Menorca & Majorca -Mooring Availability

[DaiBach]

I am planning to spend 2 weeks there in the first part of August.
I have heard that it is very difficult indeed to find marina berths.
Does anyone have recent experience of this in high season?

Anchorages are fine but are there many which are usable for overnight even if the wind springs up which seems almost certain at some time?

My family are nervous so your comments would be welcome.
My children want to be able to get ashore for some evening life, I guess difficult unless one is in a marina?

 

[ccscott49]

I am at present in Ibiza, marina berths are very hard to come by even now, and very expensive, £60 a night, for 57'. You cannot book a berth, it's first come first served, so you are right to be a little concerned, send me a PM with your E mail and I'll keep you updated, I'll be in Mallorca in around 10 days, so will have a better picture of there, hope this helps, but there are plenty of anchorages, you can always find one sheltered.

 

[vyv_cox]

Mallorca is close to saturation point. Getting a visitor berth is going to be pot luck but many boats will be away then so you have a reasonable chance.

Many of the bigger harbours seem to have little restriction on anchoring within the harbour and there are sometimes free mooring buoys. You can often get a bows-to berth along the Paseo in Palma but conditions can sometimes get rather boisterous here. Pollensa has enormous anchoring potential in most wind conditions.

 

[ccscott49]

Pollensa is where I'll be on about wednesday next week. From all the reports from other yachtsmen, it's an ideal spot, we'll see, be fine for me anyway! £60 a night in Ibiza, bugger that!!

 

[ruthhobson]

Hi
At Easter we were on a Day Skipper/Comp Crew course in Majorca. We ended up in Pollensa for two nights (due to awful weather). We were on the public quay - the guy who collects the money must have felt so sorry for us in our ollies he never bothered us - just waved!!

For the nightlife and good pizza try Diabilto's at Alcudia marina.

Ruth

 

[Paulka]

You're right about the saturation, unfortunately.
The marina at Pollensa has a huge visitor's quay, and there is always the possibility to spend the first night anchored just outside of it if you arrive to late. There will certainly be some places getting free on the next morning.
The Paseo Maritimo in Palma is now occupied by charter boats, and a new marina full of "Gin Palasts".
The best chance is at the Real Club Nautico. You can anchor outside the harbour, all the way between the cathedral and Arenal, but it can get unconfortable, and there is no convenient landing place.
If you don't get a place at the Real Club, there are good anchoring spots all along the west side of the bay of Palma : Cala Wells, Palma Nova, Magaluf, just in front of the entrance to Portals Nous, Illetas, on either side (N or S) depending on the wind.
La Rapita, on the south coast, usually has free places, if you arrive before 16:00, except on the Sunday's (first stop for the charters from Palma!) The beach east of La Rapita is a very popular anchoring place as well.
There are many, many calas on the east coast of Mallorca where you can spend the night at anchor, some of them being Porto Petro (there is a small marina there as well), Cala d'Or (big marina as well, but full!), Cala Mandragor, Porto Colon, etc. Cala Ratjada has a small marina, and is an ideal starting point to Menorca.
The anchoring palces on the north coast are very few! Two of them - which names I forgot :-( - just south of Cabo Formentor, then nothing untill Porto Soller, where you can anchor. Then San Telmo, which is a nice place, east of Isla Dragonera.
Pls. feel free to PM me for more, or more specific questions.
Have a nice time in our paradise!

Paul