Port & Harbour Reports 2006.
The Bay of Cadiz to Malta

The following Harbour/Port Reports are based on our notes and personal experiences of the harbours and anchorages visited during our 2006 cruise. They are intended to be used alongside reputable pilot books and maritime charts, therefore do not contain navigational details, but rather focus on other (hopefully) useful information - cost of berthing, provisions, fuel and water, internet availability, differences to pilot books, etc.

Mooring/Marina fees are based on Hitrapia's 10.7m LOA x 3.2m Beam. 'LS' = Low Season rate; 'HS' = High Season rate.

PLEASE NOTE: The Google Earth images of the harbours and other maps are included to give an 'idea' of the harbour, and should not be used for navigation as the detail maybe old and inaccurate. We supply these notes in good faith with no warranties to their accuracy. It is, of course, the responsibility of the Skipper to use navigational aids and information designed for and suitable for that purpose.

These Port Reports are also available as a PDF download HERE.

 
Pilot: RCC Atlantic Spain & Portugal (4th edition) - pp218

Marina (Junta group/cheap). €9.80 LS. Water & Elec a little extra daily. Reception berth near fuel berth. Berths are alongside fingers. Good Shelter. Showers/WC good. Marina quite small and not pretty, staff not too helpful but nice town, good shops and provisions. Also very good for bus to Seville if you don't wish to take the boat up the river. You can catch the bus at main bus station and it's a 2.5hr journey and cost us €15 per person return. Easy fuelling from fuel berth.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Atlantic Spain & Portugal (4th edition) - pp228

Marina (Junta). €10.86 LS. Water & Elec a little extra daily. Reception berth near fuel berth. Berths are alongside fingers. Good Shelter. Showers/WC good. Large marina, newish pontoons. Easy fuelling on reception pontoon. Nice town, many clothes shops but only small supermarket near but fresh food market. Internet in town above café. Can tune into American FM radio station broadcast from Naval base - good music. Easy fuelling from fuel berth.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Atlantic Spain & Portugal (4th edition) - pp233

Marina (Junta). €10.30 LS. Water & Elec a little extra daily. Reception berth near fuel berth. Berths are alongside fingers. Excellent Shelter - New extended breakwater, different to our RCC pilot, giving extra protection from wash - we sat out a big Levanter here. Better protection in second basin. Showers/WC good in new shower block. Staff very friendly & have city maps and supply good info on positions of Tuna Nets, esp the one near the entrance to Barbate. Wonderful small city can be explored easily on foot. Marina out of town but easy flat walk. Mainly city high street stores but a decent supermarket too. Lots of internet cafes. Easy fuelling from fuel berth.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Atlantic Spain & Portugal (4th edition) - pp241

Marina (Junta) €10.88 LS. Water & Elec a little extra daily. Beware large Tunny net directly outside the harbour. Reception berth near entrance. Berths are alongside fingers. Shelter good. Showers/WC gorgeous. But sadly marina and staff disorganised. Only stayed here 8hrs waiting for tidal gate for the Straits but walked a long way to the supermarket!

NOTE: All Juntas approx double the price in High Season.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp17

We were advised to call and book before arrival and we are glad we did. €17 (£11.80) HS. Water & Elec metered extra. No reception pontoon when we were there, had to radio ahead to be directed to a berth. Berths are stern or bows-to with laid lazy-lines. Showers/WC good. Wi-fi also available £3 per hr. Obviously excellent Morrisons, freephone for taxi in store - cost £6 to marina! Shepherds Chandlery ok. Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club is wonderful - Very friendly and welcoming to visiting yachties, call in for cheap(er) beer and lovely view of harbour. If walking to Morrisons from marina RGYC is on your left near lots of parked cars on street. Minibus guided tours good value for money, we paid about £25 for both of us.
 

 
Pilot: YM Portugal and South West Spain.

