Next stop Torrevieja some seven miles further on. On the way we passed Campoamor and Cabo Roig, where friends David and Anne Marie had been holidaying earlier. We had hoped to get there to meet up. However the best laid plans and all that, at least we got close into shore to have a wee look at what we had missed and as it turns out we may not have had enough depth for Camira to go into the small marina there. Maybe some other time Anne Marie.
We arrived at Marina Salinas in Torrevieja, a bit of a palaver getting a berth. We sat around the visitor pontoon a while waiting to be directed to our berth and it was blowing a hoolie! Once we were just about settled we found it had a dodgy lazy line so had to move to another – but very helpful marina staff and it was a nice marina. Across from us we met Nigel and his wife Barbara who had both been with BA, he had been a training Captain and test pilot. They used put out a wee cocktail pennant which meant the bar was open and they were ready to receive guests…….well it would have been rude not to.
We also met up with John whom we had met a few years before on a flotilla holiday in Turkey, he had mentioned then, if we ever did this trip (which was only in the planning stage then) to give him a buzz as he has a place out there. We couldn’t actually remember exactly where his place was and it was pure coincidence that we all got in touch when we arrived in Torrevieja as that is where his house is, well just outside it. It was lovely to catch up with him and maybe next time we will be able to take him up on the offer of a stay at his house.
Torrevieja is a very busy place, but I suppose most places are in August, loads of restaurants and bars, it seemed to be mainly Spanish people there on holiday which was nice change to most of that coast which is overrun by British tourists.
Leaving Torrevieja for Puerto De Campello 31 miles on, we started out motor sailing but after three hours the wind got up and we had a lovely sail with full main and genoa the rest of the way, passing Alicante which didn’t really appeal to us as a stopping place.
“Peggy” our third crew member.
We tied up in the Real Club Nautico Campello which was quite a nice wee marina, our berth was away in a corner with the walkway to the sailing club right next to us so plenty of people watching going on, whether that was us watching them or them watching us I’m not sure. Anyway, the town was very pleasant, again a typical Spanish holiday resort with quite a buzz about it.
