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Cruising Guide: Northern Route

From El puerto de Santa Maria there are several cruising options for about a weeks sailing or for a weekend.The fist thing to look at is the weather forecast and most importantly the wind.The predominant winds in the Gulf of cadiz and tha area of the Straits of Gibraltar are fundamental in helping us decide the direction of our route. If we have the north West wind (Poniente) then the best option is to take the southerly route and if we have the easterly wind (Levante) we can sail the North westerly route.

On leaving the Bay of Cadiz we have two options, we can follow the coast being careful of the rocks and shallow water known as the Quemado, close to Rota and also the rocks and shipwreck at the entrance to the Guadalquivir estuary, known as salmedina and make our way to the Port of Chipiona. The Andalucian Public Ports Company has a marina here very close to the town. Chipiona has many restaurants and bars and the marina has all the usual services. A little further down the estuary is the town of Sanlucar. Altough there is no marina it is possible to anchor close to the