Yesterday we had a dreamy 50 mile reach from Ibiza to Mallorca - 10 to 15 knots on the beam in settled seas. We continue to explore the Balearic Islands (islands off the east coast of Spain.) The islands have a long history with human settlements dating back to 5000 BC. Arriving at these islands was our primary destination since leaving the Caribbean. They are known to have cliff lined anchorages, crystal clear water and soft sandy beaches (also very crowded in August as this is the European holiday month - but no more crowded than any popular summer destination.) There are three main islands and a few small ones, each with a unique personality. We just spent a week on Formentera and Ibiza. Our first stop turned out to be the naked island. There were natural mud baths and lots of young people. We survived. Next we moved on to Ibiza, known as the party island. We managed to find some family friendly spots with excellent snorkeling - RJ and Leo thought the water looked like a pool and were thrilled to jump off the boat. The weather has been fantastic - a bit on the warm side, but that is the beauty of being on hook - you just hop in the water. Now we are in the south of Mallorca - the big island of the Balearics. We are anchored in Port d'Andratx - a well sheltered, affluent area with gorgeous houses built into the cliffs. We'll probably spend a week to 10 days on Mallorca before heading to the last island, Menorca. One thing that has been a bit strange is the lack of US boats. We haven't seen one since leaving the Azores. Also, there is a shortage of kid boats - although there are quite a few Spanish people on holiday, we've only met a few so far. Rodney seems to have the boat dialed in b/c he is actually taking the time to read Latitude - we must be cruising!
Photos Here