Balearics

[James Joll]

Hi
We are moored @ San Antonio. Any cruisers anchored or moored near Ibiza / Mallorca. Any suggestions on nice spots.? At the moment.
Thanks

[swagman]

Hi James,
Enjoy the islands. Head over to Formentera first chance you get. Great sandy bottoms (San Antonio known as a tricky bottom). Lots of other bays are also good but simple trick is to ensure you are always to leeward of the weather. Some of the northern coast calas are lovely places in light or S'ly weather - but untenable when it blows strong from the north.
We also favoured Andraix and Soller on N Mallorcan coast - but if you check our blogs back in 2005 you'll see lots of comments from around Balearics then - http://www.yotblog.co.uk/swagman/233...+to+Ibiza.html - and again later for a month passing through in 2007 - ttp://www.yotblog.co.uk/swagman/2591/28th+to+30th+July+%96+Sardinia+to+Balearics.html. with some recent pictures.

Obviously things do change - but hopefully not a lot.
Sail safe
JOHN

[boatman61]

Hi,
Nice part of the world... I prefered Portinatx to San Antonio but with norther's maybe not wise yet...
Also really enjoyed Andratx.. nice country walk up to the town from the harbour... loadsa character.. Just try and get your anchor wedged in one of the cracks on the bottom.. fair bit of weed and a somewhat hard bottom makes for a few Charter boats dragging every year... you'll get used to em.. charge into anchorages mid afternoon... pile a loada chain onto the anchor.. into the dinghy and away.
3 hours later with the rising breeze, a 38 ftr comes drifting past with a gentle rumble from the anchor chain as you sip your 5pm beer...lol
Alcudia and Pollensa are also nice anchorages.. or were in the 90's.. Alcudia was great for getting our Gas bottles filled at the factory...
To be honest I enjoyed the Islands a lot... Except Ibiza Town.. a real rip off in every way..
Formentera was to noisy and bouncy with all the tourist ferries charging back and forth...
But where ever you go I'm sure you'll have a great time..

PS; Go 3rd line..(1st line = 90% tourist, 2nd line = 50%, 3rd line = 90% locals) for the Menu del Dia's... great atmosphere, value and good food..

[swagman]

Hi,

Just reading Boatmans comments above. Last year anchoring / moorings off Andraix changed significantly.
Prior there were local mooring to west of main entry, and vistors could anchor to the east. That is the area where anchor holding is sad - but anyway - it is no longer usable.
They closed the western water space for rebuilding work in 2008 - moved all moorings to east side and restricted the anchoring there.
Now vistors go where they always could but rarely did - inside the harbour proper. Limited space, but lovely gloopy mud.
Ideal holding but you do get bounced around as the fishing fleet leave early hours.
JOHN

[barnakiel]

Balearics in early March... hmmmm.... So, do you have snow?

b.

[sobriyah]

Have you been to Espalmador? I thought it was the nicest anchorage in the Balearics. I hear that moorings have been laid now but its not necessary to get a permit out of season.

[James Joll]

Thanks for the comments. Will head off Sun and check things out.
The snow joke has been a bit too close for comfort. Next Winter further South for sure !!!
HAPPY cat sails

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by James Joll

Thanks for the comments. Will head off Sun and check things out.
The snow joke has been a bit too close for comfort. Next Winter further South for sure !!!
HAPPY cat sails

Agua Dulce is great..if you can get in, close to airport, the Sierras if you ski and some nice daysailing too... lovely anchorage just around Cabo de Gato .....

[Jad]

Hi,
We also live on board and we are currently in Campania-Italy. We spend the winter in Palau (Sardinia) and it was not too cold. And the marina prices were quite cheap, less than 5€ per day for our 12m sailboat!
Regarding the Baleares, you will find our comments about calas, marinas, etc on our site.
www.ovnijad.com
Good sailing.

[rivonia]

We're heading towards the Balearics from Almerimar and will be keeping on the southern side of Ibiza, Majorca and Mallorca - any recommended anchorages would be appreciated.

thanks

[sobriyah]

Hi Rivonia.

It's five years since I was last there, but here are my recollections:-

Talamanca Bay is a handy stop in Ibiza. Anchor in the bay, dinghy ashore, walk over the hill to Marina Botafoch and get the water taxi over to Ibiza Town.

Espalmador is a beautiful anchorage, so long as the wind doesn't go SW. I understand they have laid moorings there now, so things may have changed. I thought it was the nearest to a Caribbean anchorage I found anywhere in the Med. During the season a RIB comes up from Formentera every morning, takes garbage, and can supply provisions, at a price.

I cannot think of anywhere sheltered enough to anchor close to Palma. It is possible to anchor at Andratx but the holding is very poor. Porto Colom has a live aboard community on the east coast, and there is a nice anchorage at the south end of Es Trenc beach, just before San Jordi, behind the small island. On the west side of Mallorca the anchorage between San Telmo and Dragonera island also used to be very nice but I believe moorings have now been laid there too. There was a public quay at Port de Pollensa that was very reasonable up in the north.

In Minorca there used to be a public quay at Ciudadella that was inexpensive.

Fair winds. Richard.

[boatman61]

Rivonia... Majorca
Soller on the west coast, pretty town but can get busy in season.
Andratx on the south, if you drop the hook outside the harbour pop over the side and check the bottom, its not deep... you'll find there's a lot of shallow gullies(2-4ft) down there, drag your hook over and drop it in.. you'll hold just fine. Inside the harbour retricted but holding ok.
Portal Vells used to be another nice spot west side Palma Bay, also Cala Pi to the east of the bay... hook in the middle and stern line ashore... not advised in strong southerlies..
Porto Petro, PortoColom, Alcudia and Pollensa.. these last two appear to have been renamed...lol... are on the east coast.
Ibiza... did not like the south side much, Formentera was to busy with tourist ferries charging back and forth.. other bays to exposed.
East coast San Antonio.. but full of drunk Brit youth back then.. but did spend some nice time hooked of the islands outside... NE a good jump off to Majorca was San Miguel and Benirras or Portinaix...
Minorca... to many to mention... explore and enjoy...

[Jad]

Last year we spend 4 months around Formentera, Ibiza, Majorca and Minorca.
Have a look at our site, now with english version, for our comments about marinas and calas, etc.
Philippe
www.ovnijad.com

[sobriyah]

Rivonia, I forgot to mention, about the moorings they have dropped. If they are nacional parcs moorings, and I believe they are, they are free (or used to be). You need to have a permit in advance, which any marina office can help you with. Takes a couple of days. In season they were restricted to a 3 day max stay once a month, but out of season its a week, and might be extendable. Cabrera has had these moorings for years, and is also a 'must-see,' uninhabited apart from the parc rangers and their bar ashore.

[rivonia]

Thank you everyone for so much useful information - we had heard about the mooring buoys, but as they have to be booked on-line were concerned that as we don't plan to stop in marinas eg Mar Menor is our first planned stopover, that would be rather difficult and at the moment our plans are very open! There are quite a few of us ready to head East, but strong winds are forecast for the next few days and we are still waiting for a few parts.

Jad - your website is very helpful and we shall be heading onto Sardinia on our way to the Greek Islands later in the year, so I have made it a 'favourite'