Marinas in Cadiz

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Abigail

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We are planning to get south next summer, and hope to spend the winter in Cadiz. (This statement hides a lot of debate about the Baltic or the Med, and wild excitement, plus hankering over fact it's 18C there now, and about 1C here in Ipswich!)


Does anyone have first hand knowledge of marinas there (especially on the Cadiz side of the bay rather than Rota)? Thoughts on swell, exposure, price, friendliness, security, facilities all very welcome.

Thanks
 
Cant help with the question about cadiz i never called in there, though drove around the area when someone from Gib went by car.

But Baltic or Med they are quite different!! The Baltic needs very carful navigation becouse of very solid rocks scattered around and shallows in Denmark particularly

The weather can be wet and cool even in August But you will always find a choise of safe anchorages, plenty of harbours which will very rarely be full and cost about a third the price of the med. You can have a very peaceful cruise as noone will talk to you or row to your boat to ask you for a drink (at least in season)

There are those that sail up to 1 jan ice permiting. Best to sail the Baltic up to end of August then go down to the med for winter if your lucky the Rhone is best in september after a dry summer but befor the winter rain and then you will arrive in Oct just in time to pay winter rates!!!Having avoided the horrid crowds and humid heat of summer
 
We've only "passed through" - last April, but from what we experienced, I'd be a bit concerned about swell/big-ship wash if you're thinking of leaving the boat unattended in Cadiz.

In that area, we found much better protection slightly further west at Chipiona - it's also a Junta D'Andalucia Marina, so similar/reasonable wintering rates, though we didn't notice many over-wintering there. Far more livaboards were in Portugal (Lagos and Portimao seemed favourite) though our choice down there would be Ayamonte, just into Spain (Junta D'And. too)
 
We stayed in Cadiz on our way through to the Med at the end of July 2005. We are 10.5 metres and it cost us €21 per night. The marina is well protected with good showers etc but is situated in the dock area which is not very pretty. It is about 20 mins walk from the city which is beautiful!
 
Yes Algarve, Guadiana, Ayamonte all good suggestions, Punta Umbria OK 'ish but fishing boats in and out with the tide make it a tad ucomfortable but its saving grace is its marina is in centre of town. Mazagon as previously mentioned is OK with liveaboard anchorage bang outside marina. Rota is lovely town, marina also close to town - If you're sailing down that way there's plenty to choose from - do them all. Don't know Chipiona or Cadiz but have heard good reports of the marina up towards Seville lot of liveaboards there good access to town and friendly atmosphere - forget Barbate unless you need to shelter, depressing place with little or nothing going for it.
 
If you want to be in Cadiz, the only marina is Puerto America. They have recently extended the protecting breakwater to provide perfect shelter. Cadiz is a great town, with a real buzz and a great carnival. The marinas all charge much the same, over 20 euros high season, half that in the low season, except for Gelves in Seville which is much cheaper. What length you are makes a huge difference to availability, over 10 metres and there will be fewer berths. Santa Maria is a club, and seem to be against long term stays. Puerto Sherry is usually in some sort of change of ownwership deal, and has been know to give good deals, but it would be like living in a shopping centre. Rota is a nice town, and usually seems to have berths for large boats available. All of these are handy to Seville for cheap flights to UK.
It is not possible to book berths for most of these places. They are usually pretty full. Boats are always coming and going to the med, and they are not good at keeping to time tables, so no one running a marina will rufuse to accept a boat that has arrived because some one has said that they intend to come. In your place I would wait until I arrived and found somewhere acceptable before deciding where to winter. The RCC Atlantic Coast of Spain and Portugal is a great help.The choice is quite wide, Lagos and Ayamonte are both nice towns.
 
All the marinas around Caziz are small and pretty quiet. Chipiona is nice, v Spanish town but the marina is v dead in the winter. Seville is lovely but expensive (apart from Gelves which is cheap but always full!)

We are in Lagos. Not the cheapest but certainly the best we have come across in five years. You could cut down your winter bills by anchoring in Alvor (but your draught may be a problem) or just inside the wall at Portimao.
 
Cadiz

Only Puerto Americas in Cadiz itself - quite a long walk from town through a trashed area, but reasonably comfortable even if the least developed of the Junta de Andalucia's marinas. It's the most likely to have room.
Puerto Sherry is a club, expensive and only short-term visitors.
Rota, I've never stayed in. Was so unimpressed by the reception, prices and state of the place that I left.

For my money Cadiz is the best with a couple of the only decent restaraunts in Iberia.
 
Re: Cadiz

i agree about the restarants! and expensive, the ones you found must have be run by Portugees? I always wondered why anyone would be silly enough to pay £1 for less than half an anchovie on a small piece of old bread??
 
We stayed in Puerto Sherry for a week couple of years ago when picking up our boat on start of Med trip. Wouldn't recommend it. Long way from anywhere, you'd be stuck without a hire car and expensive bars/restaurant on site.
 
Did not like Cadiz - marina too far from town and pretty crappy anyway.

Chipiona is a very nice marina and well protected but town is prety dead in the winter.

Seville - right up the river in the centre of town the yache club will let you winter as long as you live onboard. I've know several boats stay there (including us in 2002) and it's excelent.

The marinas along the ALgarve coast are safe and secure but only Lagos could be considered pretty.

Get the RCC Atlantic Sapin & Portugal and make your onw mind up.

Good luck and see you out there......
 
Thanks for all the advice. I know that coast pretty well from Signes to Cadiz, and fancy getting to know Cadiz a bit better. Seville Real Club Nautico would be another possiblity, but I would expect it to be really dear! We have friends currently building a house near Cadiz which is another reason for fancying a few months on that stretch of coast.

I'm sure there will be other questions as we finally prepare to really get moving - we celebrated taking ownership of Roaring Girl three yeas ago this week - and we have been living about for 2.5 years. Time to get moving!
 
Re: Cadiz

We have been in Puerto Sherry for 18 months and is currently full. However, the marina staff are excellent and speak good english. The cost on an annual berth paid monthly is about £2600 including water and electricity, we have a 14m motor cruiser. The are 3 chandlers and numerous repair facilities. Its the only place we've found that we haven'y felt ripped off. You are near Jerez, Seville and Cadiz three great cities. Rota is OK but a small town as is Chipiona - both nice marinas. Puerto America is a small marina with few facilites but handy for the city of Cadiz - OK for short visits. Puerta de Santa Maria is a tidal river marina - Santa Maria is a lively town but you are better berthed in P Sherry. Give Gelves a miss its a dump and being continually dredged. Thats about it - hope that helps.
 
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