Homeward bound

Moraira anchorage

It was finally time for us to start thinking of wending our way back to mainland Spain and our winter berth. The wonderful summer weather was becoming changeable and we had to delay our departure from Ibiza due to a storm passing through. When we finally left it was a long day of motoring with little wind, heavy rain and some fog but thankfully very little traffic. We decided to make for an anchorage we hadn't visited before and dropped the hook off the small upmarket coastal town of Moraira which offered welcome shelter from the easterly wind and swell. It was busy with local craft but they disappeared with the sun and we were left with a handful of yachts for the evening. We stayed another day but were soon on the move again on our journey south.

Jellyfish infested waters

We had an early start passing Benidorm on the way and finally dropped anchor off a long sandy beach, rather too exposed for our liking, around the corner from Alicante. It wasn't a very picturesque stop and we had a bit of a rolly night but at least we were safe in the sand. With some very strong winds forecast we decided to  return to the Mar Menor inland sea and sit out the dodgy weather with our anchor safely stuck in the soft glutinous mud. We were up again at dawn and safely navigated the shallows around Tabarca island before arriving at our destination. The bridge opening times hadn't changed since we last entered the large lagoon a few months ago but the quality of the water had! This time the waters were absolutely inundated with jelly fish and there was almost more jelly visible than there was water. We anchored in a peaceful spot in the lee of one of the islands but there was definitely no swimming this time! With yet another wind shift from yet another direction we moved across the lagoon in search of shelter and stopped just south of La Manga.

We went ashore in search of some provisions and we, as well as our dinghy, were made very welcome at the Club Nautico la Isleta. As well as a safe dinghy park they offered us free hot showers which were most welcome and in return we made good use of the club bar and restaurant. Needless to say La Manga is a very strange man made resort but we managed to find a couple of grocery shops hidden amongst the sea of 1970's apartment blocks. With the bad weather behind us we were happy to leave the jelly fish infested waters and continue on our way.

No whales, just a couple of snorkellers!

As we passed Cartagena and entered the bay of Mazarron we kept our eyes peeled for marine life. This is where there is practically no continental shelf and the sea bed falls away to depths of 2000 metres just a few kilometers from the coast. This is precisely the marine habitat that sperm and fin whales need and is one of the few places in Spain known for whale spotting. We went on a long detour following the continental shelf scouring the horizon for a fin, a large tail or with luck a squirt of water....

Laid back La Azohia

La Azohia beach

View across La Azohia bay

Having completely failed at our cetacean hunt we hit the jackpot with our next anchorage. Not only did we find shelter from the easterly swell, La Azohia proved to be a delightful laid back little resort. We were happy to chill here for a couple of days and enjoy swimming in the turquoise, jellyfish free, waters. We had a lovely coastal walk to the unusual hexagonal 16th century watchtower affording great views across Mazarron bay as well as the sea some 70 mts below. There was a lovely laid back feel to the place, a great beach front bar and even a much needed Spar supermaket a short stroll away.

View of Azohia bay from Santa Elena tower

Aguillas windmill

Sadly we had to tear ourselves away and continue on our journey. We had heard good things about Aguillas, particularly that it afforded good shelter inside the large natural harbour where yachts are still allowed to anchor. We found a spot sheltered from the swell and went about exploring the town which didn't really come up to expectations. On the move again we had nice easterly winds helping us on our way but unfortunately it meant that the wonderful anchorages around Cabo de Gata were untenable especially as some gale force winds were forecast. Instead we snuck round the headland and joined a handful of yachts off San Miguel beach. Our last night at anchor and a final swim before the last hop back to Aguadulce.

                                                             Aguillas town square

Ride of a Lifetime at anchor in Aguilas harbour

Anchorage off San Miguel, Cabo de Gata

Ride of a Lifetime's winter home

Once back in the marina and firmly attached to the concrete we busily set about tidying, cleaning and putting the boat to bed for the winter. Our final journey took us from our berth to the boatyard lifting dock. We were then hoisted and moved to our new resting place on the hard standing. This winter we are leaving the boat for the winter months and are becoming landlubbers for the first time in fifteen years! We'll be back in the Spring....

