wintering in spain or portugal

[gavin_lacey]

We are currently in Camarinas planning to head south in september. Can anyone recommend place to overwinter and how necessary is it to stop cruising. We had envisaged stopping for 2 or 3 months with a 2 week return to uk. Thus security and transport are important but company vital. What are the costs likely to be for 12m boat.

 

[ccscott49]

Dunno the costs, but you could check on their website, but Marina Lagos would be a good bet! Great place nice peeps and plenty of company/things to do, nice town on your doorstep. As for stopping cruising in winter, most folks in Spain and Portugal do, but thats not to say you have to can go out for a weekend or longer if the weather forecast is benign.

 

[gavin_lacey]

Thanks - has anyone any info on almerimar

 

[jimbaerselman]

You'll find some possible wintering places on my website. You could even do Seville! Quite a spot. Lagos is a lively place too, more Anglicised.

Web siite links are included.for some, which will give you an idea of costs.

 

[Ocean Hound]

Portimao less expensive in the winter - but its a bit of hike into town. Ok if you have bikes.

 

[Richard10002]

We chose lagos over portimao even though it cost a little more, (not much). Portimao miles from town and station. dead as a dodo in winter according to some locals. Lagos on doorstep of town, busy and open even through winter, station on doorstep - no brainer.

Almerimar looks fine... a bit cheaper than lagos, particularly for 12 months.

 

[Carolwildbird]

Almerimar seems to have lots of liveaboards- just left a friends boat there, and there was also plenty of room. Also haul-out facilities and a couple of chandlers- the one we went to was run by a helpful english guy. My fleeting impression of Almerimar itself was that its a modern resort (though very nicely done with several different mooring areas) with restaurants and bars, laundrettes etc. but beyond the marina & lots of shops there) it looked like not much else there in terms of town- could be very quiet other than other liveaboards. It is relatively cheap compared with other marinas we called at (other than Almeria, also cheap but not half so attractive). Good access to Andalusia for exploring, though

My brother left his boat at Aguadulce and reported it to be good there - but know little else.

 

[SolentVenture]

We overwintered our boat in Portimao. Lots of liveaboards there. We commuted rom Gatwick to Faro every 5 weeks or so for a long weekend. V cheap flights during low season £96 return for 2 was average.
Good community in the marina. We moored next to another Uk boat who were living aboard for the winter. They looked ater our boat and we became good friends.
Yes, Portimao marina is a 10 minute bike ride from the town and does experience some surging on the moorings when heavy weather has been around.
Lagos is only a few miles west and is much more sheltered and in the middle of town.
If doing it again I'd winter in Lagos.
We are heading east this summer and may end up in Almerimar for next winter.
By the way I heard that Spanish boat yards don't allow owners to work on their boats when ashore. This info was given by a couple who had headed west from the Med and stopped in Portimao to haul out and work on their boat saying that they couldn't have done this in any of the Spanish yards they encountered.

Colin & Jane

 

[Grehan]

working on boat

Owners (and their spouses) can work on their boats, hauled out at Fuengirola, which is a fairly good - basic - yard. 'Friends' working on boats with owners are supposed to incurr an extra charge but this is not always demanded.
I have an idea that - surprisingly - one can work on one's boat at Sotogrande too - but don't have first-hand experience.
Working on one's boat is also ok at Marina Smir, Morocco, which is an excellent yard, travelift, personnel - but no chandlery or anything similarly useful for spares or materials. (Fuengirola's got lots)

 

[BlueSkyNick]

we bought our boat in Almerimar from a couple who had to move ashore. There are quite a few Brits there which provide a social community, without being over run with them. Pretty quiet in the winter though. Reasonable flights on Squ-EasyJet to Gatwick and Monarch to Manchester.

One supermarket in walking distance, a big Hypermarket about 5km inland, up a steep hill so not cyclable. Alamar marine is run by Spencer, with help from Mike (who also speaks good Spanish). Very useful to know them, as they know everybody else, and can source most stuff quickly and cost effectively.

I think it was E1600 per year, although I only paid for a month which worked out at 8 per night. Electrickery was extra, water on the harbour wall per berth.

If you are after somewhere cheap yet good value, Almerimar is fine. If you want somwhere with more of a pulse, I'd stick at Lagos.

