For North Americans, when the topic of chartering in the Med comes up, most of us tend to think of Greece, Croatia and Turkey. They are all wonderful. But, so are the Mediterranean coasts of Spain and the Balearic Isles.
For a week or 10 days, the Balearics offer three great islands and dozens of protected anchorage and towns with modern marinas. The islands are tourist meccas but when you explore them by boat you are seeing island life from another side and can always sail five miles in any direction to get away from disco beats at night.
Palma, Mallorca is the main port where you will pick up your boat and provision. From there you can dawdle around Mallorca for days as you visit port towns like Andraix and Soller (lead photo). Or you can put in some miles, but not too many, and include Menorca and Ibiza in your itinerary. If you want to party til dawn, Ibiza is the place for you. Menorca is just the opposite.
On the mainland, Barcelona in summer is overrun with tourists, so much so that the locals are trying to limit the numbers allowed to visit. Down on the Costa del Sol, it is much the same with crowds of tourists and harbors filled with mega yacht. But the Malaga coast is a different story and will show you Spain in a more natural state.
Here’s a thumbnail guide to whet your whistle on where and how to charter Spain’s Mediterranean coast in Sailing Today.