We'll certainly miss Aguadulce's glorious winter climate

Fifty shades of blue

Boats and revellers arrive at the Sunset Strip

The winds were against us and a trip down the eastern coast of Ibiza eluded us yet again. With the usual easterly winds forecast we ended up back in Cala Xaracca on the northern tip of Ibiza after a leisurely sail from Mallorca. Unfortunately the swell still found us there and we had a very rolly night which by morning had become untenable so we set off in search of shelter further down the coast. We weren't the only ones as boats kept appearing from the rocky nooks and crannies along the way. As well as the lumpy seas the skies were now getting

Our very own Sunset Strip dinghy landing dock

ominously dark and we just managed to get the sails down before the inevitable squall and downpour. We were now part of a flotilla of boats heading south in search of a safe anchorage and comfortable night which we eventually found in the large San Antonio Bay. As well as a thriving resort it is a huge natural harbour with a couple of marinas and an ever growing mooring field reducing the amount of anchoring space available. We decided to try a new spot and found a much less crowded option just outside the harbour breakwater.

San Antonio sunset

What we didn't realise at the time was it was just in front of Ibiza's famous Sunset Strip, a bustling waterfront stretch known for providing dramatic sunset views with cafes, bars and the inevitable loud music. As sunset approached, the bars and rocks below became host to hordes of revellers cheering the sun as it slipped down beyond the horizon. Parasailors circled above us and we were surrounded by lots of small local boats joining in the fun too. As well as a great nightly vibe there was a very handy jetty for our dinghy making access to town very easy. Cafe Mambo claims to host "the biggest dj's on the planet" and the noisy but fun vibe soon began to wear thin. Having done our chores and shopped until we dropped it was time to go in search of some peace and quiet!

San Antonio anchorage

Es Calo fishing harbour and village

Es Calo fishing harbour and anchorage

Es Calo boat sheds

Es Calo fishing boat

We set off and continued south to the 20km long island of Formentera, Ibiza's laid back sister. This time the winds were favourable and we were able to anchor off the south east corner in the most beautiful turquoise water we had seen in a very long time. We parked ourselves close to the small fishing hamlet of Es Calo which has a small picturesque harbour ringed by timber boat sheds. We seemed to have left many of the super yachts behind and shared this paradise with only a handful of boats. The Lonely Planet reckons the waters here are the most translucent you will ever dive into. They certainly were every shade of blue you could imagine. We enjoyed lovely coastal walks and daily coffees which extended into lunches in the waterside bar. We would have stayed here for the rest of the summer but eventually the inevitable easterly winds returned and we had to leave this special place.

Picnic in the shade!

Rocky coastal walk

Cala Conta anchorage

We motored on round the southern tip of Formentera and anchored in the very popular Cala Sahona on the western coast. We couldn't complain about the colour of the water but there were far too many boats of all shapes and sizes for our liking. Back on Ibiza we found more turquoise waters at another popular bay, Cala Conta, but not a patch on our new found paradise on Formentera. Sadly our summer was coming to an end and we made our way back to the Sunset Strip for one last Lidl shop before heading across to mainland Spain.

We were very sad to leave this incredible blue water behind!

Amigos!

View of Santa Ponsa anchorage from our lunch spot

Saving the east coast of Ibiza for later we trundled on over to Mallorca instead and our first stop was the popular anchorage of Santa Ponsa. Having spent more than enough time there a couple of summers ago trying to sort out our engine issues this visit was short and sweet. Enough time to bump into our neighbour from Aguadulce and enjoy a delicious lunch with a view. We were back on Mallorca hoping to catching up with some long lost friends.

At anchor in Punta Negra

Millionaires row, Puerto Portals

We continued on eastwards and stopped in a small bay in the lee of Punta Negra, a stones throw away from busy Palma Nova and the infamous resort of Magaluf. We just about had enough shelter from some strong south easterly winds so we stayed put for a few days. There was a very handy landing stage for our dinghy which led to a path along the seafront and amazingly on to a large Mercadona supermarket with a laundry next door. A cruisers delight! We contacted old friends John and Mags who have an apartment nearby. As luck would have it, it turned out that they also have a mooring in next door Puerto Portals which we were kindly offered the use of. 

View of Portals anchorage

Make Love Not War - Portals

Flower Power - Portals

Needless to say we scooted round to Portals the next day only to find some cheeky Spaniard had attached themselves to the mooring. We anchored instead in a small patch of sand and stayed put for a couple of weeks. We got the fright of our lives returning to our dinghy late one night only to find it was no longer on the beach where we had left it. Memories of a similar incident in Sicily came flooding back. The marina security didn't want to know so we were resigned to a night on the grass as there was no means of returning to the boat, apart from a long swim of course... A few hours later, long past midnight, we decided to have one last look on the beach and this time spied something in the far distance. No doubt some kids having a play but it taught us a lesson. A ladder in the marina dock between the motor boats proved a much safer spot. It was great to catch up with John and Mags again and we enjoyed their hospitality in their wonderful apartment overlooking the marina. We also got to know Portals rather well too. It is where the jet set like to moor their boats, good for beautiful people watching and the odd exotic fast car as well! The Little Bar became our regular for the World Cup ups and downs and the marina hosted a very colourful Flower Power rock and roll event. 

