Wintering in Spain suggestions?

[Ray.]

Hi all,
I am a new member to the forum and I am looking for some suggestions/advice about my first winter afloat.
I am in the process of buying my Oceanis 50 which is currently berthed in Denia. Nice enough place but very pricey in comparison to others I have seen in the forums.
It is likely to be mid December before handover but I would like to find some options of where to go and layup onboard over winter.
I hear Cartagena is quite good and also torrevieja?
I am looking for a good community for a few things to do, good facilities etc.
If anyone has some good ideas, contacts or links, I would be very grateful.

Regards

Ray.

[boatman61]

Cartagena is okay however I much prefer Almerimar about a day and a half sail from you round the corner of Cabo de Gato.
It has a great marine engineer, two good chandlers, large travel lift, sail maker and other services..
A huge supermarket and just about most every other shop you may need, 15 minutes from a good hospital and 30minutes from a mainline train service to Madrid and another 10 minutes to the airport.
Well protected and friendly staff with English widely spoken..
Should also say, while many like the place there are those that hate it.. I like the place.

[Ray.]

Hi Boatman, thanks for your reply and suggestion, I will add it to my list of potential places to layup over winter and decide when the time comes depending on availability etc.

Regards Ray,

[boatman61]

Almerimar is huge, they always have space.
You could fit Cartagena and Denia in there and still have space.

[Ray.]

Cool
and with that I imagine a great mixture of cruisers

[dlane1181]

We’re quite happy in Rota, on the Atlantic Coast, about a day’s sail outside the Straits.
We were stationed at the nearby navy base from 2000-2003, and fell in love with this area. The marina (with a 50T Travellift) has all the basic services and craftsmen, and the town is beautiful. It’s 30-40 minutes to Cádiz (or a short ferry ride) and ~90 minutes to the classic city of Sevilla.

[Ray.]

Hi dlane,
thanks for the info about Rota, but maybe a little further than I imagine from Denia which will be my first ever solo sail on my new boat and going forward, in my mind I will head east further in to the Med if time allows, but invariably I am sure work will get in the way at some point

[iabmatos]

Originally Posted by Ray.

Hi all,
I am a new member to the forum and I am looking for some suggestions/advice about my first winter afloat.
I am in the process of buying my Oceanis 50 which is currently berthed in Denia. Nice enough place but very pricey in comparison to others I have seen in the forums.
It is likely to be mid December before handover but I would like to find some options of where to go and layup onboard over winter.
I hear Cartagena is quite good and also torrevieja?
I am looking for a good community for a few things to do, good facilities etc.
If anyone has some good ideas, contacts or links, I would be very grateful.

Regards

Ray.

Following...

I will ask a similar question in a year, expecting being closer to the Adriatic side of the Med.

Cheers

[nordic-beluga]

[Hi Ray ,QUOTE=Ray.;3018968]Hi all,
I am a new member to the forum and I am looking for some suggestions/advice about my first winter afloat.
I am in the process of buying my Oceanis 50 which is currently berthed in Denia. Nice enough place but very pricey in comparison to others I have seen in the forums.
It is likely to be mid December before handover but I would like to find some options of where to go and layup onboard over winter.
I hear Cartagena is quite good and also torrevieja?
I am looking for a good community for a few things to do, good facilities etc.
If anyone has some good ideas, contacts or links, I would be very grateful.

Regards
FHi Ray,

I can only second Boatman's 61 suggestion . I live on my Nordic in Puerto Tomas Maestre , on the Mar Menor between Torrevieja and Cartagena , which is the cheapest on the spanish med coastline . But without any doubts Almerimar offers at just a little more euro's so much more . The name of the japanese harbourmaster is Fumi . Great pub is the Stumble Inn . By the way I am writing you out of Almerimar . If you need any more help don't hesitate to contact me .
Remes.jack@gmail.com .
Ray.[/QUOTE]

[Ray.]

Hi Nordic-beluga,

thank for your recommendation! It is always good if a place gets multiple recommendations, so it is currently the number one place to go to!
First I have a few things to do, get back to Denia next week to sign the sales agreement, then test sail and survey, plus arranging all the other necessary paperwork for insurance and SSR registration, but it is still likely to be Jan 2020 before I take ownership
Looking very much to it all though and to meet with some of the members

BR Ray.

