Mallorca Trip 1
Mrs G and her friends Bruce and Marcia, Ted and Clair, and Frank and Cricket all made their connecting flight in Frankfurt but then got separated in Palma airport and we lost Frank and Cricket. Eventually they came through half an hour after the others and we got them back to Timoneer in Palma harbour for a late lunch and relaxing afternoon onboard.
In the morning Phil and Richard took them for a tour of Palma, including Plaza Major, the massive Olivar fresh market and the crowded beach of Playa de Palma and back around the coast to Portixol. Meanwhile we moved Timoneer and anchored off Illetas and went by tender to pick them up from Puerto Portals marina. After lunch, some enjoyed a swim from the yacht while others enjoyed a book, a jigsaw puzzle or a nap for the afternoon.
After breakfast the next morning we ran them ashore on Bendinat beach and Phil met them in the van and took them for another tour inland to an old finca for lunch. They were then met by the crew in Andratx and taken out to Timoneer. While the guests were ashore we had moved Timoneer to the town of Port d’Andratx where we anchored below the homes of Europes rich and famous.
Monday morning we motored in flat calm conditions inside Dragonera Island around the western corner of Mallorca. A year ago there was a massive fire in this area that was out of control for over a week and at its peak had over 20 aircraft fighting it. There were still the remains of some charred trees but now most of it has low greenery growing where there had been forests. Even so it is still an incredible coastline of cliffs and mountains. We followed the coast NE until we reached our lunch spot at Foradada point. Jellyfish ruined my first choice but eventually we found an anchoring spot without them and enjoyed a swim in the clear blue sea with the bottom visible 70’ (20m) below us. After lunch we continued along the coast past Cala Deia to the marina in Soller Port. Some of the guest’s went ashore shopping while others relaxed onboard. In the evening a bar came to life off the stern of the boat.
Foradada Point
Tuesday some of the guests caught the old tram inland through the orange groves and peoples back gardens to the pretty little town Soller. Phil drove Mrs G and Frank there and then they continued up into the mountains to Deia and Valldemossa and then to the Lafiore glass factory before taking the tunnel back through the mountains to the port.
Sometime during the night the dock area turned into a parking area for a load of camper vans and trucks. It turned out to be the support vehicles for a movie that was being filmed in the area. It was an international movie about zombies called Return of Generation Z. We left the dock and continued along the coast to a very pretty little bay called Cala Tuent. The plan was to stop here for a swim and lunch but we got asked to move on as the movie was about to begin shooting in that bay. So we went on a few miles to Cala de La Calobra which is a very popular tourist destination during the day but by early evening it was a very peaceful and beautiful spot for us to light up a BBQ onboard. The cloud that had been around in the afternoon cleared up and we could see the mountain tops inland and the setting sun out to sea.
Departing Sa Calobra
Departing Sa Calobra
Mallorca’s highest mountain Puig Mayor 4,740’ (1445m)
We had breakfast underway on Thursday and continued under the high cliffs of this spectacular coastline until we reached Cala Figuera where we anchored for a swim in the most amazing blue water. After lunch we continued East rounding the cliffs of Cape Formentor 650’ (200m) below the lighthouse. We anchored north of La Fortaleza for the last night of the trip.
Cala Figuera
Friday morning we moved Timoneer in to the shallow bay of Pollensa where we ran the guests ashore and Phil drove them the 40 minutes to the airport. Mrs G stayed with Timoneer and we motored the 75 nm back to Palma and for the first time all week we encountered wind and swell. We tied up in Palma around 6pm.
Palma Cathedral
