Sailing round Menorca
Published 15:51 on 24 Oct 2023
Peter Sandover was planning to take a party of visually impaired people around Menorca first week in October. He had floated the idea of extending the charter of the yacht they were planning to use for a second week with the two other couples that had been sailing together in their Dufour yachts in Southern Brittany back in June. It sounded like a great idea and so it was that the Dufour Brittany team got back together again in Menorca for another sailing adventure. This time all together in one boat and although not a Dufour as such, it was another French one a Beneteau Oceanis 45. Sadly in the event the team was one member below strength until the final day in Mahon as Jane Knight (Sandover) had to stay behind because her mother was taken ill. But she managed to get a later flight and was there to greet us in Mahon at the end of the cruise and to stay on for another week on the island holidaying with Peter.
For those not familiar with Menorca the island is roughly twice the size of the Isle of Wight and a circumnavigation with stop offs is about 80 - 85 nautical miles. So it is not at all ambitious to see most of it in a week. The southern coast has very few harbours or anchorages. But they are quite plentiful and varied in the North.
The weather was really hot and sunny but without much wind for the whole week. As a result we fell into a rather nice pattern of a leisurely start in the morning with the sun burning off quite heavy dew off the deck, a swim/snorkel and perhaps a paddle on our SUPB after breakfast, a very gentle motor sail to a lunchtime anchorage in a small cala (cove) for more swimming, lunch and then a slightly more brisk sail in the afternoon in a stronger land-sea breeze to our next overnight stop.
We managed to leave base in Mahon early afternoon of the first day (Saturday) after some fairly frantic provisioning in the morning. Our first overnight stop was a beautiful spot between the island of Illa den Colom and the mainland. It is a protected area and anchoring is not permitted but there were plenty of mooring boys and we took one of them spending a very pleasant evening on board.
The following morning (Sunday) we motored around Cap de Favaritx, with its lighthouse whimsically painted in a barley twist of alternate black and white rather than the normal rings, to a delightful lunchtime stop in a small cala called den Tosqueta. We then had a gentle sail into Fornells. This is a small town to the west of a large inlet the inland half of which is a protected area closed to vessels. We moored to one of the plentiful mooring buoys off the town. In the summer these are in high demand and quite expensive. But in October we could take our pick and nobody seemed concerned to take a fee off us. The town is overlooked by a fortress tower mostly built during the British occupation of the island in the 18th century. We took a walk up to see it and admire the view and after an explore of the town and some provisioning we ate in a pleasant waterfront restaurant.
The following day (Monday) we motor sailed to Cala Calderer, another lovely small cala for lunch. By now we had entered the marine reserve that covers much of the north of the island. Snorkelling by the rocks was a delight with plenty of fish of various sizes and types. Overnight was spent in a larger cala Algaiarens which is a small bay flanked by two quite large beaches. When we arrived we joined half a dozen or so yachts of varying sizes with a few others arriving around nightfall. It was a beautiful anchorage and the evening was made particularly special by celebrating the news of the birth of John and Janes first grandchild back in London. We celebrated with bubbly, canapes and a fine meal on board.
The next day (Tuesday) we motor sailed along the remainder of the North coast looking for a suitable cala for lunch. Despite the omens we had a look into Cala Morts (Death Cove!). It was high sided and rather eery with birds of prey circling overhead. So we moved on to a really lovely Cala Amerrado on what was now the western coast of the island. There was only one other boat anchored in the cala and the backdrop was rather interesting with a number of taylots (beehive shaped stone buildings) and stone walls. All part of the rich heritage of prehistoric sites on Menorca. In the afternoon we motor sailed on to an anchorage just outside the harbour entrance to
Cuitadella, which apart from occasional interruptions from fast ferries docked nearby, was surprisingly peaceful.
The following morning (Wednesday) we set off early into Cuitadella where we stayed at the Club Nortica marina close to the town centre. Cuitadella was the historic capital of Menorca before Mahon in the East usurped that role. It is a beautiful town that feels somehow more Italian than Spanish with a big town square and some impressive architecture. We spent a very pleasant day in the town sightseeing and lunching and had a great meal in a waterfront restaurant in the evening.
Next morning (Thursday) we had planned to provision at a nearby supermarket and head off. Unexpectedly it was closed. As were others. We hadnt been aware of a public holiday! But finally having found one that was open we set off. We stopped for a short swim at Cala Blanca and then rounded Cap DArtrutx, which is at the South Western corner of the island. We then motor sailed along the Southern coast. It is rugged cliffs for the most part with the lower lying parts fairly full of hotels and other development. But there are some small calas which are too small and too rugged to be developed. We anchored for the night in one of these, Calla Trebaluger. It was a tricky anchorage with not much space or shelter and a French yacht had already anchored right in the middle. It also proved to be a popular destination for sunset trippers in small motor boats. But it was a lovely spot and we were left in peace after dark.
Our final day at sea (Friday) was spent motoring along the remainder of the south coast before anchoring off the island of Illa de LAre off the South Eastern tip of Menorca. After lunch we had a nice and quite brisk sail to Mahon a reasonable breeze having set in from the South East. On the way we past Cala DAlcafar where James and Ann had spent an idyllic week in a hotel before the sailing adventure and it was fun for them to see somewhere so familiar by land from the sea. We entered Mahon harbour mid afternoon and at the dock waving to us was Jane having flown in that morning. Finally up to full strength we had a lovely end of cruise meal in an excellent waterfront restaurant.
~ James and Ann Jones, John and Jane Miller and Peter Sandover
