NW Spain Tips

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I am looking to cruise to N West coast of Spain to Santander/Bilboa - Corunna this year and would like to know places suitable for crew changes i.e access to airport/rail links etc. Places to visit and avoid. Also suitable overwintering ports. Any advice would greatly appreciated
Many Thanks
Edward Wain

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We looked at cruising this area last year - but unfortunately were let down by one of the crew who was going to help bring the boat back so we ended up in S Brittany instead. However, my research at the time indicated that Bilbao was a much better bet for crew change as there is an airport nearby which has budget flights. The flights were a fraction of the cost of the crew going out by ferry to Santander. I have used Santander in the past (when someone else was paying the bills) and its OK for crew changes, but the marina is a taxi-ride out of town. The marina in the city centre (conveniently close o the ferry port) is private and despite our best sweet talking, we were told to poke off!

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you can get reasonable flights to santiago de compostella which is accessible to ports towards the western end of your itinereary.

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"Any advice would greatly appreciated"

The best advice I can give you is as follows:

When you anchor off the beach near Santander and go ashore for a barbeque, a Spanish patrol boat may turn up to see what you're doing. If they shine a searchlight on you, on no account let any member of your party drop his trousers and moon at them. They don't like it and they've got a big machine gun.


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I haven't sailed that way but I was in Galicia and Asturias this summer. Most 'international' airports are Santiago and Bilbao, but Oviedo also does flights via Madrid. There's trains from Santander to Oviedo and one or two a day from there to Coruna. Buses may be a better bet. I believe there's a ferry service to the UK from Coruna.
Not much in the way of marinas that I saw, but a safe berth is to be had in Ribadeo (Asturias/Galicia border) with local moorings. Ribadeo is a bit of a holiday haunt so should be ok with connections.
I was there in August and saw nowhere to avoid - crowds like in the Med just don't happen. Great people, cheap and good nosh. Muros is a good overnight location below Finisterre. Santiago is a must - a sort of Atlantic Aix-en-Provence!

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There are flights from Stansted and now(?) from Bristol to Bilboa. Very cheap and much more convenient. The further west you go the more expensive they are. We cruised from Bayonna to La Corunna last year and loved it. You can afford to bribe the crew with eating ashore. Lots of anchorages so marinas were not a necessity.
We anticipated enjoying the Rias to the south more than the northern ones, but found to our surprise that they were less ruined by fish barges and paper factories spewing noxious fumes. We were lucky with the weather which makes all the difference.
The northern coast has never really turned me on; I have visited most of the anchorages from the land and it all looks a bit "lee shore" to me with only a few safe havens; fantastic scenery but all slightly dodgy. I remarked this to a friend who has experience of the coast and he immediately said I have been reading too many of the pilot books, who all give the area only a cautious write up, whereas in his experience it is a hidden treasure. We shall see this year!!

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Sailed this stretch last year in April. Unfortunately the weather was not particularly good at that time. We could very easily give the Santander to Gijon leg a miss, despite the spectacular backdrop of the mountains. Gijon and onwards is good - the best bits are Rias B and the Islas Cies if you are going that far. Good anchorages and interesting places to visit.

Santander marina was expensive - they charged us high season rates from April 6th when we arrived. A bike (or taxi) is necessary to get to the nearest shop and rail station. Unless you are already based there I would suggest starting at Gijon.

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Re: Gijon to San Sebatian

We cruised Gijon to San Sebastian last year and the only major crew change ports served by adjacent airports and ferry termini are Bilboa and Santander we reckon. The airport is adjacent to the new enormous marina in Santander - but the town is half hour bus ride away (and a great disappointment we thought. ) You can anchor off the beach but are subject to swell and wake from the enormous tanker and ferry traffic. Similarly in Bilboa there is a large new marina - but we recommend the Getxo local marina - sheltered, adjacent to very good shopping centre and the metro into central Bilboa.
The scenery is spectacular and wild and thunder storms roll off the mountains. The people are very friendly - when you get to Basque country they will be more friendly if you remove the spanish courtesy flag ! The protected anchorages were
few and far between - you have to be prepared to tie up to quay sides in competition with the fishing fleet and be prepared to fend off at 2 a.m. when they set sail. Unfortunately the oil pollution is ever present and as far east as Santander squads were cleaning beaches daily.
We won't be rushing back and preferred the anchorages Gijon to Vigo that we explored a couple of years ago.


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Re: Dangerous shore

Last march we explored the area from the French coast to santander by land. apart from Bilbao and Santander, most of the harbours are severely effected by swell, and indeed most of them are positively dangerous to enter in a swell. Also its not designed for yachts - fishing boats predominate, and if the fleet is in - there is no room for you.

Much better is allow towards the Galcia coast and the rias altos and bajias - which are wonderful cruising.

Airports:
Bilbao - cheap easy jet - so cheap one ways for crew changes.

Santiago - close to the ria Bajias - has some (but only a few) cheap tickets available on Iberia. However don't even bother with a one way - which will cost in excess of £300. Its a joke! May be better to change in La Corrunia - and train to Bilbao - if that can be done.



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We cruised from Ribadeo to Honarribia last year. Lots of lovely places to anchor or tie up for free, including:

Luarca - lines to wall and bouy, safe, and nice town
Luanco - anchor near breakwater
Ribadesella - tie up to quay, beautiful setting
San Vincente de la Barquera - anchor in lagoon
Santander - anchor off yacht club
Bilboa - anchor outside Arenas marina, good holding and lots of room
Bernio - anchor between fairway amd moorings, nice, unspoilt town
Ria de Mundaca - shallow bar but then anchor in pool with over 6m
Loqueitio - anchor off beach, nicest place of all
Hondarribia - picked up bouy but was only charged €5

Wonderful cruising ground we intend to visit again this year

Tony

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Re: Gijon to San Sebatian

Yes I second the Getxho marina. The water was a filthy yellow green colour though.

Castro Urdiales was wonderful, don't miss it. The swimming is great here (21C) and the water very clean.

Also went in to the river (can't remember name) leading to Laredo, but not all the way up. Rock formations are good on the way in. I was confused byu the location of the bullring on the charts (it's a prominent mark) and to this day I think the chart is wrong.

If you can get round the corner to Galicia, that's terrific too, but water very much colder. Ria de Muros was favourite.

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Phil
 
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