Spain
bareboat charter.

## Why sail Spain

Spain gives you four distinct sailing grounds under one flag, and they don't overlap much. The Balearics are the heart of it — short hops between Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with anchorages that turn the water a pale jade you can read your depth gauge through. Catalonia hugs the mainland coast north of Barcelona toward the Costa Brava's pine-backed coves. The Canaries sit out in the Atlantic with year-round warmth and real ocean swell. Alicante anchors the Costa Blanca to the south. We've sailed the Balearics most summers, and the draw is simple: you can fill a week without ever doing a passage longer than four hours.

## The sailing areas

Our fleet sits where the sailing is — 123 boats in the **Balearic Islands**, 11 in **Catalonia**, 8 in the **Canary Islands**, 6 in **Alicante**. The Balearics are the obvious first charter: Palma is the biggest charter base in the Med, and from there it's a day-sail to Cabrera's marine reserve, the cliffs of the south coast, or across to Ibiza and Formentera. Menorca is quieter, with the deep natural harbour of Mahón and the calas of the south. Catalonia works from bases near Barcelona up to the Costa Brava. The Canaries — Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote — are a different proposition: inter-island passages in open Atlantic water, better suited to crews who want miles. Alicante gives you the Costa Blanca and a run out to Tabarca island.

## Season and winds

The Balearic season runs roughly April to October, with July and August the busiest and hottest. In high summer the prevailing wind is a sea breeze — often light in the morning, building to a useful 10–18 knots by early afternoon, dying at dusk. It's friendly sailing, but don't expect a passage-maker's breeze every day; some afternoons you'll motor. The one to respect is the **tramontana**, the cold north wind that funnels down off the Pyrenees and can blow hard for days, kicking up a steep sea in the channels between islands. Spring and September are the sweet spots: warm water, fewer boats, more reliable wind. The Canaries sail year-round thanks to the steady north-east trades, with bigger swell and gustier acceleration zones between the islands.

## What you can charter

The fleet covers the usual range. **Bareboat** monohulls in the 35–50ft band are the staple if you hold the right licence and have miles under you. **Catamarans** are increasingly popular in the Balearics for the space and shallow draft — easier on families and on anchorages. If you'd rather not skipper, a **skippered charter** puts a local at the helm who knows which cala empties out by sunset and which marina to avoid in a tramontana; add a **hostess/cook** for a full crewed week. Cabin charters — booking by the berth — turn up occasionally but aren't the norm here. Tell us what you want over WhatsApp and we'll match boats to your crew and experience.

## What it costs

A week's bareboat in the Balearics swings hard by boat, age and season — a tired older monohull in the shoulder season is a different price from a new catamaran in August. Rather than guess, treat the boat itself as **Price on request** and budget realistically around it. Expect to add: marina fees (busy Balearic marinas in August are not cheap), fuel, an end-of-charter clean, and often a security deposit held against the boat. Skipper and hostess are extra day rates on top. Provisioning for a week of breakfasts and lunches aboard, with dinners split between boat and quay, is a meaningful line too. Send us your dates and crew size on WhatsApp and we'll come back with real numbers, not a range you can't plan against.

## A sample week in the Balearics

**Day 1** — Board in Palma, provision, shake down across the bay, anchor off Illetes for the first swim.

**Day 2** — South to Cabrera (you'll need a permit for the reserve — we sort that). Pick up a mooring, snorkel the clear water, walk up to the castle.

**Day 3** — Back to Mallorca's south-east, the calas around Porto Petro and Cala Mondragó.

**Day 4** — Long-ish hop across to Ibiza's east coast; anchor and head ashore for dinner.

**Day 5** — Down to Formentera. The sandbanks off Espalmador are the postcard, and they're busy — arrive early to anchor in sand, not on seagrass.

**Day 6** — Work back toward Mallorca, overnight in a quiet cala on the south-west.

**Day 7** — Short sail back to Palma, fuel up, hand the boat over. Adjust freely — wind and the tramontana decide the real route.

## Getting there and arrival

Palma de Mallorca has frequent direct flights from across Europe and a quick transfer to the main charter marinas. Ibiza, Menorca, Barcelona, Alicante and the Canary islands all have their own airports, so you can usually fly close to your base. Charters typically start Saturday with an afternoon check-in and finish with a morning handover, though some bases run flexible days. Bring your sailing licence and, for bareboat, the ICC or equivalent plus a VHF certificate — Spanish bases are strict on paperwork. A skipper's logbook helps if you're chartering a larger boat. Message us on WhatsApp and we'll confirm exactly what your chosen base needs.

Bareboat means you skipper. You'll need a recognised licence (ICC + VHF, RYA Day Skipper or ASA 104+) and a confident hand aboard — if no one on the crew is qualified, take the same yacht skippered and our captain drives.

We brief you on the local navigation: the channels and headlands that funnel the wind, where to anchor versus take a mooring, provisioning ports, and the best first-timer route versus the longer run for experienced crews.