Mallorca
Online Nautica
MOORINGS AND COVES
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The whole coast offers at the very best anchorages for the daytime. There are places of great beauty between Torrent de la Regana and Cape Blanco, where one can anchor to bathe when the weather is fine. To spend the night one must continue in the direction of the east coast, whose large coves begin in... Palma to Cabo Blanco
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In the summer Cala Pi
it is packed. Boats cannot anchor freely, one must drop anchor and use the stern lines. Navigators who come from the east Mediterranean will feel at home here. The cove is long and narrow, there is not too much protection; some friends of ours have experienced for themselves how the cove turns into a real trap from which they could not have escaped without help when a strong swell gets up. The scenery is very pretty, although as we have already mentioned- it is a very crowded spot. There is a restaurant, a supermarket, even a chemists, apartment complexes, etc.
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We are sailing near a very beautiful coast: crystal clear waters, beaches of white dunes; in particular, the superb beach of Es Trenc, surrounded by the dark green of the pine woods. One can anchor perfectly in front of the beach of Es Trenc to swim, although it is advisable to spend the night between the Gabina and Redona Isles. The best place is just behind the Isle of Redona, at the foot of the Hotel Colonia St. Jordi, which can be seen from any point of the cove. Cala Pi to Colonia St. Jordi
Caution: When heading towards the islet it is important to beware of the sand banks. Contrary to the ease of manoeuvre offered by Es Trenc, here one has to negociate some very dangerous banks of rocks. There are other anchorage areas east of Colonia de St. Jordi, between the isle of Guardis and the isle of Moltona. But one must also beware of the banks.Index
A very beautiful cove, not too crowded, as there are often swells. If the weather permits, it is well worth a visit. Cala Antegora
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There are many small coves which one may explore at ones own risk, depending on the size of ones boat and ones courage. The largest, such as Caló des Màrmol and Cala S'Almonia are not bad, although at the entrance to Cala D'Or one always has to put up with the din from large motor boats, whose owners appear to be immune to the noise of the turbines. Cabo des Salinas to Cala d'Or
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are too famous to be peaceful. Occasionally one finds a space in which to anchor, the sandy bottom is well preserved, although there are too many visitors on land. Cala Llombards, Cala Figuera and Cala Mondrago
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is at the same time a harbour (marina) and an anchorage. One may anchor a) at the entrance starboard side to, although only when the sea is completely calm, or b) behind the entrance, starboard side to. Porto Petro
This is the main anchorage, but for us it is one of the worst anchorages in Mallorca. There are layers of rock, slightly covered with vegetation. We can affirm that we know how to anchor, as that is what we do most of the time, but here we struggled for 2 hours with all kinds of tricks, without achieving a satisfactory solution. In the end, the best solution was to bring out a mooring line from the stern to the buoy free underground. The main danger is with holiday navigators as, in our experience, they handle the anchor over confidently, which means that the boat may go adrift at night. c) It is also possible to anchor port side to the entrance, the bottom seems to be more sandy. The problem is that there is a Club Med, therefore in the daytime there are a lot of surfers, 420s, swimmers and scuba divers.
