Every August I see the same thing — Portals Vells three boats deep, Es Trenc with rafts of charter cats bow to stern, Cala Pi so crowded you cannot swing without hitting someone. It has got worse every year.
After thirty years sailing these waters I have a few spots I keep coming back to when I want peace. Not secret exactly, but overlooked because they are a bit further or a bit less photogenic than the famous ones.
Cala en Basset on the southwest tip, just past Sant Elm. You need to tuck in tight and the holding is rock and sand so you want to check your anchor properly, but most boats pass it by heading for Sa Dragonera and you often get it to yourself. Beautiful in the morning light.
Also Cala Mitjana on the south coast east of Cala Pi. Shallow entry so the big charter cats avoid it, which means more room for the rest of us. Good sand bottom, usually calm in the summer pattern.
Anyone else have a go-to spot when the usual anchorages are a circus?
Carlos, this is exactly what I need for when we eventually get brave enough to anchor somewhere! Cala en Basset sounds lovely. Silly question — when you say check your anchor properly, what does that actually look like? Do you swim down and look at it? On our course we have only practised anchoring once and the instructor did most of the work.
Not a silly question at all Anna, it is one of the most important things to get right.
Yes, swimming down to check is the gold standard, especially in clear water like we have here. You want to see that the anchor is lying flat on the bottom with the flukes dug in, not sitting on top of a rock or tangled in weed. In Mallorca the Posidonia seagrass beds can be a problem — your anchor will drag right through them. So you need to find a sandy patch between the weed.
But before you even get to that point, once you drop the anchor and pay out enough chain, put the engine in gentle reverse and watch a fixed point on shore. A rock, a tree, a building — anything that does not move. If your reference point stays in the same place relative to the boat for a few minutes, you are holding. If it starts drifting, you are dragging and need to try again.
With practice you also feel it through the chain. Put your foot on it where it goes over the bow roller. When the anchor sets you feel a kind of solid vibration, almost like a thud. When it is dragging it feels scratchy and irregular. Hard to describe but once you have felt the difference you never forget it.
Carlos, good list but you have left out my favourite bolt-hole — the little cove just south of Cap de Formentor, tucked in behind the rocks. Needs careful pilotage getting in but once you are settled it is completely sheltered from the west and you will rarely see another boat because the approach puts most people off.
The other trick I have learned is timing. Even the busy anchorages empty out by about 18:30 when the day charter boats head back. Arrive at Cala Pi at seven in the evening and you will have it almost to yourself. Sunset anchor with a gin and tonic — hard to beat.
One more to add to my own list — Cala Figuera up near Cap de Formentor has been completely deserted the last two times I have visited, even mid-August. The catch is you need settled conditions from the south or southwest, as it is wide open to anything from the north. But when the weather cooperates it is one of the most beautiful spots on the island. Crystal water, pine trees right down to the shoreline, absolute silence apart from the cicadas.
Anna, to answer your earlier question about checking anchors — in these clear calas the water is often only three or four metres deep, so you can see the bottom from the deck. A good pair of polarised sunglasses makes a huge difference. If you cannot see the anchor, a quick snorkel is always worthwhile. Better ten minutes of swimming than a bad night wondering if you are dragging.
James, your tip about arriving after 18:30 is genius. I tried it last weekend at Cala Pi — got there around seven and it was like a completely different place from the lunchtime chaos. Found a sandy patch first try, had a swim, watched the sunset with a glass of wine. Absolute bliss.
Carlos, I really want to try Cala en Basset but I have heard the approach can be a bit tricky with rocks close in. Is it OK for someone without masses of experience if you take it slowly?
Sophie, Cala en Basset is fine if you take it carefully. The rocks are visible — they are not hidden nasties lurking under the surface, you can see them clearly in good light. Go in under motor, slowly, and keep one person on the bow watching. Ideally arrive before 15:00 when the sun is still high enough to see the bottom properly.
The main thing is not to cut in too early. Follow the cliff face round from the south and you will see the sandy patch open up. Drop the hook in 4-5 metres on sand and you are golden. I would not attempt it in anything over 15 knots from the west though, as the swell wraps in and it gets uncomfortable quickly.
Honestly the approach looks worse on the chart than it feels in real life.
Quick update — my husband and I took the kids to Cala en Basset on a friend’s motorboat last Sunday and Carlos you were so right about the approach. We went slowly and it was fine. The water was unbelievably clear, my daughter said it looked like a swimming pool.
We did not anchor ourselves (our friend did it) but I watched carefully and tried to remember everything from this thread. He dropped the hook in a sandy patch between the Posidonia and then reversed to set it, which is what Carlos described. I felt very proud that I actually understood what was happening for once!
Next step: doing it myself. Terrifying but exciting.
Anna, so glad you got to see Cala en Basset! It really is special. Now imagine anchoring there yourself once you have done a bit more training — that is something to look forward to.
First proper September weekend coming up and I am already plotting. Thinking of heading down to Cala Pi again on Saturday morning — if it was that quiet on a late August evening, early September should be even better. Anyone else have plans?