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islands
Columbretes
Weekend in the Columbretes Islands
Do you know what the Columbretes Islands are and where they are? They are a group of islands, which form a protected nature reserve, located about 30 miles from the Castellón coast and about 50 miles north of Valencia.
They constitute a natural paradise, rich in biodiversity and unique. They can be visited aboard a sailboat, being a weekend away from Valencia, leaving on Friday night and returning on Sunday evening. It is a perfect destination if you are getting a nautical degree or you already have it, this is an ideal journey for you, if you want to spend a different weekend and if you like to snorkel, here you will find an incredible variety of species, just dive in and At night, with no light pollution from the coast, you'll see the stars like never before. You will also get to know one of the most beautiful and impressive nature reserves on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, which can only be accessed in small groups and with medium-sized boats.
You can do a full weekend, accommodation with full board and the trip from €220 per person.
A little more information about Columbretes
History of the Columbretes Islands.
The Columbretes Islands are a small archipelago of volcanic origin located about 35 miles off the coast of Castellón. There are twenty islands and islets that occupy 600 hectares.
The largest island is Isla Grossa, with an area of 10 hectares. It is the one that appears in these first photos. It may look like the crashed ship from the Alien saga, but no, it's just a quite large volcanic crater.
They have been known for a very long time. The Romans called it Colubraria, the Greeks Ophiusa and the Iberians Moncolobrer, referring to the large number of snakes that inhabited them. For centuries they were used as a refuge for pirates.
Las Columbretes, is a quiet and privileged place with nature in its purest state...so much so that this wonderful paradise is only accessible by boat.
Flora and fauna on the islands.
The relative poverty of species in the terrestrial environment contrasts with the biodiversity of the marine reserve, which is home to hundreds of species. Red coral abounds in Las Columbretes, seriously threatened in other areas.
You will see how jumping from the boat and snorkeling you will be able to see a multitude of groupers without much effort. And if you are luckier you can swim with sea turtles.
In addition to these, we find the sea bream, the oblada, the chopa, the black croaker, the scorpion, the snapper and schools of sardines and anchovies, which attract occasional species such as tuna and swordfish.
Trip plan
To start our boat vacation to Columbretes, we will meet on Friday afternoon in the port of Valencia, to introduce ourselves, chat about safety regulations, behavior on board, knowledge of the boat, etc., under the instructions of the skipper. . Once everything is stowed and the cabins distributed, it sets off for Columbretes.
We will leave Valencia after having dinner on the boat, and we will arrive at the Columbretes archipelago on Saturday at dawn, and if we are lucky with the weather, we will contemplate wonderful views like this one. We will anchor, have breakfast and visit Isla Grossa, accompanied by one of the park guides. The visit is free.
As we are in a protected and perfectly preserved natural area, it is only allowed to visit it in small groups, not leaving the delimited path, respecting animals and plants, not smoking or lighting fires and not leaving garbage or waste in our path. We will dedicate the day to snorkeling, swimming, eating or sunbathing. You will be surprised to see quite large groupers and in quantity already in the first dive. To dive in Columbretes with a bottle, prior authorization is required.
Later we will have dinner, and we will spend the night anchored on board our boat in Columbretes in the light of the stars, which surely, you have not been able to see before, with this clarity. If the weather conditions allow it, being more than 50 km from any coast, and therefore there is no light pollution, this will allow us to see the celestial dome with such luminosity that sometimes you can even see the milky way reflected, in the calm waters, from the cove of Isla Grossa.
The next day, we will leave in the morning to return to Valencia, enjoying a pleasant journey back, which if the wind is favorable, as is usual on the way back, can make us even more enjoyable, being propelled by our sails. .
The arrival is usually in Valencia between 17:00-18:00 on Sunday.
To carry out the trip there must be a minimum quorum of passengers, which if not reached, would mean the cancellation of the trip.
The planned itineraries are indicative and are normally feasible at the time of year in which they are scheduled, whether in spring or autumn. Adverse weather conditions and/or reasons for the safety of the crew or the ship, and/or very uncomfortable sailing conditions due to wind and waves may cause this route to vary, without thereby generating the right to claim.
The price of this excursion is €220/person. Does not include food, drink, fuel and mooring.
To reserve, all you have to do is make a transfer of €100/person and send a copy of the transfer receipt to info@elbarcoinglés.es
Places are limited. You can reserve your place or obtain more information through info@elbarcoinges.es or by calling us or by whatsapp at (+34) 622.62.62.21.
Go ahead and book now! Never run out of space!
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