Marina - €17pn HS. Water & Elec included but larger 32amp plug socket - we have made-up an adapter for our 16amp plug. Some pontoons with fingers and some stern or bows-to berthing to harbour wall with laid lazy-lines, no reception berth but look out for staff to direct on entry. Good shelter. Showers/WC poor. Beware of tide/current races on approach to Ceuta - we experienced them up to 2nM out in settled conditions, take care in poor weather. Nice town, couple of small supermarkets. Internet on beach side of town. Day trip to Morocco excellent - get town map from marina office, travel agent (Flandria) advert on this map - €30 each, also on beach side of town. Easy fuelling from fuel berth on harbour wall - cheaper than European Spain.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp28.

Marina Complex. Should have paid €26pn HS for 12m berth but we had to pay €34.27 HS as they only had 15m berths available! Water & Elec extra daily (we had to pay the 15m berth rate for this also!). Reception berth near entrance - look for the little white marinero's hut. Berths are stern or bows-to with laid lazy-lines. Showers/WC OK. Free Wi-Fi if its working or computer use in marina office - get Wi-Fi access code from the office. Very odd, very expensive touristy supermarket near marina. Easy and close to get gas, ask marina staff, speak good English. Nice beach walk if you get stuck there as we did. Nice town but all clothes, bars, restaurants.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp36

Marina. €14.67pn HS. Shelter ok, but difficult/dangerous to get in or out in bad weather - met cruisers here who had been waiting 3 days to get out as the entrance was closed by breaking seas. Quick overnight stop for us, didn't even berth properly were allowed to stay on reception pontoon. Berths are stern or bows-to with laid lazy-lines. Showers/WC OK. Only saw a row of bars and restaurants and helpful security man as office was closed. Easy fuelling from fuel berth near marina entrance.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp48&49

Anchorage, near Marina Del Este, off nudist beach, gorgeous landscape and view, but very rolly and some down drafts. Open from the south quadrants, not very protected but okay in settled conditions - marina very close if it blows up. We used it as a passage stop, to get some rest before heading out next morning. Motril a little further up the coast would be a good alternative, esp in unsettled conditions.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp57

Marina Complex. €18.56pn HS. Excellent large marina very sheltered, entrance very good as we arrived in a WSW F9 and had safe entry although the sea state was rough in the bay. Helpful friendly staff. Reception berth near entrance and marina office - sign in to be allocated a berth. Berths are stern or bows-to with laid lazy-lines. Showers/WC poor considering scale of marina. 2/3 chandlers, one is exclusively second hand boat gear. Dive shop - we got some snorkel gear here in preparation for clearer waters enabling us to check the set of the anchor! Internet in harbourside office/language school but only open office hours - seemed to be a flat fee of €1.50. Wi-Fi available from marina office but expensive. No real town here, just the marina complex, which includes an excellent supermarket, bars, restaurants and tourist trinket shops. The closest town of El Ejido is an 8km bus ride away - good hardware shop there but a small town. Nice beach to walk - opposite side to marina entrance. A popular overwintering spot. Gas also available. Fuel easy, pumps on reception berth.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp87

Anchorage west of Cartagena, near pt. de Azohia. Beautiful clear water, clear bottom, good holding on sand - very little weed. First time we could clearly see chain, anchor and the fish from the decks. Didn't venture ashore but small town and resort. Can jug water from the beach showers, caught with large funnel and jerry can.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp89

Marina at Club Nautico was closed due to regatta so we berthed in Super Yacht Basin next door. Cheaper than the marina but have no wc/showers of their own (as super yachts have there own onboard) so have a long walk to use the marina's facilities. €13.89pn HS (think marina €17). Generally well sheltered but may experience wash/swell from ships, pilot boats and tourist trip boats. Berths should be stern or bows-to with lazy-lines, but lines laid for superyachts and no good for us, so we went alongside. The superyacht basin seem happy to take smaller yachts, so worth a look. Club Nautico Marina showers/wc/washing machine all excellent. Chandlers nr marina and small chandlers on main High Street (Cala Major) also Fereterria (Hardware shop). Excellent huge Carrefour hypermarket 15 min walk out of town, Lidl supermarket 10 mins walk outa town, small Spar mini market off Cala Major, Mercadona supermarket top of Cala Major. Great city - worth a visit. Internet cafe - left off Cala Major just before Vodaphone shop walk through to next little square, on left.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp114

