Top up on sunshine before winter arrives! From Palma de Mallorca we sail through the protected Cabrera National Park, the dream islands of Formentera and Ibiza, and along the sun-drenched Costa Blanca to Cartagena. This passage is a relaxed island hop through the Balearics combined with a delightful coastal tour along the Spanish mainland. Short daily legs, plenty of alternative harbours, and two built-in buffer days make this passage safe and relaxed even in October – because while the weather can be changeable in autumn, the sun still shines here more than elsewhere.
Enjoy the golden autumn in the Mediterranean with pleasant temperatures, quiet coves without summer tourists, and the special atmosphere when the light softens and colours intensify. We sail together, learn from each other, and enjoy the freedom on the water.
Galini, our Hanse 575, is a true bluewater yacht – built for life and travel at sea. We travel with warm-hearted people, discover the world together and experience real boatlife: sun, wind, saltwater, small adventures and the feeling of truly discovering something as a crew. Galini is at home on the sea and usually far away from her home port of Poros. You will be part of life on board. Things won't always go to plan – sometimes something breaks or the weather changes our course – but that's exactly what makes it real. We also love to show you the boat's systems, and you can join in all activities – navigating, steering, cooking right through to technical tasks. No cruise, but genuine community, real experiences and the magic of the sea.
The Balearics and the Costa Blanca offer in October still pleasant sailing conditions with air temperatures of 20–25°C and water temperatures of 22–23°C. The Balearics are noticeably quieter in autumn than in summer – fewer boats, free buoy moorings on Cabrera and a particularly relaxed atmosphere on Formentera and Ibiza. The crossings between the islands and to the mainland (each 60–80 nm) are well-planned but require attention in October: the so-called Gota Fría – violent cold air intrusions – can bring strong winds and rain at short notice. Therefore two buffer days are planned to wait for the right weather window. Along the Costa Blanca (Dénia to Cartagena) there are safe harbours every 10–15 nautical miles – perfect for flexible sailing in changeable weather. The journey to Palma de Mallorca is straightforward thanks to the large international airport accessible from everywhere. From the destination port of Cartagena, you can reach Murcia-Corvera International Airport (RMU) in about 40 minutes or Alicante Airport (ALC) in about 90 minutes – both with good connections to German-speaking countries.
Our adventure begins on Saturday in Palma de Mallorca – boarding, getting to know each other and a safety briefing in the capital of the Balearics. From Palma we first sail south to the Cabrera Archipelago – Spain's largest maritime national park. Only 50 boats per day are allowed to navigate the protected waters, overnight buoys must be reserved in advance. From the castle above the natural harbour you have a breathtaking view of the archipelago. Cabrera is also our first buffer day: if the weather for the 80-mile leg to Formentera is not yet right, we enjoy an extra day in the national park. In suitable weather we sail across the open sea to Formentera and Espalmador – wonderfully quiet in October with Caribbean-like waters almost all to ourselves. From Ibiza, whose UNESCO old town of Dalt Vila unfolds its special charm without summer tourists, we make the crossing to the mainland to Dénia – the UNESCO city of gastronomy, famous for its red shrimp and the best paella in Spain. Here lies our second buffer day: a perfect place to wait for the weather for the coastal stretch with a glass of wine and fresh Gamba Roja. Along the Costa Blanca we sail past Calpe with its imposing Peñón de Ifach and Alicante to Cartagena. The short legs along the coast with a harbour every 10–15 nautical miles offer maximum flexibility – just right for October weather. In Cartagena, one of the Mediterranean's most historic ports, our passage ends. Which harbours and bays we exactly call at and how long we stay where is decided – as in real sailing – by the wind, the weather and the crew together.
For all those wanting to accumulate miles for their next sailing certificate: since we cross open sea on this passage, a good number of sea miles go into the logbook. Of course we will issue you an official mileage confirmation at the end of the trip.
Our Galini travels the world – and you can be there! With us you are not an anonymous guest on a standard route, but part of a real crew that discovers new horizons together. We are not a classic charter company that runs the same tour every week. Instead, we sail together, experience real boatlife and embrace the adventure that the sea holds for us.
