Palamós, Cap de Creus and Côte Vermeille in France
The sailing trip begins and ends in Palamós, a charming seaside town that is home to one of the most important fishing fleets in the region.
Sailing tour itinerary:
- Palamós – L’Estartit: 15 nautical miles
- L’Estartit – Cadaqués: 25 nautical miles
- Cadaqués – Port de la Selva: 15 nautical miles
- Port de la Selva – Port d’Argelès-sur-Mer: 20 nautical miles
- Port d’Argelès-sur-Mer – Cala Prona: 20 nautical miles
- Cala Prona – Cala Montjoi: 15 nautical miles
- Cala Montjoi – Palamós: 30 miles
On this coastal adventure you will be able to admire the contrasting landscapes of the Costa Brava, the wonderful, rugged Cap de Creus headland and the variety of colours of the south coast of France.
The sailing trip begins and ends in Palamós, a charming seaside town that is home to one of the most important fishing fleets in the region.
The Costa Brava abounds with small bays and coves, locally given the generic name of cala, and places of interest, and this itinerary we offer is only one of many possibilities. Don’t hesitate to make any changes to your itinerary to suit your preferences or experience, or simply to better adapt it to the weather conditions at the time.
If the northerly ‘tramontane’ wind isn’t expected to blow, the best thing is to get ready quickly and set sail the same day you embark.
If the tramontane is blowing, you’ll need to take into account the fact that it will get stronger as you sail further up the coast. When the tramontane is blowing, there are two key places you will need to bear in mind. The first is on rounding the headland of Cap de Begur, after which it picks up in strength. The second is the headland of Cap de Creus, which may be impossible to pass given that when the wind comes from the north, the currents are also normally very strong and the seas become very choppy. Palamós and its surrounding waters are protected from strong tramontane winds.
DAY 1. Port of Palamós – Cova d’en Gispert – Cala Aiguablava or Port de l’Estartit.
You will need to be at the marina of Club Nàutic Costa Brava (yacht club), located inside the port of Palamós, by mid-afternoon.
This is the time to embark and familiarise yourselves with the yacht. You set sail shortly afterwards and head north-east along the coast. Sailing up the coast, you reach one of the most beautiful parts of the central stretch of the Costa Brava, the bays and coves of the Begur district.
A few miles into the voyage, you pass the rocky islets known as the Formigues Islands, which are an ideal place for diving, although they’re surrounded by dangerous shoals.
After passing the islands, you’re greeted by a view of the picturesque towns of Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc, where you find the first marina on the route.
The marina at Llafranc is small, with only a few berths and very few short-stay moorings. Although interesting, it’s best to avoid the place during the peak season.
To the north of Llafranc, you see the point of Cap de Sant Sebastià. A feature of this place is the lighthouse perched on the mountain, one of the brightest on the Catalan coast. This lighthouse is commonly a point of reference for pleasure boats coming from the north as it indicates the starting point for the crossing over to the Balearic Islands. The Cap de Cavalleria headland on the island of Minorca is only 115 nautical miles away on a bearing of 159º.
After you pass Cap de Sant Sebastià, there is a chain of lovely bays that are suitable for dropping anchor, making this an unforgettable part of the coast.
The most important coves in this area are Cala Tamariu, Cala Aiguablava and Cala Sa Tuna.
Cala Tamariu. With the town of Tamariu as a backdrop, this striking bay is open to the south-west but offers little protection against prevailing winds. During the summer season it’s filled with private buoys for small boats.
The next bay along is Cala Aiguablava, but before arriving you’ll see the Cova d’en Gispert sea cave, a site that is well worth visiting.
It lies 400 metres north of the small islands at the entrance to the bay of Cala de Cabres O del Terme, you can make out its location by the large yellowish patch on the cliff about 30 metres north of the cave entrance. The cave is set in a deep, dark cleft in the rock. You can drop anchor close to the entrance and use the dinghy to explore the cave. However, torches are required because the interior is very dark. We recommend a visit. The mouth of the cave is about 3 metres wide and 20 metres long. The cave itself is 200 metres long and 12 metres high. It has a sandy bottom, and there’s a tiny pebble beach at the end of the cave.
Cala Aiguablava and Fornells. This bay is well protected and the scenery is worthy of a postcard. It has a sandy beach, a couple of restaurants and a small residential development that isn’t out of keeping. The Parador Nacional hotel is located on the east side. A set of buoys keep boats from dropping anchor in the innermost part of the bay. This bay is the best option for anchoring if you plan to spend the night in the area, although it’s difficult to find a place in summer if you arrive late.
