Torrevieja

This port has 3 marinas, all good and well protected from the weather. I wintered at Marina International and was very pleased with the deal I got, paying just under €200 pm for a 7-month agreement including the G5 tax. All the marinas are near town and there are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants at reasonable prices.

San Juan

This port just North of Alicante has a good anchorage and so long as you check the swell and wind direction, you can have a peaceful night there free of charge.

Altea

I had to call in here for repairs. The marina was well protected and away from the fishing fleet that operates from the same harbour. The marina is run by Club Nautica Altea. It has fuel, laundry and of course shower facilities. They were clean and tidy at the time of my visit and adequate, although considering the number of births there it was surprising there was not a queue for the shower. For my boat, it cost €28.53 per night including electric and water. This was in the middle of June, high season.

There are lots of shops, bars and restaurants in the area and the old town of Altea is not to be missed. Nor is a visit to the blue tiled roof church on top of the hill – if only for the amazing views.

Denia

This was my next anchorage. Though it was ok, I spent an uncomfortable night here because of the swell.

Valencia

The marina here has to be one to visit, well protected, clean showers, and cheap in comparison to most marinas I have come across so far this year. The berths are extremely generous. As you pull into the harbour, the fuel pontoon is on your right. Tie up and register at the office and a berth will be allocated. The price includes electric and water and was only €13.92 per night in June 2015.

Valencia itself is a great place with something for everyone. If you have bikes on board, Valencia is ideal with designated cycle tracks all around town. There are three routes you can follow to see the city and right through the centre runs a park with a cycle track from end to end, I would say it is at least 10km long.

Puerto De Castellon

This is a working harbour. Though well protected, it is not a place to visit unless you need shelter from the weather or have no other choice. The night I was there they were unloading a ship all night. It was very noisy and I did not get a lot of sleep.

There are two marinas here. I went to the one on the right, which I think must be run by the local town council. The other on the left was run by a sailing club. That may have been quieter. I paid €23.87 for the night in June 2015. The showers were in what appeared to be an office block. They were excellent, clean and I bet hardly used, but you don’t go somewhere just for the shower block. It was convenient for the casino and also a number of shops and bars, but I don’t think you would want to stop a second night unless weathered in.

Puerto De Calafat

I stopped here on 27th June 2015. When I arrived there was nobody about so tied up myself and went looking for the office. It and everything else was closed and this is about 5 pm. Found a security guard who took some details but said tomorrow someone would be in the office to take my money. The shower block was opposite where I berthed and the guard had given me the code. It was busy, though I think with people of the local beach who had found out the code. Eventually, I managed to get inside one of the four cubicles. They were enormous with 2 sinks a shower big enough to have a band play in there and an equally large cubical for the WC. They were clean and everything worked. There was a fuel pump at the marina entrance but that was closed when I arrived but manned when I left. Again I thought the price a little steep for a 32ft yacht and one person at €38.00. The marina looked like it had been built in the ’90s when money was not a problem and people were buying apartments from where they could overlook the marina and maybe their own boat. Quiet, sheltered, a bit of a squeeze at the entrance but ok for a stop over for the night.

Club Nautic Coma Ruga

27 June 2015: All I would say is don’t go there. Ossian has 1.75 m draft. I touched bottom just inside the harbour and had to reverse off. The moorings were crumbling and one pontoon had collapsed into the harbour. The Shower block was not good and the water on my stand did not work. It cost me €25 for Ossian my 32ft yacht. One marina to miss.

Port Olimpic De Barcelona

29 June 2015: A difficult entrance to find and you need to watch for the port & starboard sticks showing you the line to follow and then its a sharp right into the harbour entrance. The fuel pontoon is where you stop to register and be allocated a berth. Space is however tight and during the summer when I visited it was busy not only with yachts but jet skis for hire. For my 32ft yacht and me it was €37.40 per night and an €85.00 deposit for an electric adapter for the special plugs they have.

Once in the berth, the shower block was the next thing to find. It looked like it had not been updated since the Olympics the marina was built for, whenever that was. My first visit ended with the water being cut off. Luckily I was only having a shave – others were in a right lather. Second visit all went smoothly but not the cleanest of facilities and heavily used with the number of boats it took. Great position though, bars & restaurants all around the marina, a good supermarket within walking distance and a 30 min bike ride to the new Basilica that has been under construction for years & still needs finishing. Just a tip you can book your visit online and I suggest you do that if you can. I had to queue for my ticket and then come back 3hrs later to actually get inside.

Tony Hall

SY Ossian (UK)

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