Top 10 Catalonia cruising grounds, marinas and anchorages

Stray beyond Barcelona and you’ll find that Catalonia has some delightful spots for the adventurous boater hoping to make the most out of the Med

  1. Blanes

Tucked beneath a wooded hill and an old castle, Blanes (pictured below) is a pleasant fishing and yacht harbour, a welcome change after cruising up the mostly flat coastline from Barcelona.

The town has good beaches and an intriguing ruined palace. The cliffs start rising immediately beyond Blanes and a procession of headlands stretches away to the distant corner of Catalonia.

Puerto de Blanes

East of Blanes you start seeing the coves, calas and fine white beaches, which make the Costa Brava so enticing from the sea. Many smaller calas can only be reached by boat and you anchor in such piercingly clear water that plunging overboard is irresistible.

Three miles from Blanes you skirt the packed resort of Lloret de Mar before the coast turns wild again past a string of inlets, rocky clefts and mysterious caves. Cala Gran is delightful and then you reach the tiny club marina at Canyelles.

Tucked under a wooded cliff near a dazzling beach, Cala Canyelles has a narrow gap into a shallow pool where locals moor stern-to the jetties.

If there’s room, visiting boats up to about 35ft can squeeze into the first section behind the breakwater, but in settled weather you can anchor off the beach.

Beyond Cape Tossa, the high coast has dozens of calas, many with tempting beaches. Good spots for anchoring are Calas Pola, Giverola, Salionç, Senyor Ramon and Canyerets. Beyond Point Garbí is an impressive sweeping bay where a long mole protects the relaxed, pleasure-seeking marina at Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Created in a river delta, the winding village-style marina of Port d’Aro is set between a wooded park and a halcyon beach. Snug in any weather, Port d’Aro is a safe place to winter and has good facilities for getting work done.

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