Which are the best Med marinas?

[king7446]

My wife and I have bought a new 56’ power boat and plan to cruise the Med from this May through October. We pick up the boat in the UK, take the recommended training courses, begin our trip south, and eventually end up in Istanbul where we will lay-up the boat until the next cruising year. Our current plan involves transiting to Spain as quickly as possible and then, the Balearics, Sardinia, Italy (Genoa to Venice,) Croatia, and Greece (after the Olympics)
We have gotten through all the problems and decisions involved with such a plan (many through the greatly appreciated help of people on this chat board), but now face one that is becoming very confusing for us: FINDING THE BEST MARINAS.
We have been advised that it is best to book marinas in the most popular places in advance as they fill up fairly rapidly. This sounds like a good idea, but we are having difficulty in deciding which marinas to book. We have poured over Imray until we can almost quote several passages, but for any particular area it may list 10 or more, and, therein "lies the rub."
We are trying to find the "BEST" marinas in several areas--not all, as we will sometimes live on the hook and leave much of the trip to serendipity. "She who must be obeyed" has defined "BEST" as closest to restaurants, near the center of activity, handy for touring the town, and clean and neat.
Which raises the following questions: Is there a rating system for marinas like the star rating for hotels? Is there a resource that rates marinas in the Med? Is there a resource that rates marinas for the busiest destinations that we plan to visit--specifically: Mallorca, Southern Italy, Venice, and the Cyclades?
Thank you in advance for any assistance.




<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Re: Best W med marinas

Hm, some marinas are very close to the centre of activity, but not really clean and neat (st tropez?) and some of the very smart clean and neat marinas are near nothing or a rubbish town (eg san remo in italy, Arenal in Palma de Mallorca)

Your route seems a bit weird for that boat perhaps ? Esp with brand new sunseeker I would try and hop along the spanish and french coast - near to where spares and engineers are to be found. If you're happy, from denia or thereabouts you could hop to the balearics and then i would head north to barcelona to stay in port Olimpico marina and go the the restaurant le Tunnel - NOT blast clean over towards sardinia with a 220 mile stretch and not much resources at the other end. Mind you, i am not a fan of Italy and there are loads of itlaians who head west to french coast and few french go the other way, hardly surprising - much of that italain coast is industrialish. Genoa esp is something of a dump and would not bother with much around there other than the nice bit around la Spezia/portofino. How about barcelona, marseilles, french riviera, then then la spezia?

in mallorca, based on your swmbos rating, i wd try

mallorca:
Palma central marina royal ( real) NOT club de mar
Portlas Nous - get sunseeker to help book a berth ahead perhaps, very difficult and VERY expensive - august = €350+ per night for 21metre berth, much cheaper outside but lots of TV starlets in the marina

french riviera
Vilefranche southern france - a free anchorage, not to be missd, speed limit applies, book the restaurant Grandmere on the waterfont and they will pick you up with their rib.
St tropez: your boat is too small (21.5metres minimum) to book in the old port during summer, but maybe you can book in the new port further round. Or, there's an anchorage outside - hook well out else the loonies on their ribs will wake you up at 7 am.
Port Grimaud, La Napoule, St Maxime, Nice, Cannes, Golfe Juan all have erm "action" and near the port restaurants and towns.

Can't help further into Italy and Greece. My swmbo won't let us go there at all!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[slavkod]

Croatia,

network of ACI marinas. Check site www.aci-club.hr

Slavko



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Anonymous]

My parents lived on their 45' motor yacht at Portosole, San Remo, for quite a few years to 1995. Portosole is clean and neat, with good security. San Remo town is about 1 mile walk (15mins) and is very chic and expensive. There are some truly excellent restaurants. San Remo is where wealthy Italians like to take early retirement. But it is very Italian, so you really need Italian or French and there is no English cinema. My parents used to get Sky TV without trouble in the early 1990s so with the new higher power Astra satellites you should have no trouble. English and German can be used in some places.

If you hire or buy a car, parking is good at Portosole but a nightmare in the town (like all riviera towns). You have Monaco, Nice and Cannes in very easy reach. Airports; Nice is very close or Genova. There are two good Standa supermarkets and the prices are normal Italy prices, not inflated for San Remo. San Remo is unmissable, in my opinion, based over six years until around 1995 - so things might have changed. Don't miss the famous casino!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Re: Best W med marinas

tcm
Thanks for your esponse.
I take your point about brek-in of the new boat. But with our orientation week in Poole and our 1400nm port hopping from Guernsey to Gib, I hope we will have discovered all the problems while still near repair facities.
Thanks for tip in Mallorca.
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Slavco
We will be in Croatia for the month of August and I have the ACI info.
Can you recommed a good sail plan if we will be arriving from Venice and cruising south that will give us a good feel for Croatia?
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Lemain
Thanks for the tip about Portosole. We will put it on the itinerary.
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[charles_reed]

It all depends on what you mean by "best".

Taking that cost is irrelevant and you want to be chic...

