Seven Summits Sailing

In a Balearic Paradise

After sharing their preparations for their round-the-world voyage with us in our last issue, the Aitayama crew are now heading for the Balearics to get their adventure off to a flying start.

1 / 6

Published 31/01/2025

By Julie Echelle

Issue: 200

Published: mar. / may 2025

Discover this issue

Who: Laura, Enrique, Aizea (4 years old) & Bandit (4 legs)
Where: Balearic Islands
Multihull: Bali 4.2
Instagram : @seven_summits_sailing

All the weather models were in agreement: we were hoisting the sails that evening. We were heading for Mallorca! At 5pm sharp, we made our last radio call to the port to announce our departure. In return, the marineros replied ‘buena proa’. That got me pretty emotional! We all met up in the cockpit. Bandit, his nose to the wind, was sticking close to Enrique at the helm. Aizea, with her tousled hair, was laughing with joy, and I was watching everyone, savoring the magic of the moment. The sun warmed our faces as we watched the coastline recede behind us. The sea was a little rough though, with waves of over a meter on each side, and we felt a little seasick. At 8pm, night fell on Aitayama. The hours passed and we faithfully kept our night watches until the first light of day, when the sky lit up a deep orange. The temperature was mild, and the smells of the earth tickled my nose, while a tired little bird came aboard to rest for a few minutes before continuing on its way.

At around 9.30am, we arrived at the anchorage in Sóller, where we stayed for a few days to visit the surrounding area. I’ll never forget our morning swims on the beach, the breathtaking view from the mirador, the little wood train, but also the heavy squall we had to endure one morning.

We then set sail for Pollença, at the northern end of the island. This bay became our refuge when there were strong winds, but we’ve earned the shelter after battling so hard with our anchor buoy line, which had become tangled around the chain! This anchorage is special because every morning a seaplane flies over our mast carrying out training sessions. The name Seven Summits Sailing is testament to our love of heights, so we climbed to the top of the 365 Calvari steps from where we took time to admire the amazing view.

The next day we set off to discover Menorca, a paradise for hikers and full of secret beaches: it’s probably the wildest island in the Balearic archipelago. We set sail for it, keeping an eye on the gray clouds forming behind us. We were trapped by the weather at Cala en Porter: we couldn’t go ashore for 30 hours. Bandit found himself stuck on a floating cork and saw his dream of frolicking on the sand fade by the hour. Eventually, the waves and the wind died down and we had the cove to ourselves, when normally it would have been crowded.

A few days later, we moored at the Île du Roi floating pontoon in the port of Mahon. This pontoon is not connected to land, but its proximity to the town center by dinghy allowed us to visit and tour the island by car. It’s so beautiful! Mahon and its mermaid, its cannons, the reading session in Mallorcan, the Casa de Andalucía and its parks where Aizea had so much fun. Then it’s on to Ciutadella, with its colorful streets and port, and Binibequer Vell, with its white houses overlooking crystal-clear waters. We’ll never forget the S’Albufera nature park, where we enjoyed a magnificent hike, or the small fishing village of Es Grau, with its sunsets, grilled fish and turquoise-blue water. Here, I admit to wondering for a moment: ‘Why should we go any further? Isn’t this paradise? But the adventure had only just begun, and soon we’d be leaving for Sardinia.

Tags :