The best place for this is on the east side, under the hotel.
You can try to moor the boat to a buoy and spare yourselves the effort of checking on the anchor during the night, but bear in mind that the buoys are private and that you can only moor the boat to them if the person in charge, who moves about the mooring field on a dinghy, gives you permission.
To the north of Cala Aiguablava you can make out the small marina at Fornells. It’s only for small boats with a draught of less than one metre and therefore unsuitable for yachts.
To the north of Cala Aiguablava you can see Cap de Begur.
Once past this headland, you have to keep an eye out for the point known as Punta des Plom. About 100 metres away there is a shoal that rises slightly out of the water and poses a risk of grounding. After rounding Punta des Plom you reach the last of the interesting coves in this area,
the bay of Cala Sa Tuna. This is a very picturesque place. It’s easy to anchor in this wide bay, although it isn’t as sheltered as Cala Aiguablava. You’ll need to avoid it in northerly winds. The description of this bay can be found in the section on day 7, which is when we suggest you visit.
For the first night, we recommend you drop anchor in Cala Aiguablava and leave your visit to Cala Sa Tuna for the last day, on your return to Palamós. If you don’t fancy dropping anchor for the night, preferring the peace of mind and comfort of a berth, today’s destination could be the marina at L’Estartit, which is welcoming and well equipped, and only 14 nautical miles away from Palamós.
DAY 2. Aiguablava, L’Estartit – Medes Islands – Cala Montgó – Gulf of Roses – Cala Montjoi – Roses or Cadaqués.
The second say offers a pleasant day’s sailing through the Gulf of Roses and on to Cap de Creus.
We pass by the Medes Islands, an exceptional nature reserve. A stop there is a must. We recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid the crowds of boats at midday. This group of islets is part of an important underwater marine reserve and dropping anchor is forbidden. You’ll need to moor the boat to a buoy, which is free. Diving in these waters is really spectacular owing to the great numbers and diversity of marine life to be found.
The archipelago is made up of seven small islands and a number of shoals. The largest of the islands is Meda Gran, which is 600 metres wide. The next is Meda Xica. The rest are islets.
There are some remains of former buildings on Meda Gran. This island only has one pebble beach, located at the south-eastern end. Off this beach is the best place to moor, and it’s where you’ll find the first mooring field. There’s a small jetty where the water is only one metre deep. The path leading to the highest point on Meda Gran starts at this jetty.
The second mooring field is off the north side of the island in a bay known as Cala La Cuetara. This is a good place if the northerly wind isn’t blowing.
Sailing between Meda Gran and Meda Xica isn’t recommended, given that the water is quite shallow.
Meda Xica is of special interest if you are a diving enthusiast, because there are underwater caves that cross from one side of the island to the other.
As you continue on your course from the Medes Islands to the bay of Cala Montgó, the coast turns rugged and is filled with striking grey cliffs. If you keep an eye out, you’ll see Roca Foradada, a rocky point with a natural arch cut out by the sea from north to south.
After La Foradada and before arriving at L’Escala, you’ll come to Cala Montgó. This is one of the most appealing anchoring places on the Costa Brava. It’s easy to drop anchor here, and it has a sandy bottom and is very safe. The bay extends one kilometre inland and spans 700 metres wide at its mouth. It ends at a sandy beach where you can find a campsite, restaurant and a few houses.
When the sea is calm, the best place to drop anchor is next to the cliffs on the southern end.
North of Cala Montgó, now in the Gulf of Roses, the coast again becomes gentle and sandy. This bay appears huge, framed by the massif of Canigou on the port side and the headland of Cap de Norfeu on the starboard side. You can calmly sail northward across the bay to the town of Roses.
After Roses, you reach the rugged and whimsical landforms that make up the Cap de Creus point, which is filled with coves and small bays suitable for anchoring shletered from most winds. You’ll also find areas of great underwater beauty.
The first of these are the bays of Cala Montjoi and Cala Jóncols.
Cala Montjoi. This practically undeveloped place, which offers phenomenal anchoring, is found shortly before arriving at Cap de Norfeu. The bay is about 400 metres long and 400 metres wide. It’s a good place to drop anchor, even when the tramontane is blowing. It has a sandy bottom.
A word of caution: some way off the eastern point of the bay, known as Punta Farrera, there’s a dangerous shoal just one metre under the surface. It’s hard to see.