1. Lorient - Vieux Port, get into the inner basin, lock opens 30 mins either side of HW. tel 02 97 21 10 14
2. Pornichet - La Baule - pretty ghastly marina but very sophisté resort
3. la Rochelle - Bassin a flot exterieur
4. Bilboa - Abra Getxco is the best marina and a good mass transit system to get you into the city.
5. Villagarcia - train into Santiago de Compostella
6. Cascais - more ex-kings than anywhere else in Europe
7. Mazágon - nice marina, tinpot town
8. Cadiz, Puerto America - fantastic city with the best restaurant outside Madrid (el Faro)
The W Mediterranean starts awful and slowly improves - there's nothing decent in the Costa del Sol
9. Cartagena - if you can avoid the cruise liners visiting days.
Personally I'd avoid the baleares like the plague excepting Menorca
10. Menorca - Cala Taulera, or if you can wriggle in the end of Cuidadella
11. Palma de Mallorca - Club Nautico Real
12. Barcelona - Port Olimpico, short walk into the city and close to the best of the Gaudi extravaganza.
13. Antibes, Port Vauban
14. Bonifacio in Corse
15. Alghero - Sardegne
16. Porto Cervo - Sardegne - smartissimo, utterly synthetic and full of rock stars and glitterati
17. Viareggio - great for Firenze, Pisa, Lucca etc. You'll find a dearth of marinas (never mind GOOD ones) down that coast of Italy.

Personally think you're very ill-advised to try to do the trip you're doing in the time you've allotted - allow 3 years and you might get into some of the marinas and enjoy some of the fabulous places past which you're whistling.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Charles
First, thanks very much for your response.
I take your point about a faily ambitious itinerary. But this is the first leg of a two year trip. The second year we will transit back to Gib and spend more time in the areas that we skipped by this year.
Our way of thinking (perhaps wrongly) is that our shakedown cruise from Guernsey to Gib will take about two weeks, which puts us in Gib around mid-May. Then a week or two hopping the coast of Spain before transit to Mallorca for two weeks ending around mid June. A quick hop to Sardinia and direct to Italy (we are skipping France this year) and cruise Italy from mid-June to end of July. Then to Croatia for the month of August. Small amounts of Greece (next year more) for September and then to Turkey (no sightseeing this year) for the lay-up, leaving for home in mid October.
If this still appears too ambitious, I would apprciate your comments.
Thanks
Bryan

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Anonymous]

>>If this still appears too ambitious, I would apprciate your comments.<<

It will be very tiring and you will need good weather. If you want to travel at speed (i.e. on the plane) you might well have to wait for a week or more for a passage, especially on the sector from Guernsey to Gib, at that time of the year. If it's your ambition to complete the schedule in that timescale then, weather permitting, no doubt it could be done. But will it be fun? It all depends on what you want to get out of it, a cruise or a passage from A to B.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Lemain
Point taken.
Actually, our original idea was NOT to plan a tentative itinerary, but simply let life take us where it would. Only, when we were advised the we needed to book popular marinas in advance, did we prepare a float plan.
If we retreat to Plan A, in your experience, can we just show up at marinas and find accommodations for a 56' much of the time?
Tx
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[slavkod]

August is very busy on Croatian cost and islands as well.. Do not forget that this is the time of “feragosto”. So all Italian boats from Adriatic sea are heading to Croatian island. It will be very difficult to get space in marinas. You should be early there. Around 15:00-16.00 every day. As you have ACI info I will focus on cruising plan.
First weather. It will be calm in the mornings and the wind will start around 11:00 to 12:00. Until then you can make a lot of miles. My suggestion is that you cruise from Venice to Pula- Marina Veruda. It is 10 minutes from famous Arena- from Roman times. From there I would recommend

1. Island Susak- quiet place with interesting history and good anchorage. Nice for swimming as well
2. Kornati islands is must for everyone cruising in the Croatia. There are two Marinas- both from ACI club. Taking in account the size of your boat I would recommend Marina Žut. There are some nice fish restaurants.
3. Sibenik is a city with interesting entrance and from there you should go to Marina Stradun where nearby are falls of river Krka. There is very nice canyon, about 3 miles from Šibenik to Marina Stradun.
4. Split- large city with all you are looking for.
5. Island Hvar and city Hvar, nearby is Marina Pakleni otoci.
6. Island Korèula, city Korèula, beautiful – it is like small Dubrovnik. Marina is in downtown and you should make reservation in advance.
7. Dubrovnik- marina is 10 minutes from the city center. Nice, with swimming pool, good restaurant.

Maybe you should visit island Vis, Lastovo and many others. Just follow the route though the islands to south. Many nice anchorages and private marinas as well. Call on channel 17 or 16 and you will be advised accordingly. Buy good guide trough Croatian cost and islands. There is so much to be seen. You will need a lot of patience as August is very crowded .

I hope this helps,

Slavko


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[charles_reed]

My experience has been

That the most enjoyable part of the itinerary is coming down the Atlantic coasts - S Brittany/Vendée (Raz de Sein to la Rochelle), the Rias Biaxas (the NW corner of Spain) and the Rivers Guadiana and Guadalquivir. When into the W Med, by all means bomb on, little of it is worth stopping for.

