Skippered yacht charter in Andalusia, southern Spain

Sail along the Spanish coast and to Gibraltar. A skippered sailing holiday at the sunny Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol of Andalusia, a fairly sheltered sailing area, is ideal for an introduction to sailing. The relative shorter daily distances on the Mediterranean and the good weather, make these sailing holidays also convenient for a private charter, for families or groups of friends.

The passage of Gibraltar can be rough and is therefore more suitable for sailing enthusiasts who want to make miles and gain more experience. Read more information about crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

Sailing holiday along the Costa del Sol

Despite a certain stigma of this part of the Mediterranean, this is a beautiful sailing area. With here and there a few tourist places, but also more characteristic ports such as Marina del Este. It is also a beautiful, mostly green coast and there are many beautiful anchorages. During the sailing on the Mediterranean, we will have lovely views of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The water temperature is nice and the water is crystal clear, ideal for swimming or snorkeling after a day of sunny sailing.

The coast of the Costa del Sol, as the name suggests, has the largest number of hours of sunshine in Spain. It has temperatures averaging above 30 degrees Celsius in summer. The Mediterranean Sea is here around a temperature of 22 degrees. The rainfall is very low. Due to the pleasant climate and over 300 days of sunshine per year, the Costa del Sol has become a popular holiday destination.

Sailing holiday Malaga and Marbella

The port city of Malaga is the second largest city of Andalusia. The Alcazaba, a Moorish castle built on a Roman fort, is definitely worth a visit. Unfortunately heavy works are being carried out in the city; we cannot enter the harbor with a yacht. But from the port in Benalmedana you can reach the city easily. Marbella is also nice, a port with good facilities and after a nice stroll over the beach you can walk to the charming old town for a drink or an ice cream (or both!).

Sailing holiday along the Costa Blanca

The ‘white coast of the Costa Blanca on the Mediterranean has endless beaches. These are generally long, wide and covered with fine golden sand. The Costa Blanca scenery is also a delight for nature lovers and it has one of the largest national parks of Spain called Cabo de Gata. A large area with a Grand Canyon-like scenery, very beautiful. In 2012 we have seen whales alongside the ship in this area, a special experience.

Because there are few ports, we will anchor at a very special anchorage we discovered in 2012 as well. Here we can cool off with a swim and in the evening enjoy a splendid night, thanks to the complete absence of city and ambient lights. In addition, the Costa Blanca includes many pine forests and several salt lakes. This is why the Costa Blanca has been named one of the healthiest living environments of Europe.

Yacht charter along the Costa de Almeria, South East Spain

Apart from the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca there are more coasts along the Mediterranean with undiscovered destinations providing for beautiful beaches, friendly people and an authentic Spanish atmosphere. Meet a very different side of Andalusia with a sailing holiday on the Costa de Almeria in the South East of Spain.

The Costa de Almeria is relatively unknown among the Dutch, although the best beaches in the entire Spanish mainland, long boulevards and delicious tapas are to be found here. And because of the lack of mass tourism the beaches are nice and more quiet. With a sailing holiday along the Costa de Almeria you experience Spain as the Spaniards do. Small beach places with lively village squares where you will mostly meet locals.

Almeria is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the lively capital of the region. The name of the port city of Almeria comes from the Arabic term al-Mariya, meaning ‘Mirror of the Sea’. The Moors gave the town this name because Almeria has the most sunshine hours per year in Europe. These kind of Arabic influences are still noticeable in the town itself. At about 90 meters above the town a large old Arab castle is situated with a magnificent view over the harbor and the Mediterranean Sea, a reminder of the time Almeria was baptized ‘Medina’ by the Moors.

Port city of Cartagena, sailing holiday Mediterranean

Cartagena is a historic and charming harbor town in the South East of Spain, in the region of Murcia that we will visit during some of the sailing holidays in the Mediterranean. Admiral Nelson called Cartagena one of the safest ports in the Mediterranean. This port is history; this can already be noticed by the large amount of old forts that reveal themselves in the mountains while sailing through the ‘fjord’ towards the port of Cartagena.

Hannibal had his base here and went over the Alps to attack Rome. That was a great success, but Scipio (later known as Africanus) stormed and captured the city in the meantime. A few years ago, a Roman amphitheater was discovered near the port. It has been renovated and made accessible to the public.