Cala Jóncols. This bay is completely undeveloped and has a deep rocky bottom. It’s greatly admired for its beautiful scenery and its crystal clear water. The bay is divided into two parts. It’s quite a difficult place to drop anchor, basically only in good weather.
If you prefer to spend the night moored in a marina, there’s one at the southern end of the Gulf of Roses, at L’Escala. We recommend a visit to the Roman ruins of Empúries. Halfway along the bay is the inland marina of Empuriabrava and the private marina at Santa Margarida, although the latter has no short-stay moorings. North lies the marina of Roses, which is fully serviced and not overcrowded, for the time being. We recommend this one.
If you prefer to drop anchor, it’s highly recommendable to spend the night in Cadaqués, a magnificent setting. Cadaqués is set in a small and sheltered bay and is an absolute must-see. Even though you can drop anchor – it’s better to do it behind the beacon tower of Es Piló rather than in the vicinity of the church – the best option is to hire a buoy from the yacht club (Club Naùtic) as you’ll be closer to land and won’t need to check on the anchor during the night.
You’ll need a dinghy, preferably with an outboard motor, to reach land. We recommend dinner in the town, at any of the small restaurants flanking the bay. Cadaqués is a magnificent town that hasn’t been spoilt by modern buildings. Strolling around its picturesque streets and a visit to the church make for interesting experiences.
The Cala Nans lighthouse guides boats entering the Bay of Cadaqués at night.
DAY 3. Cadaqués – Portlligat – Cap de Creus – Cala Culip or Port de la Selva.
The third day involves sailing around the headland at Cap de Creus, where the tramontane wind often prevails.
If you leave Cadaqués early in the morning, you can have breakfast in the bay of Portlligat, also highly recommended for a visit. The surrounding red stone hills with ancient terraces are incredibly beautiful.
To the east, at the mouth of the bay, is Portlligat Island. The mouth of the bay is 200 metres wide and its waters are sheltered from every wind, except north-easterlies.
Take care to make a wide berth from Massina Island, particularly when entering the bay. On the port side upon entering, there’s an unmarked shoal less than one metre under the surface.
The muddy and seaweed-covered bottom of the bay rises quickly from 12 metres to 1–2 metres the further in you go.
You aren’t allowed to drop anchor in the bay as the sea floor is covered by a protected meadow of neptune grass. You have to ask for permission to moor the boat to one of the buoys.
At the end of the bay there’s a small jetty just below the house where the painter Salvador Dalí spent long periods of time.
It’s a few minutes’ walk from here to Cadaqués.
Hoisting sails again and passing Portlligat, you now see the tip of Cap de Creus, which together with Massa d’Oros Island, marks the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Beyond this point are the waters of the Gulf of Lion.
If the weather is fine, you can sail between the headland and the island because the water is deep enough for yachts.
Once past the headland, your course takes you to Cala Culip.
Pay attention to Encalladora Island. If the sea is calm, you can sail through the channel between the island and the mainland, Freu de Claveguera, which is 18–20 metres deep and 70 metres wide. On the port side is a small lighthouse, which was built as a set for the film The Light at the Edge of the World.
Cala Culip is quite wide and very beautiful. You can spend the night in this bay. There’s a small jetty. The most sheltered parts of the bay are close to the jetty and the small cove to the south-east of it. It has a muddy bottom. On the western side of the bay is a series of coves, which are ideal places to drop anchor in good weather.
Head for land and take a pleasant walk to the lighthouse of Cap de Creus and the Cova de s’Infern (‘Cave of Hell’), a deep and dark cleft at the end of the cliff.
To spend the night, we recommend the marina at Port de la Selva, a pretty fishing town – a visit to the old town is a must – with excellent tapas bars, such as El Cafè de la Marina.
The church of Nostra Senyora de les Neus presides over a huddle of white houses laid out in the traditional style of fishing villages.
The marina is fully serviced, although you can also easily drop anchor in the bay off the beach, which is the only place where it will hold.
If there’s time, we highly recommend taking a taxi and visiting to the monastery of Sant Pere de Roda, located on the mountainside. This Romanesque monastery, dating from the ninth century and abandoned since the eighteenth century, is located at an altitude of 500 metres. It offers unique views of the Cap de Creus massif and its northern coast.
If the tramontane is blowing, it will be impossible to sail north past this headland and you will need to change your plans and find an alternative route. The tramontane makes the waters off Cap de Creus dangerous for sailing, with large waves and a counter-current.
DAY 4. Port de la Selva – Cap Cerbère – Paulilles Bay – Cap Béar – Collioure – Argelès-sur-Mer.
