Mar Menor advice wanted

[andyc352]

I’m leaving Torrevieja soon to wander back home to the Portuguese Guadiana. I’m considering stopping off at the Mar Menor to anchor or maybe a marina for a few days. Does anyone have any personal experience in there? I went through the bridge to Tomas Maestra marina a few years ago but didn’t enter the Mar Menor proper. I’m concerned about adequate depth ( I draw 1.7m) and just how bad the pollution is? What does the panel think? Worth a visit?

 

[sailaboutvic]

It's been some years but we had 1.95 and didn't have any problems,
There is an anchorages just before,you enter on the port ,

 

[Kelpie]

We stopped for a night or two earlier this year, no problems. Surprising amount of fishing gear, given the supposed pollution. You could anchor literally anywhere, the problem is shore access. We went just north of the entrance, and despite going as shallow as we dared we were still a long way from shore.

We didn't swim there's but friends said they did. I think the amount of pollution varies depending on things like rainfall.

 

[Yngmar]

We've been there with 2m draft in, uh, 2018 I think. The channel is deep enough if you stay in the middle, but make sure the bridge is opening before you go in, there's really no room to hover with that sort of draft. Can be an issue when motorboaters come out and don't get that you have to stay in the middle because of your draft. Can anchor in the sheet piling of the unfinished marina project outside if you need to wait for the bridge, although I heard somewhere that's going to be demolished soon.

Inside was fine, we swam a bit but very carefully as the jellyfish were growing thick. Depths are suitable for anchoring anywhere. With some wind, we sheltered behind one of the islands. The pollution is mostly farm fertilizer runoff and more harmful to marine life than humans, I think. But it apparently caused the jellyfish plague.

I wonder what the water temperatures are this time of year though. It's shallow, enclosed and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a murky hot tub.

 

[Kelpie]

.
I wonder what the water temperatures are this time of year though. It's shallow, enclosed and I wouldn't be surprised if it was a murky hot tub.

That's a good point. It's just shy of 32C here in Pollensa which is further north and much more open to the sea, although similar depth. Mar Menor presumably even hotter?

 

[Mistroma]

We anchored at the SE end in 2015 (22nd-26th May, 14th-21st September ) and 2016 (1st-4th June). No problem at all with our 2.15m draft (probably more like 2.2m loaded). The anchorage was fine but I remember another boat dragging up some old mooring bits fairly close to us. We moved to playa paraiso when the wind was strong from the South. I think we also also anchored on the West side near Los Alcazares but shelter wasn't great. I remember hearing one report about someone finding a shallow patch near Isla Major O del Baron. I think it was slightly North of the island and close to shore but we never went near that area.

The small sailing club didn't mind if we tied up there to shop and we also had a couple of lunches in their restaurant.

I remember having to keep our eyes peeled for nets in the middle when heading from Los Alcazares to leave the Mar Menor.

 

[andyc352]

Thanks for all the replies so far everyone. Very useful. It’s a bit like a blast furnace here at the moment and I get it that it’ll be worse in there if conditions stay the same.

 

[andyc352]

That's a good point. It's just shy of 32C here in Pollensa which is further north and much more open to the sea, although similar depth. Mar Menor presumably even hotter?

We were there a few weeks ago, anchored just off the seaplane base. A lovely place.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

In there frequently, 2.2m draught, no probs. Bridge is 8am to 10pm summer and to 8pm winter opening on even hours.

Anchor anywhere, holding is good, thick green slime over mud but the sea state is always flat. Favourite spot is in the middle of the cluster of islands to the south east. Prevailing wind is NE in summer tends to be more W in winter. Santiago de la Ribera is nicest town and handy for shopping at the Lidl, Aldi and Mercadona in San Javier. Use the ferry pontoon after they've stopped working which I think is early.

The bridge is unnervingly short of protocols, arrive a few minutes before as they don't open if no-one is there. They announce opening on channel 9 with a five minute warning. Stay at the back if there are other boats as a scrum develops at this time of year.

Escuela de Pieter is probably the best restaurant on la manga accessible by dinghy, land on the beach. It does get booked up though.

La Manga itself is pretty awful, Mar de Cristal and San. Dl. Ribera are nicer.

The humidity from the warm water is intense, at night it can feel like rain when it isn't raining as the moisture drops out.

Pollution is all nice clean fertilizer so it's a bit green but not smelly or dangerous. Lots of jellyfish.

 

[WindyWindyWindy]

For Campingaz, and I've had difficulties in Spain, this place in LA does it at a reasonable price:-

Ferretería Tres Hermanas
968 57 49 51
Google Maps

 

[grumpygit]

In there frequently, 2.2m draught, no probs. Bridge is 8am to 10pm summer and to 8pm winter opening on even hours.

Anchor anywhere, holding is good, thick green slime over mud but the sea state is always flat. Favourite spot is in the middle of the cluster of islands to the south east. Prevailing wind is NE in summer tends to be more W in winter. Santiago de la Ribera is nicest town and handy for shopping at the Lidl, Aldi and Mercadona in San Javier. Use the ferry pontoon after they've stopped working which I think is early.

The bridge is unnervingly short of protocols, arrive a few minutes before as they don't open if no-one is there. They announce opening on channel 9 with a five minute warning. Stay at the back if there are other boats as a scrum develops at this time of year.

Escuela de Pieter is probably the best restaurant on la manga accessible by dinghy, land on the beach. It does get booked up though.

La Manga itself is pretty awful, Mar de Cristal and San. Dl. Ribera are nicer.

The humidity from the warm water is intense, at night it can feel like rain when it isn't raining as the moisture drops out.

Pollution is all nice clean fertilizer so it's a bit green but not smelly or dangerous. Lots of jellyfish.

A good evaluation from WindyWindyWindy but we also had a tad of mosquito trouble, lots of jellyfish could be an understatement but in all it's worth a visit as these pests could vary over different times.