From the harbor a nice walk can be made to the Parque Torres, with the Castillo de la Concepción, the oldest remaining castle of this town, with a beautiful view over the city, the port and the Mediterranean Sea. The castle has been successively Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Western Gothic, Moorish and Castilian.

Other places to visit in Cartagena are the Municipal Archaeological Museum, the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the Maritime Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Wall, Sala Municipal de la Muralla Bizantina. The latter provides for an interesting look at the remains of the two meter thick wall that was built by the Byzantines around the old city in the year 590.

Alicante, sailing along the Costa Blanca

The port city Alicante is a nice, large and elegant port with a cozy and vibrant city center and a large castle above the city. The port is situated along the city center. Here we are getting closer to the Balearic Islands indicated by the busier and more Mediterranean atmosphere. Skippered yacht charter in Spain is unique due to the combination of sun and wind. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming for a sailing holiday in Northern Spain to the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea. Check also the page for a sailing holiday to the Balearic Islands. Would you like to sail with us to Spain? Check out our sailing holiday schedule for the options.

Sea sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar

The high rock of Gibraltar is a special sight, but apart from that it is also the border between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The narrowest part of the Strait of Gibraltar is 7 miles wide, so during the sailing holiday in this area we have a nice view of Morocco and another, much higher, mountain the Jebel Musa, which is 851 meters high. These two mountains were formerly called the Pillars of Hercules. It is a narrow passage between Europe and Africa, you can see both continents as we sail through the strait of Gibraltar. The narrowness of the passage provides for a sailing challenge given the other features of this area.

The Mediterranean Sea dries faster than it is refilled by rain and rivers, therefore a lot of Atlantic water flows through the Strait of Gibraltar creating a current mainly eastwards. Because of the high coasts, the wind is mainly West or East and can often be stormy because of the warming of the land over cold water. Therefore sailing West through this passage (leaving the Mediterranean sea) is especially suitable for the more adventurous sailors. A special experience, sometimes rough, with a lot of shipping traffic but also the chance to see whales!

The Port of Gibraltar is very nice, with good facilities. Around the ports there is a Mediterranean atmosphere. Meanwhile, the city center is typically English, with cozy pubs and nice shops. From the town you can go to the rock, from which, surrounded by apes, you have a magnificent view of the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Tarifa & Duqeusa

Especially during the yacht charters starting from the Mediterranean towards the Atlantic ocean it is likely that we make a stop at Tarifa, the southernmost point of mainland Europe. We will have a strong counter-current and therefore we will try to use the tide in our advantage. Tarifa is a real working harbor with fast ferries that sail to Tangier. At the entrance there is a kind of haunted house and a little above the town is a very old fort situated.

The atmosphere of the working harbor is special, a lot of shipping traffic can be seen in the Strait of Gibraltar and of course the beautiful mountains of Morocco on the other side. It is not certain that we can visit the harbor, but else we can anchor with a magnificent view over the Strait of Gibraltar. Duqeusa is the first Spanish port when we enter the Mediterranean, however more English than Spanish. Still a nice little harbor with great facilities, a beautiful beach next to the harbor and many terraces along the harbor.

History of Gibraltar

When we are sailing on the Mediterranean Gibraltar looks like an island. This is correct, because the great mountain actually belongs to the African continent. Long ago it hit the European continent and has withdrawn a bit, leaving the characteristic rock of Gibraltar behind. The area has been habited by humans since a very long time; in the rocky the remains of Neanderthals were found.

On August 4, 1704 an English-Dutch coalition fleet captured the rock and since then the passage through the Strait of Gibraltar remained under British supervision and the rock a British enclave. As a result of the War of Spanish Succession, through the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, Gibraltar finally became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Since 1830, the rock is a British crown colony. Gibraltar enjoys self-government in the area of internal affairs and justice. Great Britain is responsible for foreign policy. A governor represents the British crown. On the slope of the rock a Moorish castle from the 8th century is situated that still serves as a prison. In the Second World War St. Michaels cave served as a hospital and now it serves as a place where concerts are given regularly. On the rock lives a monkeys colony, Barbary macaques, imported by the British. This species also occurs in North Africa.