The fourth day brings views of the northernmost stretch of the Catalan coast and the Côte Vermeille (‘Vermilion Coast’ ) region of France, which is famous for its vineyards that slope down to the sea.
Early in the morning, set your course for the French town of Argèles-sur-Mer.
Sail up the coast non-stop from Port de la Selva to the vicinity of the Cap Béar headland in order to spend the day at the northern end of the route. There will be time on the way back to take a closer look at this part of the coast.
Pay close and constant attention and keep track of the weather as you sail along the coast north of Cap de Creus in order to avoid a sudden encounter with the tramontane.
Start the day by exiting Port de la Selva. After passing Llançà, Colera and Portbou, all located along a very rugged stretch of coastline, you reach the coast of the Roussillon region.
After passing the Cap de Falcó headland, you’ll be entering French territorial waters. If you sail close to the coast, you can see the flagpole marking the exact border over a cave with a double mouth.
The Cap Cerbère point has a unique appearance from the sea, and the blackness of the rock and its vertical face make it an easy point of reference.
Once past the headland, you find the town of Cerbère, a place of little interest with no marina. It’s the first town in France.
An interesting visit can be made to the coves of Peyrefite and Terrimbo, found where the Pyrenees mountains plunge into the sea. You can drop anchor in one of those coves to spend the midday hours and go on an excursion to visit these deserted places.
Afterwards you come to Banyuls-sur-Mer, with its small marina. If you stop, you can try the typical fortified wine of the region, known as Banyuls, and visit the aquarium.
Past Banyuls-sur-Mer there is a good anchoring spot, Paulilles Bay, an interesting and relatively undeveloped place where we suggest you drop anchor off the beach or in one of the following coves.
Just north of this bay is Cap Béar, a headland that is difficult, if not impossible, to pass on days when a strong tramontane is blowing. Cap Béar offers a good view of Cap de Creus astern and the headland of Cap Leucate ahead.
Sailing towards the north-east from Cap Béar, you reach Port Vendres, the most sheltered natural harbour in the region in any weather. Once an important commercial port, Port Vendres now has a large and fully serviced marina.
One mile north of Port Vendres lies Collioure. This is a small town with medieval fortifications,one of which sits beside one of the arms of the bay, surrounded by old fishermen’s houses. The beauty of this place makes it a well worthwhile visit. If there’s enough time, you can drop anchor and make for land to wander around its narrow cobbled streets. A visit to the castle, Château Royal, is also interesting.
We recommend spending the night in Port-Argelès, Argelès-sur-Mer, or in Port Vendres, both of which have large, modern and fully serviced marinas.
DAY 5. Argelès-sur-Mer – Garbet Bay – Cala Prona or Port de la Selva.
North of Argèles-sur-Mer is the start of the Côte Radieuse (‘Radiant Coast’), a region with a flat, sandy coastline, and with endless vineyards fading into the distance. This stretch of coast is characterised by a series of lagoons close to the sea. This is the beginning of more than 100 nautical miles of flat sandy coastline, contrasting with what has come before.
Here, after four days sailing northwards, it’s time to turn around and head back south to Cap de Creus.
Leaving Argèles-sur-Mer and sailing peacefully, typically with a tailwind, you re-enter Catalonian waters.
The first stop is the marina at Portbou, where you can spend the night. Portbou nestles between high, sheltering headlands. You need to pay close attention because these headlands hide the small bay and town from the sea. There are excellent restaurants in Portbou all along the beachfront promenade. The marina is small but fully serviced, although you can also drop anchor off the beach. Portbou was heavily influenced by the building of the railway station in 1878. At that time, the station drew many of the fishermen away from the sea, and this is why tourism didn’t take such a strong hold here in later times as it did in the other coastal towns along the Costa Brava.
Continuing southwards, skirting a magnificent coastline of striking sheer cliffs, you come to the town of Colera, with a small marina with shallow water, and with little of interest. If you want to enter the bay, you can drop anchor on the north side. It offers little shelter, but it’s free of shoals and has a sandy bottom.
Once you pass the headland of Cap Lladró, south of Colera, you enter the Bay of Cap Ras. Here you will find a smaller bay known as Cala Garbet,
a magnificent, peaceful spot. It’s more than a kilometre long and 600 metres wide. At the end is a beach with an unassuming restaurant, a hotel and a campsite. The best place to drop anchor is off the beach. It has a sandy bottom. It’s a good for anchoring if there’s no tramontane or easterly winds blowing, making it a good place to spend the night if neither is forecast to rise.
