Sailing Gentlyvideo
Meditterranean Marinas to keep your boat
12 May 2026 · 1h 27m · 5K views · Mediterranean Sea
What this video covers
A British sailor reviews 15-plus marinas along the Western Mediterranean coast — from Morocco's Tangier and Smir to Gibraltar, and east along Spain's Costa del Sol — as permanent or long-stay berths for UK boat owners post-Brexit.
The 90/30/90-day rolling Schengen rule is explained: three months in the EU, one month out, then three months back.0:13 Morocco sits outside the EU, so Tangier Marina and Smir (roughly 450 berths, built by a Spanish company, 25 miles from Gibraltar) allow unlimited visits; Smir's boatyard hauls out cheaper than Spain and delivers restaurant meals to the boat.4:01 Gibraltar's Queensway Quay earns the strongest recommendation — fully secure, experienced staff, short walk to town — but annual berths carry a long waiting list; Marina Bay at Ocean Village is noisier.8:49 In Spain, Estepona Marina rates as the best all-round permanent berth: secure, full-service, ten-minute walk to a complete town, ~€50–60 taxi from Gibraltar airport.13:31 Puerto Banús is first-rate but expensive and high-end.15:04 Benalmadena, with roughly 1,000 berths, offers the most boatyard services on the coast but berths facing the entrance suffer severe easterly swell — the narrator lost six mooring lines in one night there.21:28 Fuengirola suits a mid-range annual berth despite early-morning fishing-boat wash and nightly summer disco noise.18:57 Marbella's two marinas are rated mainly for locals, with security concerns for long unattended stays.16:48
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