Once in the med where do you go

[john m]

I'm getting my boat delivered to Gibraltar , where should I head for for a good and fair priced marina with sheltered bays I will be booking a berth for 12 months

 

[Bobc]

La Linea or Almeria

 

[jamiepyoung]

Cartagena

 

[sailaboutvic]

Almarimar is a good start only problem is you want to fly out a lot the nearest airport I think is Malaga plus if you looking for anchorages you won't find many on the spainish coast around them parts .
Is as good weather all the year round . Not much anchorages.
We been cruising the south of France for some weeks now , and I been amazed the low cost of some marinas a few people we spoken too who used some have had some good day rates , July for 13 mts in one marina €40'and in another €35 incl power and water , i found it hard to believe after stuff we read here,
I had to go and ask one to confirm I wasn't given bull crap .
And surly €40 for the night .
If that's the price in hight season you may get a good price for a yearly contract .
So if your looking for somewhere with lots of coastal anchorages , it may be a options as the south of Spain don't have many .

 

[nortada]

I'm getting my boat delivered to Gibraltar , where should I head for for a good and fair priced marina with sheltered bays I will be booking a berth for 12 months

Go west - have a look at Portugal (The Algarve - which is similar to the Med).

Could be a good Brexit move and then make your decision.

 

[capnsensible]

I'm getting my boat delivered to Gibraltar , where should I head for for a good and fair priced marina with sheltered bays I will be booking a berth for 12 months

I spent a lot of years sailing from Gib. Simply staying there gives you a lot of options.

The Straits are great to sail in but quite tidal for transiting and often very windy. But if you relish a bit of a challenge its a fab place to base a yacht.

Heading west round to Cadiz opens away to the Algarve. To the east, loadsa marinas on the Costa Del Sol but few anchorages.

Locally, all round the Bay and across to Spanish Ceuta and Morrocco at Marina Smir. Stacks of choices.

Not much room in Gib these days but good deals across in La Linea at Marina Alcadeisa.

Enjoy your sailing!

 

[MikeH99]

We have recently arrived in Cartagena. Med is a contrast to Atlantic Spain and Portugal. La Linea (essentially Gib) has loads of room and good prices. As soon as you go into the Med you have to really start thinking about reserving berths. We did Estepona and Benalmadena. Benal to Cartagena not many anchorages and rather dull coast. Cartagena lovely town but not much daysailing as far as I can see. We are off the boat at present avoiding the summer heat but sweating in 37c in Geneva! We will go to Ibiza and Formentara when the heat and the crowds die down. Good marina, good yard adjacent and good chandlers close to Marina. Office very flexible on berthing contracts and you can see the pre Vat prices on their website.
Note the 5% Cruising Association discount which on a 6500 euro annual contract (14 to 16m) paid for my membership and then some. I know not everybody on here likes the CA but we find the Captain’s Mate app, which gives info and feedback on ports, invaluable.
Per Captains Mate Almeria is supposed to be difficult to get a berth and expensive. Denia and Calpe get good reviews and might have been a better option. Good jumping off point for Balearics.
Word of warning, early July we went Benal to Cartagena and never saw more than 6 knots TWS and that was on the nose! Didn’t get the mainsail cover off once in 2 weeks!
Anybody on here got suggestions for how to cruise the Balearics more extensively next summer given we like to get off the boat second half July and August? We know not to go into marinas - we met some people on a 54 who had to pay 450 euros for one night in Ibiza! So on the hook but where for summer layup?

 

[Graham376]

Go west. Lots of reasonably priced marinas and anchorages in SW Spain, expensive high season marinas in Algarve but plenty of anchorages. We're in El Rompido marina (Spain) for a couple of days, €33/night for 12 metres, high season. Anchored off previously.

 

[RupertW]

We came the other way from Greece and for me the really lovely cruising stops when the islands stop - so the Balearics. The rates until June and after October are very reasonable but for the Summer I’d go that bit further to southern Sardinia which is priced fine and lots of options for sailing days. Cagliari for convenience or St Pietro for pure gold but a 2 hour transfer as a minimum from the airport.