There’s a small cove to the south that is open and quite shallow, not suitable for anchoring. Watch out for the dangerous shoal located on the east side of this cove.
The coast now becomes rugged and dominated by high cliffs. There are heavy storms brought in by the tramontane winds in winter in this area.
After leaving Cala Garbet, make your way towards Cala Prona, a place we recommend you should spend the night after sailing through the waters on the north side of Cap de Creus. Under an impressive blue-grey cliff, you’ll find Port de Llançà, the harbour of the town of Llançà, whose marina has few berths. The town proper is two kilometres inland from the harbour.
South of Llançà are the small bays of Cala Cau de Llop (‘Wolf’s Den’) and Cala La Farella. If you want to drop anchor, it’s best to choose Cala La Farella, which is more sheltered, given that it’s protected by the Falcó Islands. There is a sandy bottom at a depth of four or five metres.
To the south you reach Punta Sernella and then Port de la Selva, where you can find a mooring in the marina or drop anchor if you decide to end the day here.
Between Port de la Selva and Cap de Creus there are quite a few bays and coves that are good for anchoring provided the tramontane isn’t blowing. You can sail very close to the coast because there aren’t any shoals.
This stretch of coastline is of volcanic origin and quite indented, with a host of solitary coves and bays and a scenery of strongly contrasting landforms and colours.
The first interesting inlet you find south of Port de la Selva is the narrow, deep and rocky cove known as Cala Fornells. It lies to the south of the Meda Island. It’s 25 metres wide and ends at a sandy beach. It’s a recommended anchoring spot if there’s no tramontane blowing.
You pass around Cap Gros, an easy to spot headland that rises 170 metres high and is 800 metres long.
After rounding this headland you enter the bay of El Golfet (‘Little Gulf’). This semi-circular bay is one mile in diameter and contains several coves, each unique.
From north to south you come to the following coves:
Cala Galera. This cove is protected by Galera Island and is recognisable by a white house that is visible from the open sea. It is two nautical miles from Port de la Selva. You can drop anchor here, but not for an overnight stay as it doesn’t provide enough shelter. The cove is empty and undeveloped.
Cala Tavallera or Taballera. This is the largest of the coves in El Golfet Bay. It measures 500 metres in length and 200 metres in width, and it has two beaches. On the largest beach, on the south side, there are several ruined houses and a spring with fresh water. The bottom of the cove is good for anchoring, but it provides little shelter and is wide open to the north.
Between this cove and the next is a very high rock wall.
Cala Prona. This cove is one of the most beautiful inlets on the Costa Brava and it’s a place where you can drop anchor for the night. It’s narrow and difficult to see from the sea. It’s 50 metres wide at its mouth and 120 metres long. Once inside the cove, it widens out to make an ideal anchoring spot. There is a small fishermen’s hut with a jetty and a pretty beach, making it a delightful place. There’s even a spring with drinking water. The bottom of the cove is sandy with a few rocks. The water is 10 metres deep at the mouth and 5 metres deep in the middle.
On the south side is a larger beach than the one with the fisherman’s hut. It is quite sheltered but very shallow.
DAY 6. Cala Prona – Cala Galladera – Cap de Creus – Cala Guillola – Cala Montjoi or L’Escala.
This is the day to round Cap de Creus in the opposite direction from that of three days earlier, a course that is normally peaceful sailing and therefore offering the opportunity to get to know the northern coast of Cap de Creus a little better.
Leaving El Golfet Bay and sailing south, you skirt the point of Punta de Forallons, from where you see a couple of inlets – Cala dels Tres Frares (‘Three Friars’ Cove), which offers no shelter and is full of shoals, and Cala Galladera, a bay containing three coves facing east, west and south, respectively.
Cala Galladera is a pretty place that is worthy of a visit. Of the three coves, the most interesting is the one facing west, where there is a clump of pine trees and an abandoned fisherman’s hut. It offers good protection, even when the tramontane is blowing, and is deserted, cut off and idyllic. It’s about 200 metres long and 40 metres wide. It has a sandy and rocky bottom.
The cove on the east side is the smallest and offers little shelter even though it is deep enough for the boat to enter.
The cove facing south is very shallow and can really only be entered by dinghy.
Leaving Cala Galladera behind and skirting around Portaló Island – a blackish rock rising almost vertically out of the water – you come to another interesting inlet, Cala Portaló.