Palma

Palma waterfront and cathedral

Early morning in Palma Nova

Our anchor was so firmly dug in we decided to venture further on foot rather than by boat. We hopped on a bus for the half hour journey into Palma. We spent a lovely day being reminded what a great city Palma is and how much we enjoyed our winter there fourteen years ago. We have kept up with good friends Mandy and Gra from our time back then and it was fabulous to see them again too. They took us up to the nearby village of Portals Nous for a meal at a good old British pub. We met up for a second time in Palma for a "quiet" drink and bite and only just made the last bus home! With some strong winds forecast from the west we finally retrieved our long lost anchor and took shelter in Palma Nova bay. The storm passed through but thankfully not the tsunami that drenched Andraix a few bays up from us.

Reacquainted with a couple of our favourite Palma bars!

Everyone mentioned how lovely Es Trenc anchorage was and couldn't believe we'd never been. American friends we'd met in Tunisia a few years back were heading our way on their yacht, Horizons, so we decided to meet up there. We had a bouncy five hour passage eastwards to this delightful bay with crystal clear blue water. It has a wild and natural feel with an undeveloped green backdrop. Quite rare for Mallorca. We spent four lovely evenings catching up with Vince and Barbie. Time to give our livers a rest and we left them to explore more of Mallorca while we made our way south again and back to the heady delights of Ibiza.

Horizons at anchor in Es Trenc

Flashing blue lights!

Ses Salines Natural Park

Posidonia!

We had an uneventful crossing to Ibiza and found a nice spot on the south east of the island sheltered from the westerly swell to drop the anchor. It was lovely to be back in the crystal clear Ibizan waters and we sat down in the cockpit with a welcome glass of wine. I am not sure that we even had time to taste the wine before we were approached by a couple of girls on a RIB. Instead of coming to the stern of the boat they made their way to the bow and proceeded to peer through a large orange underwater viewer. "What now?!" we thought. The two girls then approached the stern and told us that while our anchor was bedded nicely in the sand unfortunately a small part of our chain was rubbing on the seaweed, or rather the flowering Posidonia, on the sea bed. They told us that if we moved about 5 metres further forward we would be fine. They kindly directed us to a perfect spot and gave us some literature to read. We had unknowingly anchored in a national park where the seaweed is protected. We could now relax, enjoy our well earned drink and get into cruising mode. We stayed put for a couple of days and the posidonia police visited the anchorage regularly giving us a friendly wave as they passed by. We have since heard reports of boats being fined thousands of euros for such a transgression so were grateful to be forewarned by such a nice pair of girls.

Ibiza town

Red cliffs near Porroig

Anchorage near Porroig

Our next stop was to replenish our diesel and water supplies. Having previously cruised the west coast of Ibiza extensively we wanted, if possible, to see some of the east coast. We made our way up to Ibiza town itself and filled the tanks with the most expensive water ever. It would be nice to go ashore and explore more but since the marina fees were prohibitive and anchoring is no longer allowed in the harbour we went round to Talamanca bay next door. Typically the wind was now blowing from the east and the swell would mean some very rolly nights so we had to give up on that idea and made our way back down to a lovely anchorage under some stunning red cliffs on the south coast near Porroig instead. Having filled up with water we still hadn't replenished our food stores so trundled on up to San Antonio. Not a pretty town but good for chandlers, supermarkets, laundries and of course a bar showing the World Cup England v Tunisia game.

At anchor in Cala Bassa

Cala Bassa Beach Club!

A sea of double beds and Taittinger champagne!

Jobs done including an England win we decided to up anchor and try a nearby bay we hadn't visited before. We anchored under the cliffs and caves at Cala Bassa and watched all the tripper boats disgorging themselves on the beach further up. The whole beach and surround is owned by one company the Cala Bassa Beach Club and is a maze of champagne bars, restaurants and double bed sun loungers. We went to check out this very popular beach club but having had a coffee and a bit of a look see we were happy to retreat to the quiet at the other end of the bay. We continued up the west coast stopping in San Miguel where we found an Irish bar to see England thrash Panama. We dropped anchor at the top of the island in lovely Cala Xarraca waiting for favourable winds to allow us to continue on down the east coast. For the second time this year we gave up waiting and continued on to Mallorca instead!

Fishermen's huts, Cala Xarraca