Large excellent anchorage outside marina but good shelter inside protected breakwaters. Good holding. We found Marina unfriendly, didn't use. Fuel dock filthy and not open when advertised. Lots of yellow, red and green marker buoys in anchorage put out to mark site of new fishing harbour, many have been dragged and moved around - confusing - just ignore them. Can land dinghy on the beach or up the tiny river mouth to the right when looking at beach but a tricky climb up the wall. Good, friendly chandlers here near the river mouth/marina complex - offered to let us use their internet to check weather and save going into town and paying. Supermarkets and internet can be found in street one back and parallel to the beach front.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp128

Marina - €27.25pn HS. Brief overnight stop after change of plans due to winds/weather. Reception berth hard to spot, but is first 2 berths on concrete quay, on your port side as you enter marina - beware shallow rocks that jut out from end of quay, some tight manovering but okay. Berths are stern or bows-to with laid lazy-lines. Didn't explore the town but couldn't find food store. Expensive but friendly and great showers. Pretty easy fuelling on fishing quay.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Costas del Sol and Blanca (5th edition) - pp144

Anchorage & Marina - Anchorage outside marina very pretty but cove buoyed off for bathers out to 5m contour, very open so not well protected, rolly and swelly, but okay in settled conditions. Holding patchy on Sand and lots of weed - look for the sand patches, better closer to the marina entrance than by the cliffs. Marina - Good Shelter and affordable considering other alternatives on this coast. €21.85pn HS. Friendliest marina this season, pay when you leave attitude and no deposit required for shower key. Berth side-to the long concrete quay on the left as enter marina, raft-up if no spaces. Desalinated non potable water only on quay, potable water available on fuel berth. Easy fuelling at fuel berth. Electricity requires larger 32amp plug socket - we have made-up an adapter for our 16amp plug. Showers/wc average, wacky design but dark and a bit grubby. Nice cosmopolitan town. Yacht club with yard and repair facilities, supermarket, internet cafe and fereterria (hardware store) in town. Good place to depart for the Balearics.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp40.

Very beautiful, clear water, no shops, no bars, no hotels - just 3 houses, very peaceful. Shoreline here is privately owned, but they don't seem to mind yachts anchoring in the bay. It wasn't very crowded, few boats staying over night - mainly small boats coming here for the day to swim and sunbathe. Open to the horizon, would not be very sheltered in winds from the northerly quadrants. Holding average on mainly sand - in strong winds you might drag as the bottom was a little ploughed up. Would be wise to move elsewhere if bad weather is forecast. No facilities ashore.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp41

Anchorage - small holiday resort/town. Good holding in easy to see sand patches. Open to the horizon, would not be very sheltered in winds from the northerly quadrants. 2 easy beach dinghy landings. 2 mini-markets stocking food/drink for holiday makers - some provisions but no meat, little veg. Cool outdoor internet spot up the hill towards the Spar then turn right, combined with clothes shop. Good Tex-Mex restaurant overlooking the anchorage - would recommend for an evening beer and the odd burrito! Beach showers for collecting water with large funnel and Jerry cans.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp81

Marina & Anchorage - Lovely large anchorage though holding patchy, lots of weed and rocky out towards entrance near green buoy. Good dinghy landings for town, nice harbour town (main town 5km inland) with good supermarket, stock up here if need supplies. Internet cafe in town or take your laptop to the waterfront cafe, free wi-fi while you enjoy expensive but gorgeous cappuccino and mellow Jazz. Easy fuelling and potable water at Fuel berth on hammerhead at the marina, we filled our tanks here (2wks water) for €3. Later learned that visitors can take a berth (if any available) on the 'Transit Mole', same side as anchorage, for up to three nights. A boat our size paid around €10 per night. Good to know if one wishes to take a trip inland and leave the boat safe.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp89