Cala Portaló is a bay entirely surrounded by cliffs. It offers good shelter, except when the tramontane is blowing. It bites into the coast for 500 metres. It opens up into a series of coves on both sides, and there’s a chain of low rocks at the entrance that acts like a natural breakwater. There’s a pebble beach at the end of the bay. The rock walls surrounding the bay are sheer, allowing the boat to come close and to be moored to the land if necessary. The bottom of the bay is sandy with a few rocks. The depth at the mouth is 10–12 metres and about four metres in the middle. The boat can’t come close to the beach because the water is very shallow there.
Continuing on with the trip, you leave the previously visited Cala Culip on the starboard side, together with Encalladora Island and Cap de Creus.
Now heading south-west, you can see the unforgettable inlets of Cala Fragosa, Cala Fredosa, Cala Jugadora and Cala Bona on the way back to Cadaqués. While all very beautiful, they are difficult to anchor in because they are very narrow and long, or they have a lot of shoals. The place to drop anchor is the bay of Cala Guillola, the last inlet before reaching Portlligat.
Cala Guillola. This mouth of the bay measures 500 metres across, and inside are a series of coves. The water is 12–16 metres deep and the bottom is covered with sand and seaweed. The bay is sheltered, except against easterly winds. Inside Cala Guillola, the most sheltered place is the cove on its south-western edge, known as Cala Jonquet. There is a sandy beach at the end. Take care inside Cala Jonquet because the seabed rises suddenly off the beach.
There are several options for spending the night:
At a marina:
The fully serviced Empuriabrava inland marina, off the Gulf of Roses.
L’Escala marina, which is well serviced and well managed but a little far from the town.
Dropping anchor if the weather permits:
The first option is Cala Montjoi, described in the section on Day 2.
The second is Cala Montgó, also described in the same section.
DAY 7. Cala Montjoi, L’Escala – Medes Islands – Cala Sa Tuna – Cala Castell – Palamós.
As this is the last day of the trip, you should make the most of it.
The day starts with a morning sail across the Gulf of Roses and passing the rugged cliffs between L’Escala and L’Estartit to the Medes Islands.
We recommend making another stop here and enjoying a swim and marvelling at the colourful marine life underwater. For those who want to walk, you can take the dinghy to the small jetty on Meda Gran and take the well-signposted path up to the lighthouse. It’s a delightful excursion over the limestone island. You’ll be surrounded at all times by a large number of seagulls.
Later, on a course towards the south-west, you leave behind the beach at Pals and skirt the headland of Cap Negre to enter the bay of Cala Sa Tuna.
The bays of Cala Sa Tuna and Cala Aiguafreda both form the edges of a larger bay.
Cala Sa Tuna is the southernmost of the two and is free of shoals and offers good anchoring. In the same bay, at the base of Punta des Plom, is a small and quiet beach known as L’Aixugador. At the larger end of the bay is a sandy beach some 100 metres long where you’ll find a restaurant and a few holiday homes.
The best anchoring place is at L’Aixugador, where the bottom is covered with sand and seaweed.
Despite appearances to the contrary, the bay doesn’t offer much shelter, particularly when the tramontane is blowing.
There are buoys in the area in front of the beach where the same system explained for Cala Aiguablava on Day 1 is in operation.
Between Cala Sa Tuna and Cala Aiguafreda there is an area with plenty of shoals.
Cala Aiguafreda is on the north side of the larger bay and is smaller than Cala Sa Tuna. It offers more shelter than Cala Sa Tuna when the tramontane is blowing, although the rocky bottom doesn’t offer any guarantees of the anchor holding firmly. All around the perimeter of this bay there are dangerous shoals, which means that in case you want to drop anchor, you’ll have to do it in the middle.
Sailing southwards again, you leave behind Cala Aiguablava and the Sant Sebastià lighthouse, setting your course for the channel between the Formigues Islands and Cap de Planes, and by sunset you arrive at your destination, the same place you set off from to enjoy these days of sun, sea and wind.
If there’s still time, you can enjoy a last swim in Cala Castell, now very near to Palamós. It’s a recommended anchoring place that offers plenty of shelter from northerly winds, but very little when the wind comes from the south. It has a sandy bottom. The best place to drop anchor is the east side of this bay, under the Sa Cobertera headland.
From this point, you can choose to continue southwards for new sensations and experiences, or to head back to your daily lives, happy for having taken part in a different and rewarding experience.
You disembark with the hope of another opportunity to visit our little world of the Costa Brava, where the pine trees clothe the land and reach down to the sea.
