We sailed the 10 miles from Mallorca to the Cabrera Island Cabrera Island ,
which is part of the national park maritime reserve just off the southern tip
of Mallorca . The park comprises a group of
rugged island with numerous coves, small beaches, rocky shelves and sea cliffs.
The waters here are exceptionally clear and one can easily see through 15
meters into the blue sea bottom. No
anchoring is allowed, and visiting vessels must make reservations to tie to one
of the 50 mooring buoys available in the large, sheltered deep bay at Puerto
Cabrera. In peak seasons boats are only allowed to stay one night; off season
one can stay up to 7 days. The on-line booking web page is very difficult to
find and to navigate, but luckily we managed to book our mooring for 4 days.
And it’s all free of charge. The surrounding remains me of our sailing-camping
at Killarney and Beausolie National Park in Georgian Bay , Ontario
The climate of island is semi-arid, but there is an exceptional
variety of flora and fauna. Bird life is rich, including falcon, stormy petrel,
shags, and many shearwaters. The small Balearic lizards are everywhere, ducking
in and out of stone crevices. There are still a few professional fishermen on
the island, using traditional small fishing boats, called Llaüt, and using
hand-drawn nets; this activity is regulated to ensure the natural space is
fully respected. There are several hiking trails that meander through the
island and offer excellent vistas of the rugged coast. There’s a castle which
towers over the harbor entrance. Built in the 14th century, the
stonework is still as good as new. We took a two-hour hike to see the large
light house which stands at the western edge of the island at Punta de Ensiola.
In this late-May, the weather is perfect for hiking – mid-20’s by mid day, a
mountain breeze keeps the air cool, the calm Mediterranean
Sea spreads out under an infinite blue sky. In the rain-ward side
of the island, where there is a small forest of shady pine trees, stands a
memorial to the thousands of French soldiers who were held as prisoners of war
on the island during the Napoleonic war. Many perished from exposure, disease
and starvation. It was a quiet place; most cruisers chose to hang around the
water. We enjoyed the view from this perch, listening to the wind-driven sighs
of the pine forest, the wind rolling off the sun-baked hills, and in the
absolute quietness of the hills the only sound was the pines sighing, like
waves after waves.
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