Chartering in Ibiza and Formentera: buoy fields, posidonia and crowded bays

Ibiza and Formentera make up the Pityusic islands, the southern part of the Balearics, and are a short flight from most British and Dutch airports. Between them lie the Ses Salines natural park, the shallow strait of Es Freus and the small island of Espalmador. The water is famously clear because much of the seabed is covered in posidonia, a seagrass that shelters the beaches and gives a home to many species. In July and August the well known bays are crowded, ferries and tripper boats run through Es Freus all day, and in southerly or easterly winds some anchorages turn rolly.

The Balearic government protects posidonia by law: anchoring on the meadows is banned, and patrol boats check during the season. Drop the hook only on pale sand and ask the base about charts or apps that show where the meadows are. Protected areas such as Ses Salines have buoy fields that must be booked in advance in summer, usually online through the Balearic government. Turn up without a booking in high season and you may find every buoy taken. Fees and booking windows change, so get the current position at handover.

Plan each day so that you reach the bay early and know where you will spend the night before evening. Cross Es Freus well clear of the ferries and give the shallow patches on the chart a wide berth. Spanish bases want a suitable certificate, usually an ICC or an RYA Day Skipper or above; see the page on chartering in Spain for the detail. If you damage someone else's boat or property with the charter yacht you are personally liable, so your own skipper liability insurance belongs in the preparations.

Worth remembering

In Ibiza and Formentera you look at the seabed before you let the anchor go.