Explore: Spain
Facts
- The most attractive natural cruising areas of Spain are situated at its extremes, the north-west Atlantic coast and the Balearics – these islands being one of the Mediterranean’s prime yachting centres.
- Slowly but surely, however, anchoring in the Balearics is becoming more difficult, with the protection of seagrass prohibiting anchoring in most places and the expansion of mooring fields.
- In the last decade, Spain’s Mediterranean coast and islands have seen tremendous development in yachting facilities with new marinas being built everywhere, so that one is never more than a few hours’ sails away from the next harbour.
- Good repair facilities can now be found in the majority of Spanish ports, with the most comprehensive, but almost most expensive, being in the prime yachting centres (such as Palma de Mallorca).
- Facilities are also good in Barcelona and the surrounding area, where berthing and boatyard charges are surprisingly economical.
- The holding of America’s Cup in Valencia and the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante have meant both these ports now have greatly improved yachting facilities.
- Cruising the Atlantic coast of Spain can be much more rewarding as nature has rewarded this coastline with an abundance of natural harbours and inlets.
- Facilities in Atlantic Spain tend to be more basic, with boatyards catering to both yachts and commercial boats. On the Atlantic coast, there are good facilities at the new Puerto Sherry near Cadiz. On the North West coast, the best range is to be found at La Coruña, where the yacht club can be particularly helpful, and in Vigo.
- There are chandleries with a good selection in the main sailing centres, but in smaller ports and marinas the availability of spares is limited.
- Most Spanish yacht clubs are exclusive social clubs, where visitors are not particularly welcome. Those which have docking facilities operate on a commercial basis charging visitors marina fees. Dress etiquette is strict and a sloppy appearance is frowned upon.
- If heading into Portugal from Spain, be sure to top up your tanks before departure as diesel is cheaper in Spain than in Portugal. Note also that diesel is even cheaper in Gibraltar, and cheaper still in Morocco.
Islas Baleares 10th Edition
Available at a discount through Imray & Bluewater Books
The only fully comprehensive pilot guide in English to Spain’s Balearic Islands – Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca, Cabrera and Menorca. Published in 2015 with updates via the RCCPF in 2017.
For more titles see Spain Publications.
Security
On 17/18 August 2017, there were 2 terrorist-related incidents where vehicles were driven directly at pedestrians, resulting in injuries and loss of life. These were in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona and Cambrils, near Salou (100km southwest of Barcelona).
In the aftermath of the Barcelona attacks, public attention has focused on immigrants coming into Spain from Morocco. Melilla and its smaller sister city of Ceuta are the only land borders between Europe and Africa making them a convenient route for migrants into Spain. Border controls may well be more onerous here than in mainland Spain.
Thousands of tourists visit Spain every year and most visits are trouble-free.
See https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain for up to date Foreign Office advice.
Weather
The climate varies greatly from the Atlantic north coast, which is wet and cool, to the Mediterranean south and east, where summers are very hot and winters mild.
The winds are just as varied, the north coast coming under the influence of Atlantic weather systems, with south-westerly to north-westerly winds predominating in winter and northerly winds in summer, although land and sea breezes can be experienced inshore. This is also the case along the south-western coast during summer, while the rest of the year, winds are either easterly or westerly.
Alternating sea and land breezes are also characteristic of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Winds in the main blow from the west, northwest, north and east but are influenced greatly by local topography.
The northeastern coast (north of Barcelona) and the Balearics are occasionally affected in the summer by the Tramontana (Mistral), a strong, dry N or NW wind (cold in winter) which blows from southern France. The danger with this wind is that it can arrive with little warning on a calm sunny day and reach gale force in just 15 minutes. It normally blows for at least 3 days but can last up to a week or longer and is much more frequent in the winter months.
The Balearics also experience an atmospheric pressure phenomena during the summer months called a Rissaga or meteotsunami. Whilst not a regular occurrence, it is very difficult to predict and can (if extreme) cause chaos. During a Rissaga, the sea level can increase and decrease dramatically in a matter of minutes. They are “atmospherically generated waves that amplify as they shoal and then resonate in bays and harbours” and can cause flooding and damage to vessels in port and at anchor.
Other Mediterranean winds that affect Spain are the Vendaval (a strong SW to W wind that blows late Autumn to early Spring through the Straits of Gibraltar and along the south coast), the Levante (from Gib to Valencia) and the Sirocco (a hot wind blowing off the N African coast bringing haze, cloud and red/brown dust, common in Summer).
Weather Information
Broadcast by:- Radio Nacional de Espana at 1000 and 1300 LT via – La Coruna 639kHz, Seville 684kHz Sociedad Espana de Radio – a programme containing information for commercial fishing operations, plus weather forecasts and sea conditions, is broadcast between 0600 and 0700 LT and again in condensed format 2205 from La Coruna 1080kHz, Vigo 1026kHz, Huelva 100.5MHz, Cadiz 1485kHz, Seville 792kHz
Spanish weather forecasts:
Spanish Met Office: http://www.aemet.es/en/portada
Galicia Weather: http://www.meteogalicia.es/
For links to free global weather information, forecast services and extreme weather information see the Noonsite Weather Page.
Main Ports
- Region: Balearics
- Ports of Entry:
- Ibiza,
- Mahon (Minorca),
- Palma de Mallorca
- Region: Mediterranean Coast (Spain)
- Ports of Entry:
- Alicante,
- Almeria,
- Barcelona,
- Cartagena (Murcia),
- Denia,
- La Linea,
- Malaga,
- Puerto Banus & Marbella,
- Santa Pola,
- Tarragona,
- Valencia
- Region: North West Spain
- Ports of Entry:
- Bilbao,
- Gijon,
- Hondarribia,
- La Coruna,
- Ria de Vigo and Baiona,
- Santander
- Region: South West Coast (Spain)
- Ports of Entry:
- Ayamonte (River Guandiana),
- Cadiz,
- Sevilla
- Other Ports:
- Algeciras,
- Barbate,
- Chipiona,
- Isla Canela,
- Isla Cristina,
- Mazagon,
- Rota,
- Sanlucar (River Guandiana)
- Region: Spanish North Africa
