Sailing start for the second time:
Between new beginnings and turnaround
Text: Christian / Pictures & short films: Carola
After a surprisingly pleasant few days in Cartagena, we continue our journey. Aguilas seems promising for a short stay. At the small Club Náutico, we receive a friendly welcome from the helpful marinero, who helps us to moor at the side of the harbour wall. Only at this point do we really realise how small this marina actually is. But the location is perfect, just a stone's throw from the charming old town with its genuine Spanish flair. We plan to stay three nights.
Wir schlendern durch die historische Altstadt mit ihrem typischen zentralen Platz und den alten Bäumen. Auf Empfehlung des Marineros besuchen wir das „El Pimiento“ und lassen uns von der großen Auswahl an Tapas verwöhnen, der perfekte Abschluss eines langen Tages.
On the way to Aguilas
Moored to the side and well moored
View of the little marina
Painted stairs in Aguilas
Aguilas Square
Town Hall of Aguilas
„El Pimiento“
We are delighted by these delicious tapas
The phone call
The next morning, something unexpected happens. Caro's phone rings. The content of the call sounds serious, so serious that we are forced to prepare the boat for departure immediately. We spend the whole day fighting our way north-eastwards back to Cartagena against strong winds and high waves. The following morning, Carola flies home to her parents. I stay on board alone for the time being.
On the way again
Against wind and waves
Caro on the way to her family
The planned trip turns into ‘a journey into the unknown’ overnight. We need a few days to organise our thoughts and look ahead again. I spend the time doing smaller boat jobs and short shore excursions. It becomes apparent that our trip will be interrupted for a longer period, so I also fly home for a few weeks.
‘Everything will be fine in the end. If it's not good, it's not the end.’ - Oscar Wilde
After a period of ups and downs, the situation seems to be slowly stabilising. This allows us to plan more concretely again, and travelling on is now within realistic reach.
Reset and reboot
At the end of May, back in Cartagena, we stock up on provisions and get our boat ready for sea again. After a long time at home and in the marina, we are drawn out and look forward to anchoring and strolling around the bays. The wind and weather conditions are in our favour, so we set off a second time in a south-westerly direction.
Back in Cartagena, back at our BLUE WAVE ⛵️
We didn't expect that 😬
We are well supplied for the coming weeks
Farewell from Cartagena
Relaxed sailing start
Contrary to our expectations, we discover a number of beautiful anchorages along the coast, although the Spanish mainland coast is not exactly known for this. South of Cartagena, we are particularly impressed by the rocky Cabo Gata nature reserve. In good weather, we spend wonderful days in beautiful isolated bays. Particularly worth mentioning: ‘Cala San Pedro’, a secluded bay surrounded by hills, rocks and old fortresses. A small valley opens up behind the sandy beach.
A special feature of this place is the hidden hippie village. A community has settled there among the trees and gardens. They live self-sufficiently with water from springs, electricity from solar panels and self-managed fishing nets. As picturesque as the bay may be, we sense that sailors are only tolerated here. We do not receive friendliness or a smile in return. After a walk through the settlement, we retire to our boat and spend the time snorkelling and exploring the rocky coast.
Cala Cerrada
Cala de Calabardina
Ensenada de los Taray
Cala de San Pedro
View into the bay
View into the valley of San Pedro
Our next planned stop is San José. We want to spend a few days in the marina in this small town and weather the predicted headwind. Unfortunately, our booking enquiry cannot be confirmed as the marina seems to be full. For us, this means reorganising our plans.
A little further west is a large and well-known marina that is very popular with long-distance sailors for boat refits. We are interested and want to take a closer look.
But to get there, we first have to sail around the Cabo de Gata, drop anchor and sail to Almerimar on 1 June 2025.
Sailing past San José
Cabo de Gata - it feels as if we are leaving the Mediterranean behind us. It's as if we're now somewhere between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
A magic moment for us - Cabo de Gata
Coast at Cabo de Gata
Sunset dinner
Sunrise
We arrived safely in Almerimar. We have a safe place in the marina to weather the upcoming winds.
We will report on how we fared in Almerimar in our next blog post.
To what's coming 🥂.