BAIE SPECIAL – What are the “top” roadsteads in which to anchor in the Balearic Islands?

Like us, are you looking forward to a well-deserved vacation? Or are you instead reading us from the deck of your sailboat still moored waiting to sail off to summer relaxation? In any case, we have thought of you who have yet to decide which bay to point the bow of your hull toward during the cruise. How? Selecting from the 37 volumes of the brand new series of “Nautical Guide + Portolan chart” in an interactive digital version (already available from the end of May for Apple devices, iPad and iPhone) as many fascinating coves that are a must-see during this summer of cruising. From the emerald waters of the Balearic Islands to the wild coasts of southeastern Turkey, our selection was created to give you the best and perhaps least obvious tips for setting the course. Find the full story in the August issue of the Sailing Journal.

OUR “BEST OF” THE BALEARIC ISLANDS

In the meantime, we reveal our top bays for the Balearics: the Mediterranean’s largest archipelago offers boaters not only a unique and unspoiled natural landscape but also a nice mix of entertainment and nightlife.

1. Cala Pi
39°22′ 00N – 02°50′ 00E
Majorca, Balearic Islands. It is one of the best known bays on the southern coast of Mallorca and is characterized by being surrounded by rocky cliffs. It is located 2 miles E of Cap Blanco and can also be recognized from the sea by the presence of a tower located SE of the entrance. In its interior, it moors in 2 to 5-meter depths on sand and seaweed. Just W of the entrance to Cala Pi is then an even smaller, sheltered cove called Cala Beltran.

2. Cala Caragol
39°17′ 00N – 03°02′ 00E
Majorca, Balearic Islands. Truly fascinating bay, Cala Caragol is enclosed by a beach and enclosed between the rocky Punta Negra and the eponymous islet of Caragol. Conspicuous, for those arriving from the sea, are a pine forest and an old bunker located right in the center of the bay. Naturists often meet there in summer. You can give bottom in 4/5 meters of water on sand. Also not far away are two lidos: the beautiful Playa de sa Roquetas and the wild Cala Enturgores.

3. Cala En Porter
39°52′ 00N – 04°08′ 00E
Menorca, Balearic Islands. A panoramic fjord about 300 meters deep and enclosed between high cliffs, it also houses villas, hotels, restaurants and clubs on its E side. Conspicuous at the entrance is the Torre Nova, an ancient building erected so that it is clearly visible right on the edge of the cliff, less than a mile ONO from the entrance. You can bottom out in the center of the cove about 150 meters from the beach in 3 to 5 meters of water on sand.

4. Cala S’Escala
40°02′ 80N – 03°55′ 00E
Menorca, Balearic Islands. On the NO corner of the island is a vast inlet in which are even three bays, all beautiful to visit. The first one encountered coming from O is just Cala S’Escala, in which it is possible to give bottom in front of the pebble beach on sand and pebbles bottom. A little further E is Cala Fontanelles, a delightful anchorage surrounded by hills and a sand and pebble beach. It is well recognizable because in front of the entrance, at O, is the islet Escull de Ses Ginjoles. Largest of the three is finally Cala de Algayerens, a bay enclosed by two beaches, divided by a rounded rock. Be careful entering or leaving: in front of Punta Rotja, which borders the bay to the E, there are dangerous rocks at the water’s edge.

5. Codola Cove
39°57′ 00N – 01°14′ 00E
Ibiza, Balearic Islands. Many boaters consider it the most beautiful bay in Ibiza: located in the SO corner of the coast, it is open to the SO, but falls back into the coast for about 250 meters, providing good shelter. Its E end is hemmed in by a beach surrounded by pine trees. The seabed, 11 meters deep at the entrance, gently decreases toward the bottom of the inlet. Halfway down the cove, on kelp bottom, you can drop anchor in 6meters of water. Or you can go up to 100 meters from the beach and then drop anchor in 3 meters of water on sand.

6. Cala Sahona
38°42′ 10N – 01°23′ 50E
Formentera, Balearic Islands. It is an inlet positioned in the center of the west coast of the island and on its eastern side is surrounded by a sandy beach. The seabed slopes gently offshore, so you can bottom about 200 meters from the reef in 5 meters of water on clear sand. Ashore there is a bar and restaurant.