Rio Guardiana Portugal/Spain border

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Kaste

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Does anybody have any current information on berthing, mooring buoys or anchorages up river from Ayamonte. We plan to cruise there mid-September and cannot locate any info other than Imray pilot 5 years old. Thanks in advance.
 
Kaste,
I've friends berthed in Portimao who were up there earlier this year and they said there's lots of places available to anchor and a couple of small village quays to moor on. I didn't take too much notice of the detail at the time but I'll be talking with them this next week or so and will be getting more info as I'm planning a trip up there myself in about 3 weeks time. If I get the info, and / or go up myself, I'll repost the details.
Dave Greenslade
 
the river is easily navigable in a deep draft boat all the way up to Alcutim (not sure if I got spelling correct) you can anchor anywhere you like. Ther are pontoons that were very cheap on both sides of the river at Alcutim. If you want to go further up the river, speak to one of the many English boats moored up the river. They will draw you a chart! One useful point about the Rio Guadiana is that if your bottom is getting a little fouled up, spend 4 days in the river and the fresh water will remove the slime from the bottom!
 
Just be mindful re any prolonged autumn heavy rain (ask),which has been known to increase the current a lot and may cause problems at certain anchorages..Beautiful river ,well worth it!
 
Re: Rio Guadiana

I was last there in 2001.

Water level has dropped as a result of the new barrage that has been built and is filling.

Worst is the fact that the bar at the mouth of the river is down to about 1.2m LAT, so don't try entering or leaving on the ebb, with an onshore wind anywhere near LW.

It is in fact possible to get up as far as Mertola, but there are a lot of shallows and you really need to either follow Fernanado Vargas or do a trip with him.

Most people don't get above Pomerao, hug the E bank to avoid the shallows. Buoys and some pontoon berths, no water or elctricity but free.

Otherwise as with all rivers avoid insides of bends and remember there is a bore all the way up the river, arriving @ Mertola 6 hrs after HW at the mouth.

Marinas in Ayamonte (expensive), Vila Reale (opposite) and you can tie up at either Sanlucar (Spanish) or Alcoutim (Portuguese) or pick up a buoy.

An outstandingly relaxed place, many having arrived, never leave.
 
Re: Rio Guadiana

Hi Kaste,

Try and make time for a walk up to the castle at Alcoutim. The views from there are some of the best you will ever see. It's quite a long walk but definitely worth it!

The castle at Sanlucar is not as impressive but still worth a visit - and is a LOT nearer to the river.

Cheers Jerry
 
Castles

The one at Mertola is infinitely more interesting.

You can still see the Roman brickwork on the end of the "harbour pier" at Mertola. I use the term advisedly because a Roman galley drew a lot less water than your modern yacht and only about 3 boats a year make it up to Mertola.
There is a bus every Thursday from Pomerao to Mertola, last time we took it ran out of diesel, and ran down the hill into the village on its return, where it was abandoned and we all went into the Societao Recreavatoa Pomerense to steady our nerves with a few beers.

Great place - walked up over the hill to the next village and they opened the local and we got introduced round to about 25 villagers.

The church at Mertola still has the 5-apse mosque design with the mihrab in the end.

Pomerao has a strong connection with UK's Rio Tinto Zinc, exploring the old railtracks and tunnels is a fascinating experience.
They only closed the mines there in the early 60s.

By the way, unless very unfit, the Alcoutim castle is a very easy climb.
 
Re: Castles

Hi Charles!!

"By the way, unless very unfit, the Alcoutim castle is a very easy climb."

Not with the 30 odd degs C temperature we did it in!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Cheers Jerry
 
Re: Castles

'Twas August and 38C when I climbed up there - got some lovely photos over the roofs and of the river.

Did you have a look at the museum, nice and cool and free to >65 yearolds.

I had an enforced extended stay there, firmly fouled by the capsized pontoon (victim of the '98 flood). Finally waited till low water, buoyed the chain and together with Eric Balke cut a link out and tied up to the pontoon.

When I finally went down found you could see about 100mm in front of you and only managed to salvage the anchor, leaving about 25m of 8mm chain looped round the thing. Found 3 other anchors though which paid for the cost of re-filling the bottles.

Whilst there went to the beer/sardine fest over in Alcoutim, as much free beer as you could drink and as many sardines as you could barbeque. Great day, we got involved in the birthday celebrations of the brother of the lady who chopped chickens at the top of the hill. All had to take it in turns to sing a song and then depending on the votes drink a certain number of glasses of sangria - quite easily the most alcoholic I have ever experienced.

Of course Sevilla is the place for parties, give the locals half an excuse and your involved in a 6 hour marathon. It's bad form to take photographs - the girls reckong their husbands don't know they're there. And after partying, the clubs along the via Argentina at about 03.00 for the most fabulous spontaneous flamenco.
The proprietoress of the main flamenco-dance place there reckoned the place to see the best flamenco was in London.