Marina & Anchorage - Good anchorage, crowded in high season but very pretty landscape. Good holding on sand and weed - look for the sand patches. A deep Cala with good shelter but open to the horizon. Beach overly buoyed off for bathers, at 5m contour, deep into anchorage. Small ferry & large trip boats enter the marina and also come straight through the anchorage to pick up from the beach. Take care to anchor out of its path, small yellow buoys mark its route off the beach, a spot in the south of the bay will suffer less traffic/wash. Dinghy landing on 'Transit' pontoon. Again, believe berths available for visitors on Transit Pontoon for up to 3 nights for around €10pn. Ok small harbour town, again main town 5km inland, accessible by 15min tram ride from waterfront. From here you can take a 1 hour vintage electric train ride through the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range to Palma. Small shops for provisions but mainly beach, clothing and souvenir/trinket shops. Internet available in hotel on southern shore. Chandlers in side street.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp97

Marina, anchorage & mooring field - A new (2006) mooring field has been laid on the east side of this bay nr the Sea Plane landing area, Esta d'en Ros off Pta de la Avanzada. We picked up one of these for free; the harbour master is sometimes around to help with your line. He checked us in and handed us paperwork explaining the rules & regs of the moorings. They are being laid for environmental reasons, banning anchoring to protect the weed meadows on the seabed. The moorings are colour-coded for boat size - ours being pinky/white. Although the rules & regs state a free mooring for one night per week only, we stayed longer and it doesn't seem to be a problem if there are moorings available. Longer dinghy ride to town from this side but protected from an easterly fetch. We didn't venture ashore.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp168

Floating pontoon islands, mooring buoys, anchorage and marina. Very deep Cala with excellent shelter. Wonderful views on entry but keep a good lookout, high traffic zone for ferries, cruise liners and many motor boats. Only allowed to anchor now in Cala Taulera behind Isla del Lazareto - good anchorage but crowded and a long, long way from town - maybe more than 2nM. Yellow visitors mooring buoys are dotted from Cala Longa westward to Cala Rata on the northshore, also on the southshore and cost around €20pn HS. The floating island pontoons of Isla Clementina & Isla Cristina cost €43.61pn HS, moor bow or stern-to with laid lazy-line. Water, electricity and rubbish disposal. Isla Clementina has a shower connected to a hose pipe tap, simple, very effective and highly used. No longer allowed to anchor just west of Isla del Rey, pontoons have now been placed at what was the anchorage, but believed not to have any services connected. Dinghy landing outside boat restaurant on the edge of the Commercial Quay. Town quite nice but disappointingly touristy. Take steps opposite commercial quay up to the town, left leads you to the fish market, a good bakery and a fresh food hall with a good Spar supermarket in the basement. If you take a right at the top of the steps through to a square you'll find the library where you can get free internet access. Pedro's Boat centre has two outlets for chandlery/gas, one at the western end of the harbour front and another along the front in Cala Figuera. Fuel dock in Cala Figuera, but very busy in the high season - we waited for over an hour by motoring around in circles in the bay before we could berth alongside to get fuel. Water available with 50c coins from floating pontoon east of Isla Cristina.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Islas Baleares (7th edition) - pp206

Anchorage & New Mooring fields - Fornells is now a marine reserve so areas of the Cala are anchoring prohibited. As in Pollensa, to protect the weed meadows that are so important to our environment, new (again free) mooring fields have been laid off the village of Fornells in this huge, deep, well protected Cala and on the eastern side, south of pta Prima. Spacing of them is unequal so choose carefully for swinging room to suit. Some yachts anchored on the outskirts of the mooring field or at the southern end of the Cala for more secluded surroundings. We sat out 40-50kt winds here, and even when it was blowing straight into the Cala, no big swell or surge entered as it was thankfully dispersed by the narrow entrance. Designated concrete dinghy landing. 2 small, well stocked supermarkets but a bit pricey. Bakery. Post Office. Laundry service - €4.50 per kilo. Internet in hotel/restaurant in main square €3.50ph. Lots of Restaurants specialising in Seafood - Lobster Stew in particular a local delicacy at €50 a head! Buses to Cuitadella and Mahon. Water fountain in main square to jug water.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp295

