Late season sailing

After a very dark night in the bay at Cabrera, we waited until first light before making our departure. With the mooring buoys finally visible, we carefully weaved our way out through them and set our course for Formentera, 80 nautical miles to the southwest.

There was very little breeze as we left the Cabrera archipelago behind. The forecast had promised a northeasterly picking up mid morning, which should have given us a lovely downwind sail. Unfortunately, it never materialised, and there wasn’t enough wind to fill the sails, so the engine had to do all the work.

At least we had some entertainment along the way. Dolphins appeared several times throughout the day, with some coming right up to the bow to swim alongside Ziggy. One in particular was showing off just before sunset, leaping out of the water and performing some impressive acrobatics. Always a highlight of any passage!

It was a long day and the sun had already set by the time we eventually arrived at Formentera. Anchoring in Cala Savina, on the north coast of the island, in darkness wasn’t a problem as we had been there before. It’s a large bay with plenty of room, a lovely sandy seabed and good holding, so we were happy to drop the anchor and settle in for the night.

We spent the next couple of days enjoying the peace and quiet in this calm bay. The shallow, clear blue water was perfect for swimming, although the water is now getting a little cooler. The bay is relatively flat and undeveloped, giving us some lovely sunsets. Each morning we also had the unusual sight of horses walking along the beach.

Our only real disturbance came from the regular ferries bringing visitors across to the island. As they passed, their wash came into the bay, giving Ziggy a little rock and roll over the waves.

Unfortunately, the weather was about to change. Strong winds and storms were on their way, and no local anchorages offered the all around protection that was needed. It was time to move on, so we made the short journey across to the south coast of Ibiza and took a berth in the marina, with views across to Ibiza Town. Fortunately, marina prices at this time of year are much more palatable than the high season rates.

Before the storms arrived, we made the most of the settled weather and visited the old town. We had walked part way up the hill to the castle on our last visit but didn’t make it to the cathedral at the top of the hill.

It was quite a climb through the narrow, winding cobbled streets, and up a lot of steps, but well worth the effort. At the top, the views across the harbour, marina and surrounding coastline are fantastic.

The cathedral, Santa Maria de les Neus, occupies the highest point of the old town. It was built following the Catalan conquest of Ibiza in 1235, on the site of the former main mosque. Close by is the castle which forms part of the historic fortified complex. The castle has medieval origins and, together with the cathedral, dominates the skyline above the town.

The impressive walls surrounding Dalt Vila were largely rebuilt during the 16th century, when attacks from Turkish forces and pirates made stronger defences essential. Designed as a major military fortification, they feature seven bastions and are remarkably well preserved.

We walked back down to the busy main street in town, and took the opportunity to revisit one of our favourite restaurants before returning to Ziggy. A great way to finish the evening.

The following morning, the storms arrived as forecast. We spent the next two days sheltering in the marina while strong winds and torrential rain battered the island.

The rain was particularly impressive during the night. It hammered down on the coach roof with such force and was so loud, it sounded like a troupe of tap dancers performing an enthusiastic routine directly above our heads. Needless to say, getting a decent night’s sleep wasn’t easy!

Once the worst of the weather had passed, we left the marina and travelled just a couple of miles around the coast to Talamanca Bay, where we dropped the anchor and waited for a favourable wind to take us to the mainland. As the sun went down, a full moon rose, shining bright and lighting up the night sky.

The bay is surrounded by a long stretch of beach, with a few hotels and restaurants along the waterfront. Fred and Elliot took us ashore, and we enjoyed a walk along the beach and around the bay, stopping at one of the beach cafés for a drink.

There was plenty of evidence that the recent storms had been quite fierce with flooded areas through the streets. Also large quantities of seaweed had been washed up along the beach and into the bars. The beach certainly wasn’t looking quite as clean as it normally would!

The wind was blowing from the east, which was unfortunately the direction we wanted to head next. The forecast suggested it would be several days before it changed. We made the most of our extended stay in Ibiza with a trip back into town for another wander around, did some shopping to stock up on provisions and a few other treats. We also went back to the beach bar a couple of times and enjoyed some lovely tapas.

Eventually, the forecast showed the wind shifting around to the north, so with the promise of wind on the beam we left Ibiza.

Before setting off for the mainland, we made our way back across to Cala Savina on Formentera for one final night, which would then make our passage to the mainland slightly shorter. By now the bay was almost deserted, with only a couple other boats, quite a contrast to our previous visits, when the summer visitors made it much busier.

We enjoyed our last evening in this lovely anchorage and got everything ready for an early departure. The plan was to weigh anchor just before sunrise and make the most of the favourable wind for our 60 nautical mile passage back to the mainland.