[dcarratt]

My boat, Blue Vortex, is in Dénia at the moment. We are heading to Port Ginesta near Barcelona for the winter. Barcelona airport is nearby and the city of Barcelona is accessible for things to do.

I stopped in both Almerimar and Cartagena on the way to Dénia. Both have many liveaboards over winter. Almerimar is enormous but not very close to a city, very inexpensive. There are bars, restaurants and a supermarket in the marina. Yacht Port Cartagena is near the centre of Cartagena which is an interesting city. Not so large as Almerimar and no shops or restaurants in the marina. Neither have great showers & WCs.

[Ray.]

Hi dcarratt,

thanks for the info about your own experience and time in Almerimar and Cartagena, again very useful information to make a note of. I should be in Barcelona soon for two weeks beginning December 1st or 2nd, maybe I will have time to take a look

[cjenkins]

We are preparing to take delivery of a boat, a Lagoon 400, in mid-February in Gibraltar and are looking for a place to winter over. We've been to Cartegena previously and liked the city and the marina location. We also spent December onboard in Barcelona several years ago and loved it. Both are a bit of a sail from Gibraltar so we're wondering whether we should find someplace closer.

Would love to hear from anyone who is currently wintering over anywhere reasonably near Gibraltar. (I would also welcome thoughts on what it will be like sailing up the coast in February.) Is there space available where you are? Pros and cons? Berthing fees for a 3-4 month stay?

Thanks,

Charlie Jenkins

[dcarratt]

The main cities you will want to visit in the region are Seville, Cordoba, Granada & Ronda. The Spanish marina (Alcaidesa Marina) right next to Gibraltar in La Linea de la Concepcion is convenient.

PROs Good views of Gibraltar, two nautical shops & maintenance services nearby. Gibraltar airport & Gibraltar are both a walk from the marina. Probably offer "catamaran for price of a monohull" during the off season. Good showers & WCs at the marina.

CONs Authentic Spanish town but not sufficiently interesting fin itself or 3-4 months. Flight connections from Gibraltar are not as good as Malaga.

Another idea is to go out of the Med to Cadiz (Puerto America).

PROs Beautiful city with more interest for 3-4 months. Good showers & WCs at the marina. Easy to visit Seville if you rent a car. Beaches near Cadiz area attractive. Great restaurants in the city.

CONs Marina is a long walk (20min) from the city centre. No restaurants/cafes/supermarkets at the marina. Jerez airport is 40min taxi ride away.

To the North East from Gibraltar, Estepona is attractive.

PROs Small town making a good base for 3-4 months if you have a car. Attractive marina with good showers & WCs. Beaches nearby are attractive. A lot of restaurants, bars, cafes right in the marina. Sunday markets bring a lot of visitors and interest. There is a good supermarket very close to the marina.

CONs Marina is a walk (15min) from the real town centre. Might be difficult to accommodate a catamaran - although there are some catamarans moored there. Malaga airport is 60min taxi ride away - costs about €120. Flight connections are good & cheap.

Even further North East is Almerimar which has been covered already in the thread - main attraction is low price. There are also marinas to the West of Malaga (eg Puerto Banus) but they are aimed more at motor yachts.

I'm estimating the mooring cost will be about €500 per month. The price depends a lot on whether you can get a "catamaran for price of monohull" deal, less likely in Estepona I think. Renting a car is ideal in which case the location is less important. Parking is easy at La Linea and Cadiz in the marinas. Parking at Estepona is less convenient, but is possible near to the marina (maybe 5 min walk). Access to the marina by car at Estepona is heavily controlled.

I think sailing this coast in February will be fine if you can choose if and when you sail. Obviously the weather will be cool - average low temps are about 50F but will feel warmer when it is sunny.

[cjenkins]

dcarratt,

Thank you for the information. I'm considering getting out early, before the handover of the boat, to visit a few potential wintering over spots.

We might also try to make some headway toward the Eastern Med where we plan to spend the summer sailing with friends whose boats are currently on the hard in Greece. I haven't really researched the challenges of winter sailing in the Med, but the fact that most liveaboards seem to be hunkered down makes the think it might be tough.

Best,

Charlie