San Telmo is a fabulous anchorage lying directly in front of the sleepy resort village of Sant Elm/San Telmo. While families jostle along the foreshore slurping luscious ice cream; crystal clear water laps on sandy beaches. Wind tickles the leaves of the forest behind and yachts rock gently against the backdrop of Isla Dragonera. This is a delightful place to drop the anchor or pull up to a buoy, whether it be it for lunch or overnight. If you fancy going somewhere slightly different on your sailing holiday, venture a little further than most and spend the night in San Telmo you won’t be disappointed.
The anchorage at San Telmo lies within a protected zone that runs from Punta del Morro in the south to Punta Negra in the north. This protected area includes the islet of Mitjana and Isla Pantaleu. In the summer buoys are laid between Isla Pantaleu and Punta del Morro. These buoys are in place to protect the endangered beds of Poseidon Weed and are managed by the government. The cost for using a buoy is approximately 30€/night for a 12m yacht (2013). Costs increase or decrease depending on the length of your vessel. This controversial protection programme is very unpopular with the local community. Each year there are less and less buoys and in some places none at all, so don’t be surprised if you find none here. Likewise the management of the buoys is sometimes taken over by some enterprising local group, in which case they will be quick to come out and tell you all about it! In the past the buoys seemed to be free of charge if you were only stopping for lunch.
If you would rather anchor this is still possible but anchoring is only permitted on sand. This is strictly enforced. If you want to avoid a telling off, or worse still a fine, make sure you your anchor technician has good aim! There is a large sandy patch directly in front of the main beach between Isla Pantaleu and the foreshore. This is a very popular place with locals so you will need to deploy your fenders and be prepared to get cosy with your neighbours. Most of the smaller boats leave as the sun goes down which allows additional breathing space for those spending the night.
Onshore the little village is very laidback. There are not many hotels but rather this is a resort mostly made up of apartments. The whole place is very fashionable with the Spanish and those seeking an unpretentious experience on Mallorca. There are some interesting shops and the restaurants of a high standard. Some establishments serve a range of really interesting local delicacies. I once had a very tasty “meat” dish here that turned out to be an ultra-traditional Mallorcan dish made with lights; that will teach me to ask for something really authentic but I enjoyed every bite. Also in town there are a couple of little grocery shops, a pharmacy and at the top of the hill, on the northern end of the village, a fantastic French-style bakery with some of the best croissants to be had outside France.
San Telmo is well-known as a walking destination due to its close proximity to the Tramuntana Mountain range and the so called Trappist Reserve. This is a lovely area to spend some time exploring particularly during the hotter summer months as the majority of the walking is through shady trees. (Note: in 2013 there was a major forest fire in this area so seek local advice as to the best routes to take) One of the best walks is to the abandoned Trappist monastery (Sa Trapa). If you combine this with a side trip to Torre de Cala Basset (a ruined tower built as a lookout against pirate attacks) the walk will take about three hours return. The countryside in this area is very beautiful and you are rewarded with amazing views out over Isla Dragonera at various points along the way. The last section of the walk is a bit of a scramble but the monastery ruins are interesting enough to make the effort worthwhile. If you want a shorter walk it is approximately 2.5km to Torre de Cala Basset from San Telmo. If you have small children I would keep a close eye on them on this trail as the path is narrow and the high cliff edges dropping away to the sea are perilously close at times.
Another interesting day trip from San Telmo is to Sa Dragonera/Isla Dragonera. Isla Dragonera is a small island some 2.5 nautical miles offshore and has been designated a natural park. There are several excellent walks on the island but one of the biggest highlights for most people is meeting the resident population of endemic wall lizards (Podarcis Iilford). Trip boats can take you to the island and back or you can join one of the boat excursions (around 25€ for an adult on 12.50€ for a child 2015) which last about five hours and include snorkelling, swim stops and lunch. You may be tempted to use your dingy or kayak etc. to make the trip across but from experience I can tell you there are some strong currents in this area and a breeze tends to pick up in the afternoon. The combination of the two can make the channel very choppy and unpleasant for small craft so think carefully when planning such an excursion!