 

[temptress]

Last time we went to the med we continued crusing all winter. We stopped in LAGOS for a month on the way out (DECEMBER) to do some repairs and have xmass then sailed to Cadiz for new year. Carried on to the balerica and ended up in Barcelona by let FEB.

You need to keep an eye on the weather but you can keep on sailing all year round although over the winter months we found we spend most of the time in Marinas when bad weather was forecast.

 

[Abigail]

We found it difficult to book in advance into marinas on the costa de luz (west andalucia), though in practice most marinas had space for a 12m boat if you didn't want a full six months in advance. (of course it is dearer if you pay a little bit at a time.) We ended up in Rota, where you are in town, free wifi in library, easy access to Cadiz, Jerez (airport) and Seville.

Most andalucian marinas will not allow you to live on the boat on the hard, though you are free to work on it all you like. This is the result of some accident and their insurers insist. So if you want to live aboard while hauled out, then consider one of the alternatives in Portugal.

Marina Smir, we found, extremely dear afloat. V good and secure ashore. Also Melilla, which is very cheap and laid back, with reasonable facilities.

HTH

 

[mandlmaunder]

Would recommend the River Guardiana (border of Spain & Portugal) as a shelter. Several small towns and some very nice people.
Also, we wintered in Faro/Olhao 4 years ago, good shelter but access to open water and other Algarve spots close by.
Have a good 'un!

 

[Ariadne]

We are heading south towards the Med' for the winter this year, not to fussed if we are in the Med' or the Atlantic side. Curently in Portosin (waiting for a new alternator) and heading south at about 20 miles per week!!

I have tried to look at info in Almerimar, but seem to only find info on super yachts, timeshare and what appears to be very expensive marina tariffs. Can somebody please post some clearer info on this area or what marina to aim for.

HAs anybody out there got some 1st hand info on Seville or the Cadiz area?

 

[jimbaerselman]

Two wintering spots in Seville, one in town (the yacht club) reached through the right fork of the river and a lock, and the other up the left fork of the river just short of the town. The latter is a little shallow inside. At 2.1m I had to use quite a bit of engine to slide through the soft mud into a berth . . . buses ionto the city.

Cadiz bay has many possibilities - Puerto America close to the city, Rota or you may be able to squeeze into Puerto Sherry.

I don't have first hand info about Almeria, but there are two possibilities there - see my site. Sailing tab, click on the map to check the area you're interested in.

There's a link there to the 'Junta' marinas, good info on the local authority run places, good value for money.

 

[ccscott49]

Are the places in Seville secure the city doed have a certain reputation shall we say!

 

[jimbaerselman]

Club Nautico has security which seems to work well. They let in anyone who looks like a yachtie without any direct checks, but I've never seen any of the 'riff-raff' of the town around. It's about 20min walk from the town centre. Usually 2 or 4 live-aboards over winter.

Gelves is further out of town (a bus ride) and usually booked out. Quite a lot cheaper, many apartments nearby. I don't remember security arrangements, but had no troubles there - anyone with more recent experience than 2001?

I wasn't aware of any security reputation at Seville, but that just may be relative. My last Spanish port was Barcelona - where bag snatching, shop lifting etc was a national sport. Your best measure of security threat is to look at the level of shop security. When €4 bottles of wine and T-shirts are tagged and chained (Barcelona) you know there's a problem!

 

[ccscott49]

Bag snatching is a national sport in Seville as well!
But you are right, I moor in Barcelona at the moment and the crime is bad, security at the marina however has improved ten fold, but there is still a problem, not yachtie stuff going missing, phones, ipods, computers etc. so it's the indigenous population, not the yachties.
The locals blame the morrocans etc, but it's not! All of the peeps that have been caught to date doing it in the marina are locals.
The bag snatching, pickpocketing etc, is local gypys in the main and some illegals.
Drug crime etc. mainly eastern european.
Bigger crime, armed robbery etc. Some local, but mainly eastern european.
Car theft, anybody, but younger for joy riding, steal and export, eastern european run gangs, for export to?...................eastern europe!!

This was told to me by a local policeman (inspector type) friend of my neighbour.

 

[paulineb]

They stole the "TyreFlies" lights from my pink pussy !!!! [--word removed--] !!!!!!! Grrrrr

.... and Mr B caught two locals on our aft deck in the early hours of one morning. They were shagging /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[ccscott49]

Well.........not actually shagging!! BJ's all round! But bloody hilarious non the less! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Didnt know they'd nicked your tyreflies the gits!