All a bit far I suspect this next season but we loved Cartagena, Estepona and Marina del Este and were frightened silly by Benalmadena.

 

[MikeH99]

All a bit far I suspect this next season but we loved Cartagena, Estepona and Marina del Este and were frightened silly by Benalmadena.

Swell issues in Benalmádena?

 

[RupertW]

Swell issues in Benalmádena?

No the claustrophobic toy town marina/resort shouldering our way through crowds of blank eyed sweaty shoppers and drinkers on every tiny walkway. Somewhere between hell and the ship in Wall-E.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

.....go sailing around the Greek islands

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Just put mine in La Marina de Valencia for a year. She's only 8.5m but 2200euros is an absolute bargain and I have Valencia to enjoy when not sailing.

 

[greeny]

Go west. Lots of reasonably priced marinas and anchorages in SW Spain, expensive high season marinas in Algarve but plenty of anchorages. We're in El Rompido marina (Spain) for a couple of days, €33/night for 12 metres, high season. Anchored off previously.

Hi Graham, is there still room to anchor since they built the new marina?

 

[Graham376]

Hi Graham, is there still room to anchor since they built the new marina?

Yes, plenty of room. Two marinas (not sure if open to visitors) have been built to replace moorings downstream of the original one by the lighthouse/town but there's still room to anchor in the river, plus above and below the old one as before.

 

[KellysEye]

The last place I woud go is Almerimar it looks like a concrete jungle with empty concrete flats about 4 to5 stories high. plus the is no security gate.

 

[PlanB]

La Duquesa, between Gib and Estepona, is pleasant. Helpful staff, good facilities. Very few liveaboards, but lots of holidaymakers (Brits -not as raucous as some places! - plus French/Belgian and Spanish) and a good choice of shops, bars and restaurants. Bus between La Linea (for Gib) or Malaga airports. Cruising areas same as mentioned by Capt Sensible above.

 

[John100156]

I brought my F43 round from Gib (took 3 days) to get to Sant Carles, which is very good value, I have stayed in Almerima and Alicante, but I reckon a good place to start might be Denia, for quick hops over to Ibiza or Valencia. Moraira not bad.

Mind you, there is a small marina 'Las Fuentes' where you can throw a stone at the restaurants (El Pinar(?) also very nice up the hills) and some good beaches either side - lots of Forumites in Sant Carles.,,,,,

 

[Heckler]

Swell issues in Benalmádena?

YES! spent two out of three nights rolling from side to side, the South African next to us was seasick!

 

[differentroads]

La Duquesa, between Gib and Estepona, is pleasant. Helpful staff, good facilities. Very few liveaboards, but lots of holidaymakers (Brits -not as raucous as some places! - plus French/Belgian and Spanish) and a good choice of shops, bars and restaurants. Bus between La Linea (for Gib) or Malaga airports. Cruising areas same as mentioned by Capt Sensible above.

I endorse this (though I prefer Estepona, the old town is so beautiful) and the company that runs both marinas is open to negotiation.
We overwinter in Estepona but anywhere near the Straits gives access both to the Med and the Atlantic coasts for ringing the changes for longer trips. And the Moroccan side gives another cruising ground for long weekends or more extended cruising. The Andalucian coastline is nice enough with a backdrop of big mountains, but there are relatively few sheltered anchorages for cheapskates like me.
This summer we are cruising the gorgeous Balearics. Tons of good anchorages in breathtaking scenery (we just completed 18 nights in a row on the hook with
no great problems. Marinas here are fearfully expensive in summer but not so bad in winter.
We also enjoyed the Costa Brava - Calpe to Denia, area. I'd consider basing myself at Javea marina if I was flying back and forth regularly. The prices (in May anyway) were among the lowest we came across, the service good and the club boasts a (small) swimming pool.
I'm asking to be shot down in flames but judging from a friend's experience of the fierceness Mistral this year, I won't be going any further North. There are plenty of other options with less challenging sailing and anchoring conditions.