Mind you Sevilla in summer is unbearably hot and unlike the Guadiana the Guadalquivir is still untamed - Gelves marina filled with mud each winter and all the inhabitants had to wait for Paco (whose mad on futball) to dredge a way out to the river.

The castle in Siracusa has the 4th cBC Greek temple of Pallas Athena incorporated into the main hall and the Duomo there incorporates the temple of Hera.
 
Re: Castles

Hi Charles,

OOpps!! Puzzled by your reference to a museum and rooftops, then realised I'd got the castles the wrong way round!! Just checked the pilot and our climb referred to the castle at Sanlucar - way up above Sanlucar actually. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif It's quite a long walk and a lot further than Alcoutim's castle, but the views are simply stunning. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Yep, we've visited the castle museum at Alcoutim, and as you say, it's a stroll.

We anchored at Alcoutim/Sanlucar until the last visit, when we found they'd put pontoons on the Alcoutim side. Trouble was, they were 'hogged' by (mostly Brit) liveaboards who seemed to resent anyone else using them, something that sadly seems to be increasingly common where the facilities are free. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

It was only the fact that an old cruising friend of ours from the Med. who had insisted on berthing there hailed us to go alongside him that made it possible.
We moved back out to anchor later anyway, because we prefer the relative peace and quiet.

Totally agree re Seville! One of our very favourite places, though frankly Gelves is (or was) a bit of a dump and, as you clearly experienced, extremely hot. Perhaps it's something to do with all that concrete reflecting the heat?

Still, it's a terrific general area to explore! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

CHeers Jerry
 
best place we have seen so far, currently in Trinidad having left Guardiana in July last year. Need less than 2m draft to comfortably get up to Pomerao. Some sand bars just south of where rio Vascoe joins main river, depth drops from 6m to less than 1m VERY QUICKLY!
Just go slowly! Mind left hand bank just North of Alcoutim where old ford goes across river again gets very shallow. As you see Dam coming up to Pomerao cross from right side to left at 45 degrees to the line of willows on Portuguese side follow these until past dam and then you can cross back safely.
Anchor in the river but beware of fouling, happened to lots of boats when we where there. If there is space tie up along the pontoon, no services even though the stands are there! No charge either when we spent 4 months there last year rerigging the boat!
Water from the well a mile walk away toewards the dam, vans call most days with bread, veg , groceries etc. Bus once a week to Mertola, 45 mins, 3 euros. Plenty of shops, PO, gas supplies available.
I am jealous. We probably peaked too early in finding such a spot so early in our travels!! Hal Roth named it as one of his top 8 destinations in the world!
Enjoy a drink at the village Sociedad for me!
 
Re: Rio Guadiana

All that and then there was the wonderful fisherman who shared his catch with us, refused all recompense, but took a wee dram with us. Magical days - certainly one of our favourite spots.
 
Hi,
We live in Sanlucar, and having just returned from our summer foray to the cool of the coast, thought I´d put in my penny worth.

If you keep to the middle of the river, you won´t have any problems up as far as the Vascao and just below Pomarao. Everywhere a small stream joins the main river, there are bars brought down when there has been rain (...haven´t had any for over a year....). The worst one is just above the pontoons at Alcoutim, so keep to the middle there. You may anchor anywhere in the river, but the reaches sheltered from the morning northerlies or the evening southerlies are the quietest in wind against tide conditions. (The wind always seems to funnel one way or the other and can be quite brisk) Holding is variable- there is some rock on the bottom in places. There are pontoons at Foz de Odeilette, Guerreros and Laringeiros on the Portuguese bank as you come up from the coast, free, but no facilities, and pontoons with electric and water at Alcoutim and Sanlucar that charge about 7euros a night. Sanlucar has a shower block as well. There is a limit on stays at Alcoutim, 1st week cheaper than 2nd, but not at Sanlucar. There is almost always room at Alcoutim, and sometimes at Sanlucar. A ´cruise´ship docks at Alcoutim twice a week, and you may have to move when it appears. Above the Vascao, you can reach as far as Mertola, but need to know the way. Chartlets are available from me, free, at our bookswap at the Correo Viejo just up from the quay at Sanlucar.

The river is relatively low at the moment because of the drought, but in a normal winter, the river can rise and the flow increase for a day or two. But new dams have been built upstream and as they have not yet filled we don´t know what will happen when (if) we get rain.

The river makes a peaceful and pleasant change from coastal waters, especially in spring when the hills are covered in wild flowers. Hope you get this far, and look forward to seeing you.

Jeanne
 
Thanks Jeanne for a very informative reply. As we are berthed in Puerto Sherry, we'll pop in for the charts you mentioned. Incidentally, do you if the dredging is completed in Chipiona- are they taking visitors?
 
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