Step aboard a well-equipped, lovingly maintained boat and enjoy the special: with us there is nothing off-the-shelf. Every passage is unique – sometimes spontaneous, sometimes planned, always full of surprises. Unplanned experiences are just as much a part of it as relaxed days on deck.
Would you like to do more than just sail along? Together we take care of the onboard systems, and you can pitch in yourself if you wish. You can turn a holiday passage into a genuine experience on a long-distance yacht and become part of life at sea.
Our passages combine holiday, experience, mindfulness and real boat life. Become part of our crew and experience a special time on Galini – authentic, communal and full of wanderlust.
Our beautiful GALINI is a very fast, large and comfortable yacht. She wintered in the Caribbean and will cross the Atlantic in April/May.
She is a modern Hanse 575 with 4 double cabins and a skipper's cabin. Each cabin has its own bathroom with electric toilet. Wi-Fi via Starlink (optional), multi-media, generator 220 V / 7 kW (230 V in all cabins), washing machine, air fryer and coffee machine. She has large solar panels, radar, AIS, a watermaker, hydraulic bathing platform and a tender with outboard motor. An excellent complement of safety and navigation equipment and much more – everything needed to be self-sufficient without having to call at a supply harbour. A yacht that meets the highest requirements for safety, design and comfort.
Her sailing characteristics are also outstanding! The Hanse was designed by Vovo Ocean Racers and is the fastest yacht in her class. Pleasure in sailing is guaranteed!
October in the Western Mediterranean: Air temperatures are still pleasantly warm at 20–25°C, water is 22–23°C – swimmable and much warmer than back home. The autumn sun is lower and bathes the coasts in a particularly warm light. In the Balearics, mainly northerly to north-easterly winds prevail at 2–4 Bft., interrupted by calm days. Along the Costa Blanca, thermal breezes and occasional Poniente (westerly wind) dominate. In October one must expect isolated bad weather phases – the notorious Gota Fría can bring strong south-easterly winds and rain for a short time. For this very reason the two buffer days are planned, and the dense sequence of harbours along the coast offers safe alternative havens at all times. However, most of the time we can expect brilliant sunshine and good sailing wind – the golden autumn of the Mediterranean.
Anyone who wishes can help with sailing, even steer the ship from time to time, or simply enjoy the beautiful nature and the day. In addition, everyone is jointly responsible for the crew's well-being. That means everyone takes a turn preparing breakfast or looking after dinner. Usually the hobby cooks on board quickly emerge, and those less interested in culinary arts simply hold back and wash up. During berthing and casting off, everyone typically lends a hand according to their abilities and after briefing by the skipper. The boat is to be kept clean by crew members during the passage. However, the final cleaning is done by the marina staff.
All crew members (except the skipper) pay an agreed amount into the crew kitty. From this kitty all common costs incurred during the passage are covered (e.g. diesel, harbour fees, deposit insurance, transit log, visitor's tax, national and nature park fees, service package for provided bed linen, final cleaning, gas, marina fee for the first and last night in port, etc.). According to old sailor's custom, the skipper is provided with meals by the crew during the passage.
Berth charter is the best way for everyone who wants to get to know sailing life. Previous knowledge or own sailing experience is not necessary. But perhaps you have already gathered sailing experience, completed a sailing course and want to deepen it? – Then the skipper will give you the opportunity to try yourself and help you gain future confidence. The crew can help shape the course of the passage and their wishes will be heard, subject to safety and weather. On such a passage you meet like-minded people, make new pleasant acquaintances and have an experienced skipper at your side who takes care of all nautical matters. The cabins on the yacht are usually equipped with various but very similar cabins. The berths are allocated by the skipper taking crew wishes into account. Whole cabins can be chartered by individuals, couples or families. Payment is per person and you don't have to worry about anything else.
We want to make sailing more sustainable and environmentally friendly. On GALINI we test various products that provide a great sailing experience while reducing environmental impact. At the same time, she is on a journey to explore the world. Her base is on Poros, Greece. But most of the time she is on a long voyage. Our small team of skippers looks forward to sharing a real sailing experience with you!
