General Info
Apart from the mainland ports, Spain has a lot of sailing destinations on its islands – the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. Majorca or Mallorca is the biggest yacht charter region in Spain, offering hundreds of charter yachts. Because of its favourable situation, reasonable flight prices as well as great cost-performance ratio Mallorca was able to attract even more yacht charter guests in the last few years, whereas other yachting destinations lost them. The Canary Islands are very popular among sailing crews, too. This is the only region in Europe with 365 days of sunshine and pleasant temperatures a year.
Spanish (Castellano) is the official language in Spain except of the regions Catalunia, which includes Barcelona, and the Balearic Islands. In these regions Catalan was recovered after the fall of Franco dictatorship and became the regional official language. However, you will easily communicate in English or German, as there are many foreigners living and working in the Spanish tourist centres. The time zone from November till February is CET (UTC + 1) and from March till October CEST (UTC +2). The currency is EURO. In Spain you can use all usual types of credit cards from other countries as well as the EC cards from European countries.
Arrival & Visa Requirements
Russian citizens will need a Schengen visa to enter Spain. This visa can be issued by a Spanish consulate after presentation of the tourist voucher, which you will get from us after your yacht charter booking.
The citizens if the EU can stay up to 90 days in Spain without visa, carrying their valid identity card with them.
The most airlines offer regular and charter flights to the Spanish mainland as well as the Balearic and the Canary Islands. The most European capitals are connected with Barcelona, and Tenerife with several flights per day. The following airlines operate the biggest number of flights to Spain: Iberia, the most famous Spanish airlines, as well as Ryanair and AirBerlin, which offer low budget flights.
Charter a yacht in Spain: Regulations & Required Documents
For bareboat yacht charter bookings in Spain, a skipper has to possess a valid skipper licence required in his own country. The maximum speed within all Spanish harbours and 250 metres from the shore is 5 knots. Navigating in bathing zones is strictly prohibited.
Traditions & Gastronomy
In Spain, yacht charter crews can observe the unique mix of architectural styles developed under the influence of different cultures – of the European Christians and the Arabian Moors. Typical are the huge stone churches from the 16-18 centuries around which the towns were built. The Spanish towns and fisher villages all have characteristic narrow streets, great steps with alleys and large places in the centre of the village, where one can relax in the shaddow of old olive and plane trees. All houses and buildings have colourful shutters, which are closed during the day and open in the evening hours, letting the passer-by look inside its spacious halls and patios with palm and citric trees. The people in Spain are conscious of their roots, family traditions and relics from their ancestors. Therefore, many houses still keep their old-fashioned interiors with numerous old paintings and decorative elements. The atmosphere in the most fisher villages and port towns is made by the typical small fisher boats with colourful fishing nets and ropes as well as the small boat garages in front of each house on the port street.
In Spain, as in every Mediterranean country, olives and olive oil are the “second bread” for the inhabitants. Th Spanish cooking traditions are based on it. However, there are some characteristics that are different from other Mediterranean eating cultures and that Spain is very much known and proud for: its outstanding meat and fish dishes. The most famous is the original paella, of course, consisting of rice, meat and seafood. It gets its sunny yellow colour from the precious saffron spice. You should also taste different lamb dishes. “A la plancha” means that it is made on a special metal plate. And of course, do not forget the famous “jamon serrano”, which you have probably heard about many times. All around Spain the people are proud of their Ibearian ham. You will get in in every bar or restaurant as a starter plate, with a piece of bread or in “pamb’oli” – roasted bread rubbed with fresh tomato and garlic with a piece of tasty “jamon” on top. Many Spanish regions are also famous for their wineries and the so called “bodegas”, where you can taste and buy wine. There are some great vineyards on the Balearic Islands, for example Jose L. Ferrer, which have even won different international wine awards.
Yacht charter in Spain is not only great yachting fun and experience, but also interesting and exciting time, which you will never forget!