Our landing port. A good place for day or night landfall as it offers an anchorage both on the outskirts of the bay and also just off the marina, a few miles further in.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp295

Anchorage and (free) mooring buoys. You can still anchor here further out but there are now new free laid mooring buoys in two clusters, again to protect the weed meadows; under the villas and more spectacularly under the ancient ruins of Tharros. We picked up one of these for the night as we arrived in the dark - the water here is quite well lit from the spotlights on the ruins. The bay is heavily littered with lobster pots, fish farms and shallows, making your way to the marina at night may prove hazardous.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp296

Marina & anchorage off. €35pn HS, €17 from 1st Sept (Mid season). Visitors' berths are bow or stern-to with laid lazy-line in the south basin, on the inside of the central eastern mole (the one lit at both ends.) No buoyed channel anymore, the channel is directly in line with the entrance to the south basin, parallel with the outer mole. To enter the north basin for fuel, do not cut across. Proceed towards the south basin entrance then take a sharp right turn following the outer central eastern mole before turning left into the north basin, then first right to the fuel berth. Fuel was €1.28L. Marina staff very friendly and helpful - a lady in the office speaks some English. Potable water, non-potable water and electricity on quay/pontoon and included in berthing fee. WC/showers ok (keep an eye out for the florescent green frog!) Only one bar (great rock music) and one restaurant at the marina, not even a public phone. Small supermarket in Torre Grande town about 15 mins walk down the coast. Large supermarket in Oristano, 7km away, with bus stop outside. Buses run frequently to both, from the marina, €0.70c each way, get tickets and timetable from marina office. Office closes for siesta. Nice cyber café in Oristano too, possible to get internet fix, see some sights around the old town, shop 'til you drop at the hypermarket then catch the bus back - great value for your bus ticket. Suggest a good stock up here if low on provisions, we didn't shop again until Cagliari, almost 2wks later.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp288

There is now a marina in the 'horse shoe' shaped basin but we anchored just SE of the commercial port on the other side of a breakwater. There were a few small local boats anchored here or on moorings, the depths became shallow close to them, in the best protection behind the breakwater. Although we felt initially very exposed we found decent enough shelter here even with a NW5. Not very pretty, didn't venture ashore, but a good stop-over.

The trip around the SW corner of the island is very picturesque.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp283

Large picturesque bay with many anchoring options depending on wind direction. We ran here for protection from W & NW gales. We anchored in the largest W bay and found the bottom to be incredibly undulated after the 5m contour - we ran aground twice when the depth jumped from 4m to 1.4m in an eye blink! -. There are great mounds of sand and weed covered rocks closer in we'd advice not going below the 5m contour. Lots of sand patches, good holding in these, we held out for a week in 25-36knts. Decent protection can also be found not as far in on the west-side, opposite a small bay near the tower, anchoring in about 10m. The most popular spot with locals seemed to be the small bay west of I.Teredda. We scouted it out by dinghy, (bins here for rubbish disposal) - the anchoring area seemed small due to the beach being buoyed off for swimmers. No provisioning here only a couple of beach shacks. A boat boy came by on our first night saying he could deliver provisions daily at 8.30am but sadly we never saw him again.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp280