Spend 6 weeks coming down to Gib, you'll only need a very deep pocket and a week to get to the Cote d'Azur from the Straits. Then slow down again - the Med is very overrated for ambiance and sun, mainly by the gullible who don't know any better.

How come, you ask, I've been there for the last 30 months. Well the history, the scenery inland and a year wasted because of a fatigue mast failure off Cabo Gato have all contributed to it.

If I can foil the quacks I'll be back again in Roussillon on Tuesday, to get the boat into the water and then re-do Tuscany, Sardinia Sicily and into the Adriatic for this winter



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[JPGruntfuttock]

Re: My experience has been

Erm excuse me for asking Charles, but:

<Then slow down again - the Med is very overrated for ambiance and sun, mainly by the gullible who don't know any better.>??

Did you actually mean the entire Med? That would seem to be contradicted by your plans for this year, during which, incidentally, our paths should cross.

regards
Peasmold

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[branko]

Jump over ASAP to Ionian Sea Islands in Greece an Croatia.
If you wish to go to Croatia than ACI marinas are not best choice today.
Try this way and you will enjoy: Cavtat ( port or anchor), Mljet Island - Kozarica , Lastovo Island - Mali Lago, Vis Island - port Vis but in Kut ( SE part of the port), Kornati Islands - Marina Piskera, Iz Island - Port Veli Iz, Ist Island - Port Ist ( buoys), Premuda Island - St. Krijal ( must), Mali Losinj - port, Cres Island - Marina Cres, Brijuni Islands port ( must), Rovinj marina, .... and back on the other way in acc. with your choice. If you try this route you will see and paradise.
Regards

<hr width=100% size=1>skipp

 

[charles_reed]

Most specifically the Western Med

However I don't expect the Eastern med to be any better - pessimists are always pleasantly surprised, whilst optimists are doomed to disappointment.

But then I haven't explored, thoroughly, the Adriatic or the Eastern Med.

On my quantitative rating of those areas I've got to know.

1. UK S coast (admittedly 18 years ago) 5/10 (marked down for cost and overcrowding)
2. UK westcountry 7/10
3. Wales 3/10, mainly 1/2 tide harbours and Ceregedion bay but fabulous scenery.
4. S Ireland 7/10 - especially towards the W - Kenmare.
5. Scottish W coast 8/10 fabulous uncrowded cruising and some lovely tidal streams to ride.
6. Channel Islands & N Brittany 6/10 - too many sharp and menacing rocks with extreme streams.
7. S Brittany and Vendée 7/10 - again overcrowding is the greatest snag.
8. N Spanish coast - 6/10 - undiscovered by Brits or French, so relatively unspoilt.
9. Galician rias - 8/10, worth being there for 6 months
10. Portuguese & Spanish Atlantic coasts - 5/10, N part inhospitable harbourwise, but the Algarve to the Straits great with high marks for the 2 rivers
11. Costa del Sol & Blanca - 1/10, crowded, mad, brash and ugly
12. Baleares - 2/10 - nearly as bad as Costa del Sol with the added burden of rapacious natives (with the notable exception of Menorca where the marina facilities are all odd).
13. Costa Dorada and Brava - 4/10 - getting better the further N you go
13. Roussillon/Languedoc to the Bouches de Rhone - 5/10 - slightly civilised, being France, but a boring, monotonous sandy coast.
14. Marseille-Cote d'Azur - 5/10 - what used to be picturesque exploited out of recognition, most people there to be seen and not to sail.
15. Tuscan coast - 4/10 - lacks harbours, overcrowded, islands picturesque, great tourist centres inland - Firenze, Lucca, Siena, Pisa etc.
16. Sardegne - 6/10 - N great esp Maddalena archipelago, S pretty boring.
17. Corse - 6/10 - interesting S half, expensive, great trekking inland.

So who else would like to pass an objective opinion.

By-the-bye, the improvement in sunshine in the Med is virtually balanced out by the nasty, short, confused, ill-tempered seas one suffers there (unlike our nice comfortable, long-period Atlantic rollers).
It took me about 3 weeks to see what the Swede in the X-boat, whom I met in Cadiz, meant when he said he was going back to sail in the N Sea, because the sailing was so much better.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Re: Most specifically the Western Med

Thanks all for your comments.
Based on responses, we have adjusted sail plan for a less ambitious itinerary. If things go well, we will expand it.
This means that we will not be able to now book marinas in popular locations, as we will not know when we will arrive.
Hopefully, a week or two prior to arriving, we will have some success in booking.
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[DavidJ]

Re: Most specifically the Western Med

Weve been in the Med for a couple of years now and find that booking is not always practical because of weather. So if you plan to get to the next marina an hour or two before all the yachties get in from about 5pm onwards then you should be ok. Maybe worth a phone call just before you leave port.


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[king7446]

Re: Most specifically the Western Med

David
Thanks for the reply.
I have basically come to the same conclusion that I cannot plan our itinerary as Iwould on land and will follow your advise.
Thanks
BK

<hr width=100% size=1>