Sailing Kittiwake - Winter on a sailboat in the Med

Well, it’s officially October and it’s safe to say the weather has cooled down a fair bit. The seemingly endless Summer heatwave seems like a distant memory as we take out our scarfs and coats and start writing our Christmas lists…

(FYI it’s never too soon to get excited about Christmas)

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For Elena and Ryan, who live aboard their beloved boat Kittiwake, winter is a whole other ball game...

Since they’re about to spend a long winter on their sailboat in the Mediterranean, they have both carried out extensive research and spoken to various other cruisers about the best spots to spend the winter months in the Med. Luckily for us, they’ve been kind enough to share what they’ve found. So, if you're looking for a place to go, look no further than the video below...

The pair have chosen each location very carefully, based on milder temperatures, the presence of a cruising community and good marinas or anchorages.

The first spot to mention is Gibraltar.

This is beneficial as it’s an English-speaking country, there’s a good liver board community and there’s lots of flights to the UK, so it’s within easy access to home.  

Next up, Almeria. This is a mild spot with a small cruising community and from their research, supposedly a really good marina.

Cartagena is very well-known amongst long-term cruisers; a lot of people spend more than one winter there. It’s a buzzing location with lots to do, and it’s a good place to connect with lots of other sailors.

Mallorca is ideal for those sailing late into the season and early into the spring. It’s also very easy to fly to the UK.

South Sardinia is the chosen winter spot for Elena and Ryan specifically. Weather records show it as fairly mild and it has a good amount of marinas.

In Sicily, people have spoken well of Licata and Ragusa, which are lovely towns with a big cruising community that tend to meet each winter.  

Malta is popular amongst friends of Elena and Ryan due to consistently high temperatures even through the coldest months. It also has a very historical character, and many anchorages as well as marinas in case this is your preferred choice.

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