour to all the points of interest and wait while you go round them.It also means you pay less on the entry fees.Used to be a dive called Bourbon Street in the main drag.Good jam sessions if its still there.
The other places are El Duquesa nice spot -quiet - but I think the entrance may be a bit shallow as far as i can remember.Estepona is ok restaurant there called Cala Dor fronting onto the Marina worth a visit.