Our very out-of-date Italian Waters Pilot gave us no incentive to visit here what-so-ever, but after reading some recent Cruising Association Pilot Updates we felt it a safe bet to support the new Marina Sant Elmo run by Enrico Deplano, Sardinia's CA HLR. It has 4 large pontoons, plenty of room and is tucked away in the SE corner, past Marina del Sole. Call VHF ch74 on entering the outer harbour, turn right and just keep going - it really isn't visible until you're past Marina del Sole who may approach you in a rib for your custom. €42pn HS, €26pn 1st Sept. 10% discount for CA Members. Good shelter, excellent quality pontoons with bow or stern-to berths with laid lazy-line, so new they're not slimy! Very friendly, helpful staff, most with excellent English. Potable water and electricity on pontoons included. WC/shower - one of each for male and female. Washing machine with detergent €6, token from office. Maps of the city available from the office, the staff will mark your map with the nearest supermarket, chandlers (very well stocked), cyber café etc. The cyber café we used is upstairs in a book store, which they call a library, on the main drag, €5ph or 2hrs for €8, but we spotted a few more around town a little cheaper, €3.50ph, some look like office stationers/post offices. Although the area around the marina is run-down and not very picturesque the city has character and some very interesting sites and museums. Be sure to take in the view from on top of the Bastion and from here you can follow a route around the city sites marked with notice boards. The Cathedral has a very ornate interior and the archaeology museum is excellent.
Marina Del Sole - Haven't stayed here ourselves but friends of ours in 'Genesis' stopped here and paid €13pn HS, which we believe to be the price for under 10m. We have also been advised that the marina may not have insurance, pontoons' structure and strength are questionable and pontoon services are dangerously shared - eg one electrical point bearing numerous hook-ups. This is totally 'hear-say' and should be treated as such, but, in calm conditions and for a short stay this marina may prove to be a cheaper stop off.
 

 
Pilot: RCC Italian Waters Pilot (6th edition) - pp258

Il Corallo Circolo Nautico Marina is the first pontoon on entry; the 'L' shaped one as shown in the Imray RCC Pilot. The pilot implies this to be one's best chance of a visitors berth and our CA notes informed us that the pontoon was free of charge (with an understanding of a €10pn tip for the Omeggatorri). Easy night entry but beware unlit small boats fishing in the harbour approaches. We took a berth on the end of the 'L', bows-to with lazy line. The pontoon was quite decrepit, covered in bird crap with very rusty rings. A lot of traffic in the harbour creates a fair amount of wash and strong W's & NW's bring chop inside. The electricity supply is of low voltage and inconsistent. We believe the water supply should be ok here but friends of ours got 'foamy' water from their taps after filling up. Marina staff are very relaxed, friendly and helpful. Got served coffee and water whilst checking in and given a free calendar and bottle of Sicilian wine - BUT, berths here are no longer free or €10pn! We were charged €20pn. No discounted weekly rate. No showers, one toilet.

Lega Navale is another marina on the second pontoon. Berthing costs are unknown but they do have showers and a café.

We were astonished to see a couple of boats anchor off the marina obstructing the fairway to either the fishing port, the marina or the fuel dock depending on wind direction/swing. Marina staff informed us that the fishing trawlers would purposely buzz them with wash as this wasn't accepted.

Easy fuelling at fuel quay, €1.22 per litre. Supermarket very close to marina, closed Wed pm and Sundays. Internet in the amusement arcade/café, at the far end of the row of buildings behind supermarket. Computers on a mezzanine floor - register with ID at café counter to be allocated a computer, €3.5ph, open all hours, very noisy and busy lunchtimes when every teenager in Sciacca goes there by scooter! Town is on a cliff top, steps up are visible from marina (leading up to a yellow portacabin in front of a building covered in scaffolding). Harbour side is very run-down and derelict but has character, especially around the fishing boat boatyard, yet the town is quite grand. Tourist Info is at the top of the steps and across the main street where you'll get a map of the town. ATM here too.

Car Hire: We hired a car from Gulliver's for €64 (Smart for4 for 24hrs) + €21.50 (fully comp/no excess insurance) + €3.50 (extra driver) in which we drove to The Valley of Temples at Agrigento in the morning and then to Selinunte in the afternoon, another Greek Temple ruin site. Fuel cost €20.