RIVIERA RUN

Paul Adriaansens recounts last season’s dream cruise through Spain, France and Italy

- Paul Adriaansens

Knowing what we know today, 2019 was still a “normal” year, but keeping our boat, a Princess 49 called 4 Sea Sons, in Valencia for the winter was a wise decision.

At the beginning of April 2019 we flew to Valencia to prepare the boat and get her moving again on 3 May. The temperature was on the low side for the time of the year but it did not prevent us from using the flybridge and enjoying all the beautiful stops along the northeast coast of Spain. The best thing about these ports is the quality of food on offer. This, together with the Spanish friendliness and good organisation of waste management, makes Spain a better cruising option than France or Italy in my opinion.

Barcelona’s Port Vell was the ideal spot to celebrate my 60th birthday. This glamorous, centrally located marina offers a high level of service and of course location from which to explore the city. Further north, towards the Spanish/French border, there are many small picturesque harbours. The disappointment comes once you have passed Argelès-sur-Mer, a beautiful place well worth stopping at and visiting. If the weather forecast is unreliable and you want to stick to the coast to avoid crossing the Golfe Du Lion, the best thing to do is avoid all the big marinas along the coast and head straight for Port Camargue. If you have a fast tender, go to Le Grau-du-Roi and take the river to Aigues-Mortes (meaning dead waters in French), a medieval walled commune. Our trip continued further along the French Côte d’Azur.