Benalmadena and Caleta de Velez in the heart of the concrete jungle

Benalmadena and Caleta de Velez
After a week in Estepona, we were keen to move on as soon as the sky stopped throwing torrents of rain upon us. The high winds we had experienced had put our next port of call, Benalmadena, on the front of the local paper. Three cable cars had been blown from their cables! Fortunately no one had been hurt. Our friends on Lycka and Kasara were both there and we were looking forward to catching up with them, having last seen them in January in Gib'.
The 5th March provided the conditions we had been waiting for, a light westerly wind, sunshine and a smooth sea. We dodged the fishermen on our departure and motored out because, now, there was not enough wind to sail! An east going current assisted us however and by one o'clock we had passed Puerto de Jose Banus and Marbella and some playful dolphins joined us! We sent a text message to Paul and Anita to say we were on our way and they kindly reserved a place for us at the marina office.

The wind decided to play games with us and backed to the southeast and increased to a force 3. Up went the sails and off went the engine, for a blissful hour of motor less sailing! If only the scenery had been more picturesque as opposed to looming high-rise apartment buildings and hotels. We came alongside the control tower and checked in. Paul was there to help us moor, bows to, on the Dique de Levante, the huge outer breakwater, providing shelter for this artificial harbour. We were thankful that they invited us to dinner and afterwards we all went onboard Lycka to catch up on all the gossip with Hanna and Jochen.

Despite a vague, hung over feeling the next morning Chris and I decided to leave because Jochen merrily waved a horrendous weather forecast, predicting more gales in the next few days. Their description of the waves and sand coming over the breakwater onto their yachts in the last lot of gales was enough to get us ship-shape to move to the more sheltered marina of Caleta de Velez 20 miles along the coast.
We had been dubious about going into Velez because the pilot book suggests that you have to use your own anchor instead of a stern line being provided. We were reassured that this was not the case by another English couple, Terry and Jackie on Thursday Island who also decided it would be wise to head for better shelter. We had to motor the whole way, watching aeroplanes take off from Malaga into the blue-sky overhead. As we approached Caleta, a large black bull statue overlooked the bay from Torre del Mar, a holiday resort on the west of the bay.

Fortunately, Velez itself was not a high-rise town, three or four stories being about the highest.
Jochen's forecast did not really materialise and so after two nights the helpful marina staff phoned through for a forecast, which seemed suitable, although still on the side of high winds. The bay must have been well sheltered because there was no evidence of the possible force 6 gusting 7 and we decided to go.