Spain

[Victoria]

Looking for information on best places to live aboard in Spain. We are considering living aboard for a year or so and would put our children in school while we are there. Also are there any special taxes, etc.. that apply if you have a boat there?
Thanks,
Kim

[Gallivanters]

Victoria,

Check out the reply above to the Hotel moorings near Mallorca. We found a GREAT marina with free anchorage in Fuengirola - right between Mallorca and Malaga.

We found Spain's Costa del Sol among the nicest places in the Med!

Kirk

[Victoria]

Kirk,
Thanks for the info. Sounds like a great place.
Kim

[Talbot]

Spain has recently introduced several bits of legislation aimed at boaters, so you need to be very careful with your research here.

some data on one of the new laws has been brought onto one web site: http://www.telefonica.net/web2/grehan/isdmt/

[Victoria]

Robert,
Thanks for the website. It looks like our plans for spending an extended amount of time in Spain are getting more complicated.
Kim

[RogRabbit]

Hi Victoria.

I live in Spain, and also sail in Spain. But that's no wonder since I am spanish.
My sailboat is in the Marina of Rota (Cadiz). There are some liveaboards in the marina, who claim is the best harbor to live in for long periods. I fact I think the weather is best there (south atlantic coast of Spain), than in the Med in fall/winter time.
Also you can reach Portugal, the coast of Africa and (why not?), hit the Med from time to time.
I will post some pics, is a great place. The harbor is in the town, so you dont really need car to move around (important issue).

Cheers.
Rog

[RogRabbit]

32 ton travel-lift, enough for a vast majority of sailboats or motorboats



Moorings are nice and wide, leaving space between vessels and making maneouvering easy.



Some places around are worth visiting, here Sancti-Petri, a shelter with an arab castle protecting the entrance and lone beaches in the other side.



Wide canals and more than 500 moorings at the Marina facilities



There are also ramp facilities for dinghies and smaller vessels



Beautiful hidden corners to discover nearby, in the portuguese Algarve



If you want, I can check some more info on prices. And you can have a look at Rota in this link in English .

I hope to have helped.
Rog

[Prairie Chicken]

You may wish to review the thread entitled PLEASE HELP! Boat Seized in Spain by Pirates (Policemen) on this forum. Not to scare you--we've cruised in Spain a great deal & love it--but there are things to be cautious about. That thread also gives a number of good links to aid in your research.

[Sandero]

I lived for 6 months in the Canaries - Gran Canaria. We sailed to some of the other islands. The climate was perfect. We stayed in densely populated tourist area - Porto Rico & Mogan. Don't know about schooling, but with Las Palmas not far away it was quite OK. Exploring the island was a real treat.

The Balerics might be more interesting, but the weather in Gran Canaria was incredible and consistant.

[Prairie Chicken]

We know Mallorca very well. It is a lovely island with lots of good anchorages and easy-to-navigate waters. The wx is lovely in spring, early summer, & fall but every yachtie in Europe knows that & are on the island looking for moorings and anchorages. That said, as a yachting mecca, the island has every conceivable item a boat-owner could possibly need. August is very hot and has little wind. Winters can be pretty cool--it occasionally snows in the mountains. For a live-aboard in a center with schools, etc.you might consider Porto Colom. It is a lovely town on the East coast in a large natural harbour, has permanent mooring buoys at reasonable value, and has all the necessary amenities.

I know there are an International School in Portals Nous, West of Palma, and believe there is also either an American or British School there as well. There isn't much close by for an available port though as Portal Portals, which is very close, is very expensive & getting a mooring there is next to impossible.

If Mallorca is a location you wish to consider, post me with your questions & I'll try to help you out.

[Tropic Cat]

Ummm guys?

Victoria posted her question in 2006.

Best to check dates before taking the time to post solutions.

[Prairie Chicken]

Good point Cat. I usually do pay attention to dates. Guess I missed that one.

[stevensc]

I'm not planning to go to Spain any time soon but I am curious, what are the blackwater discharge regulations in countries along the Med. coast?
Thanks
Steve

[Prairie Chicken]

I can't comment on the Spanish regs or areas outside of the Balearics, but I can tell you that the common practice is absolutely no restriction. Virtually every boat we know discharge straight into the sea because there has been no alternative. Last year, 2008, for the first time, we started to see discharge stations at two or three marinas. Sad, but true.