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They are both harbours and anchorages. The coves of Cala dOr are good for anchoring in the daytime, if you can find room. They are ideal places for studying the human sardines packed together on the beach... Added to this is the fact that this harbour is a sort of El Dorado for motor boats: they set off at top speed in the morning, go all around the area (to the south) of Cala Santanyí (to the north) to Calas de Mallorca, with all the side effects which we yachtsmen and women so love (whizzing past at full speed just a few centimetres away, the din of turbines all over the cove, etc.). My apologies to the more careful and considerate motor-launch owners, I shall be delighted if they prove me wrong. Cala d'Or to Porto Colom
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This is the best choice for anchoring in Mallorca. Porto Colom
To get things straight right from the start, the only disadvantage of this superb natural harbour is that the water has a rather cloudy appearance, therefore it is not suitable for bathing (at least not for my taste). But in all other respects it is the ideal spot for anchorage lovers. The bottom is of black, smelly mud which sticks like concrete. I dont think even a complete beginner would have any difficulty in achieving a firm hold. We always anchor port side to the entrance, as we reach very quickly our preferred depths of 1.2 to 1.5 metres. Boats of greater draught must take care, as the depth decreases rapidly nearer land. However, if one ever runs aground, it doesnt matter, the bottom is muddy and there are no rocks. Porto Colom has helped us to shelter comfortably and safely from more than one storm, without having to spend a fortune at a marina. Whenever we arrive here we always have that feeling of having come home. Indeed, one can anchor anywhere in the cove, either starboard side to or opposite the entrance, one must decide this for oneself, and it depends on the draught of the boat. As an alternative, or as a package combined with the night-time anchorage, another daytime anchorage is
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It is ideal for scuba diving with its wonderful underwater world, the different rock formations, the vegetation and the fish. In the middle of this relatively small cove there is a sandy part, where the anchor holds firmly. It is a very open cove which is only suitable for bathing when the weather is really good and one spends the night in Porto Colom. Cala Algar
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This region is known as Calas de Mallorca and it is the coast of the coves. In general one can say that the bottom is sandy and provides a firm hold, the water is crystal clear, the fauna poor, although that is nothing new in these waters, except in the case of the island of Cabrera. The coves which can be reached by car are packed in the summer, in others one can still find peaceful anchorages, because only the most intrepid and emulators of Robinson Crusoe have arrived there overland. Although it sounds incredible we could not spend the night even once in any of these coves due to the aforementioned changes in the weather. All the coves are open, except Cala Murada, which doesnt offer real protection either. Porto Colom to Porto Cristo
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is our childrens favourite cove, also known as the pirates cove. Here the anchor also holds firmly without any problem, you can see every grain of sand on the seabed. It also offers the possibility of exploring a small cave in your dinghy, which is in the cove itself, therefore it is even possible for the children to go and discover its secrets by themselves. There are two small beaches separated by a rocky headland. For lovers of fine sandy beaches, we recommend Cala Anguila. Even in the winter months, when many beaches are covered in seaweed, we can find a fine sandy beach here. However, it is a small cove which can only be used to anchor in the daytime and with the sea absolutely calm, as it is completely open. Cala Barcas
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At Porto Cristo one can anchor opposite the local beach, although there is not much room for manoeuvre. But it is a good alternative if the municipal mooring (economical) is full or the marina is too expensive. Porto Cristo to Cala Ratjada
The coves which continue to the north to Cala Ratjada are quite pretty with regard to scenery, but not all have the same charm as Calas de Mallorca. You have to keep trying out different ones. One of the most horrendous bays is that of Son Servera, i.e. Cala Millor, which after El Arenal is the flagship of German package tourism. Here we cannot help being amazed by the sins of the skyscraper age, which devastated any scenery in its path. From the Cape of Pinar del Reig villas predominate once more, some of these houses are literally stuck to the cliffs and offer a pretty view with a certain touch of challenge. On the route to Cala Ratjada one finds some coves suitable for anchoring, such as Cala Moll or Cala Pedruscada, although they are nothing special. Next comes the harbour of Cala Ratjada, and as a cove for anchoring, to the east of the harbour, an anchorage fairly well protected against the north and west winds, although the bottom is covered in seaweed.
