Best marina in Canaries

[TJ D]

Hi all,
We're looking at spending a couple of months in the Canaries prior to heading to the Caribbean, and are looking for some recommendations for the best place to spend a couple months.

We prefer a quieter setting with good security. Anybody got some info for us?

Thanks much, TJ

[TJ D]

Bump, now that Europe's awake...

[2big2small]

Originally Posted by TJ D

We prefer a quieter setting with good security.

The cheapest, wich also happens to have all the amenities of a big city and the largest choice in ship chandlers, is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The setting is one of a large city in a large harbour however, and every visitor gets kicked out for the ARC anyway from September on. But you can still anchor in the harbour for a fee. If you need to buy stuff for your boat it’s still one of the best places.

But otherwise I’d recommend you stay away from Gran Canaria altogether during Atlantic crossing season. Everthing is full and usually jovial staff are now stressed and unpleasant.

The displacement of local boats for the ARC plus the massive arrival of non-ARC crossers means that pretty much every marina from Lanzarote to Tenerife gets overcrowded. Try your luck in La Gomera and La Palma instead for “a quieter setting.”

Garachico on the north of Tenerife may still be to your liking. It’s a new marina out of the beaten paths and therefore maybe not overcrowded in fall and winter.

Our favorite is to anchor in La Graciosa, the only really good anchorage in all of the Canaries, but still open from west to south.

Note that for all the public marinas it is now mandatory to book online. You can’t just show up anymore.

Security is acceptable anywhere. Always lock your boat when you leave it and keep valuable equipment inside. Bicycles are especially likely to disappear in big cities especially if they look nice. Remove the saddle, wheel, whatever, whenever you leave it behind in town and use the heaviest lock you can find. We had our bags stolen on the beach once and a fender that we used as a buoy at the end of our trip line dissapeared overnight too for the one time we used it as such.

It’s very rare to hear about theft inside a marina though, but it happens. Exceptionally, bicycles dissapeared from a gated dock in Las Palmas this year. There are very regular police patrols but they can’t prevent everything. So always take maximum precautions against theft every moment and for everything of value and you can then rest nearly fully assured that nothing’s going to happen.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by TJ D

Bump, now that Europe's awake...

La Gomera is way up my favorites list anywhere! San Sebastian - nice marina in a lovely little town.

Home - Marina La Gomera - Official Website

[2big2small]

On La Palma it would be Tazacorte.

Supermarkets, like the Hiperdino chain, will usually deliver free of cost to your boat if you order more than 60 euros worth of goods so it’s not that important to find a marina right next to a supermarket.

[2big2small]

Car rental is also ridiculously cheap.

I would recommend you visit as many islands as you can, they’re all unique and remarkable . If you need to choose I’d go with Lanzarote, Tenerife, and La Palma.

[Suijin]

Marina San Miguel in Golf del Sur on Tenerife is affordable and has an amazing view of Most Teide (tallest point in Spain). Standing amid palm trees and looking up at the snow covered volcano is pretty cool.

That said, there is not a huge amount to do in in San Miguel but it's a nice out of the way spot.

[The Apprentice]

We live in Las Palmas Gran Canaria (beach side, Las Canteras). Currently we have our boat berthed in Pasito Blanco.
It’s a quite marina (about 30 min south of the airport) with haul out facilities within a gated community. Very quiet, very safe with only one restaurant / bar being the La Punta yacht club. Maspalomas / Meloneras is a 5 min drive for shopping and restaurants.
We have had out boat berthed there since January 2018, while awaiting our permanent berth at Club Maritimo Varadero, Las Palmas. Have been on the waiting list for 6 months and finally will be able to move to our permanent berth in May.
During the ARC season, not a lot (nothing) is available in and around Las Palmas.
Another possibility is Federacion Insular De Vela (adjacent to Club Maritimo Varadero), but once again outside ARC season.
Another reasonable area is Puerto Mogan which is further south. Plenty of restaurants and a small haul out facility. Not so quiet, but a nice little area all the same. Sometimes referred to as little Venice.
The bulk of services for yachties are found in Las Palmas, along the Explanada del Muelle Deportivo which fronts all the marinas

[TJ D]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

[Malfoi]

I want to go as crew from Canary to Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida. Let me know if somebody wants to do such ride.