Description:
This is a wide bay in the Rias Altas in north-west Spain, with 3 harbours and numerous beach anchorages.
Ortigueira is the most complicated harbour to reach, with a sand bar to cross, however, the scenery on the way is stunning and the Club Nautico has excellent shore facilities.
Carino is the simplest option in bad weather and the most protected (except the E and SE).
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
The sand bar should only be crossed on a rising tide and with not too large a swell. There is restricted depth here. See tips in user comments from cruisers who have been here. Heading upriver the channel is marked by a number of red buoys, although proceed with care as not all are on station.
Position:
43° 43.96'N, 07° 51.76'W (Carino harbour)
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Santa Marta da Ortiguera
Do not be too put off by the entrance to the inner part of this ria that leads up to the town of Santa Marta de Ortiguera. The bar is easy enough to cross given a rising tide and not too large a ground swell. We have just entered the ria about 2 hours before a neap high tide and never had less than 4.5 metres on the bar and a little less in the river in a couple of places.
We used Navionics on a tablet and found it to be spot on for the deepest water both crossing the bar and up the river. The deepest water across the bar is within 50m or less of the island Illa de San Vicente. Once past the island keep aimiing for the beach until more than halfway to it before turning through a right angle to head directly for the Punta da Postina . Once there aim for the Punta da Sismundi and then come around to south for Punta de Fornelos . We anchored in a deep hole off this headland but it is apparently possible to continue up river to the town itself and the small marina.
Theere are a number of red buoys marking the course but beware as one just before punta Fornelos was badly off station and nearly ran us aground. A green buoy that may have also once been a channel marker was also well off any logical position.
The estuary is stunning, the anchoring perfect and the town interesting.
Thanks. I’m going in there in 3 hours time. Knowing your draft would have been useful. It looks lovely. I’ll do an update later
Thanks again.