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Here one can only spend the night with precautions- in Cala Moltó and southwards. The colour palette of the water varies from dark blue to turquoise and sky blue, the bottom holds well and the crowds are concentrated more in the neighbouring cove, Cala Agulla. Cala Moltó is frequented by nudists, but after 5-6 p.m. peace and silence reign. There are not that many people even in the daytime. The rest of the coast up to Cape Farrutx is very pretty, but it is only suitable for anchoring in the daytime. As north winds are always blowing, it cannot be considered as an option for spending the night. Cabo Pera to Cabo Farrutx
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Also known as the Bay of Alcúdia, it is very large and completely open, although it does offer some useful anchoring places. First one heads south towards Cape Farrutx, which holds more than one climatic surprise due to its location. After around 2 miles we see a small cove on the port side, marked on the map as a Camp Site. Never mind, the few campers who arrive here hardly cause any nuisance. One can anchor or go to the small mooring, in which case we recommend that you first inspect the depth conditions, etc. in the dinghy. We continue towards Colonia de Sant Pere, where the harbour has been reformed recently, passing by Can Picafort in the direction of Alcúdia Harbour. One can anchor anywhere to bathe opposite the longest beach in Mallorca (it really is miles long), although in Can Picafort one must beware of the swell if the wind comes from the sea. To spend the night, the nearest place to anchor is beside Alcudiamar, although there is some seaweed at the bottom. Caution: during our last turn our anchor only came loose once, and that was here, the last day of the season before returning to harbour to spend the winter. The best thing to do is to dive under and help the anchor through the seaweed. After that there is no problem, as the harbour installations protect against the swell. Cabo Farrutx to Cabo del Pinar
Leaving from Alcúdia, the islet of Aucanada (with lighthouse) offers good possibilities for anchoring on a good bottom. However, one must bear in mind that there are some layers of rock, therefore one must not forget the ropes. It is an ideal place for scuba divers, who can practise their favourite sport between terra firma and the isle, where the water is not very deep. If we continue towards Cape Pinar, right behind Cape Menorca, we will find something very special (when we anchored we were completely alone, unfortunately our secret has been discovered by the popular glass-bottomed boats and their trips with paella and sangría, although luckily they do not stay more than 15 minutes here). We are talking about Coll Baix. It is an open cove which can only be used in the daytime when the sea is calm. Between the beach and the water there is quite a steep slope. We ended up crawling up on all fours. But underwater a truly impressive marine world opens up. There are even fish... and they let themselves be caught!
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The Bay of Pollença is full of beautiful nooks and crannies. There is a cove, Cala del Pinar, which it appears is jealously guarded by the owner of one of the houses, who has placed buoys to prevent people from anchoring. We tried to find out if this was true or not. However, that day there were so many sailing boats that we turned around and continued sailing in the direction of Pollença Harbour. Before arriving we passed by Cocodrilo, a small harbour with an even smaller entrance. For a fat cat like us, it only serves for calm days. Once inside, the harbour is not large either, but it is picturesque. It is possible to anchor opposite the beach of Pollença Harbour, there are several fixed places for charter boats from the German sailing school and two catamarans. Cabo del Pinar to Cabo Formentor
The next possibility is beside the harbour, facing the town. However, one must bear in mind that when there is a mistral, very strong gusts of wind come down from the mountains. The place we enjoy most is next to the lighthouse, under the old fortification. Caution: although the bottom is sandy with seaweed, there are underwater mounds which arise suddenly, therefore one should not anchor too near land if one is not familiar with the place. Due to the seaweed one must ensure that the anchor bites firmly. If you manage this, the bottom holds well. Another place for anchoring is the cove below the luxury Hotel Formentor, which is probably so popular because of its illustrious neighbourhood. We think the bottom is bad for anchoring, there are layers of rock and the anchor does not hold well. To sleep with greater peace of mind, we recommend anchoring in front of Pollença.
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This is an impressive coast from a scenic point of view, but it is not very friendly to sailors. If a mistral blows (and it often does) it is hell. Then the only safe place on the whole coast is Sóller Harbour. Cabo Formentor to San Telmo
All the anchoring places are unsafe and are more for stopping for a while to have a swim, unless the weather is completely fine and there is no sign that it may change. Behind Cape Formentor is a very pretty cove, Cala Figuera, which is suitable for spending the night if the sea is calm. Everything else along this coast is spectacularly beautiful but very open. A must to visit is the most famous cove in Mallorca, Cala Sa Calobra, which in summer is visited by thousands and thousands of tourists, who get off the coaches which take them there doing a balancing act along the hairpin bends of the approach road. Perhaps from the land it has a very spectacular image due to the bed of the torrent which ends here and the impressive ravine which houses it. But from the sea I must say that one can find better and more peaceful coves. But anyway, that is really a question of taste, like so many other things. Sóller Harbour offers a few moorings and a good bottom for anchoring, apart from being the only protected harbour on the whole of the north west coast.
We continue to Cala de Deià (whose beach is the setting for the German television series Hotel Paradies), Cala de Valldemossa (where one can admire Michael Douglas property S'Estaca), passing the hanging gardens of Banyalbufar in the direction of San Telmo. The island of Dragonera is situated opposite this small fishing village, and announces its presence some time in advance by the penetrating cries of the seagulls. There is a huge colony which breeds on the island. Like Cabrera, it is a nature reserve. On the east side there are two pretty spots for anchoring, although they can only be used when the sea is calm. Moreover, the possiblities are limited because there is little room for manoeuvre and, where necessary, it is better to throw a rope onto land. One can anchor better and with more space opposite San Telmo, with a good sandy bottom. We found that the ideal place was between the large beach and the small one.
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Considering that on land it is one of the most expensive areas on the island, from the sea the region surrounding Andratx Harbour does not seem very attractive to us. San Telmo to Cabo de la Figuera
We pass by several times and anchor at the front of Andratx Harbour (it is forbidden to anchor in the dock of the harbour, although some guide books do not say so, and the fishermen react rather angrily when one invades their radius of manoeuvre). We also anchor opposite the beach of Santa Ponça, which is a good alternative to the abusive prices of Santa Ponça marina. We think that the large coves opposite Camp de Mar and Cala Fornells are too unsafe to spend the night. Not that we have put this to the test, it is merely intuition. It is well worth making a trip to Cala Monjo, ideal for scuba diving. In the cove of Penyes Roges is the new El Toro harbour, which has a rather artificial charm. In the same cove, at the entrance to the harbour, one can anchor on sand. An adventure which puts ones nerves on edge is the crossing between the Isle of Toro and the Bank of Ibiza. The bottom, which is very deep, rises suddenly to a depth of approximately 2 metres. When going over with the water completely crystal clear, you suddenly see the rocks right under the bow. Its very pretty, but it takes your breath away!
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When going round the Cape of Cala Figuera, dont miss the opportunity of visiting Cala Portals, which appears on the port side. It has a superb sandy bottom, turquoise waters, offers good shelter, and is therefore a suitable cove for spending the night. Once we were even anchored here with a strong swell from the east, even though it is a cove which is open to the east. Naturally it was a rather rough night, but it was uncomfortable rather than dangerous (although nothing stopped us from being off like a shot at the crack of dawn!) Before reaching Palma, passing by Puerto Portals opposite whose luxury marina one may anchor- and Cala Mayor, there are many possibilities for anchoring, mostly in the shelter of small isles, ideal in good weather conditions. However, I must say that for us they are not our first choice, as it is practically impossible to anchor in peace in this part of the south, completely commercialised and full of motor boats and enthusiasts of water skiing and other motorised amusements. Anyway, here it is a question of taste, one must make up ones own mind. Cabo de la Cala Figuera to Palma
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Only Porto Colom offers complete safety for anchoring. There are many pretty coves with a good bottom for anchoring, but all are entirely dependent on the weather, as they are always open in some direction and have the danger of swells. However, there is freedom of choice and if one plans well and in detail, taking into account all the available weather forecasts, there is always enough time to get to a suitable cove. Summary
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© Karin Gerkhardt, S.Y. Veligandu / Mallorca Online 1997-2008
The
coves of the Balearic Islands are fascinatingly beautiful, but they also
hide great dangers. Navigators accustomed to the safety of the bays of
the eastern Mediterranean or the protected regions of the Ionian Sea must
beware: one must always be prepared for any eventuality, for example that
the wind and the currents may change direction and invade that cove which
seemed so safe at dusk. At that moment, the boat and the crew must be ready
to weigh anchor in the middle of the night. Information compiled by yachtspeople
for yachtspeople. By