A trip to the island of Tabarca on a catamaran

I'd like to share our experience on board the Alicante Catamarán, one Sunday when we decided to visit the island of Tabarca.

We were given 15 minutes before embarking to organise ourselves and board the maxi catamaran with some help from the crew. A staff member received us, showing us where to sit and giving us some general information about the boat and the trip, which was covered in greater detail in the captain's welcoming speech.

We set off punctually for the isle, and enjoyed the crossing near the Costa Blanca where we could see the lighthouse of Santa Pola while having a cup of tea or coffee.

The four crew members were very attentive and professional throughout the trip and they offered us fruit, snacks and drinks. The soft drinks and fruit juices are unlimited throughout the day! The adults were offered an alcoholic drink, which we reserved for lunch. The catamaran has a bar on board for when the atmosphere gets lively and someone wants another drink. By the way, the crew speaks Spanish, English and French.

After about an hour and half's sailing, we anchored very close to the island. We were given the options of staying on board, swimming and then having lunch, or going to the island and then eating. We chose the second option so we could take a brief walk around Tabarca and explore the walls, the church of San Pedro and San Pablo and the beautiful streets of the village. 

Then it was time for lunch on board the catamaran. The meal consisted of salad, paella and fruit. It's a sign of just how well they take care of you when you discover that the paella comes directly from a restaurant on Tabarca. The fact that it is freshly prepared the same day according to everyone's individual choice can be detected in the excellent flavour (when casting off, a sailor asked us if we preferred it to be chicken, fish or vegetable paella).

When the time to take a dip came, we were offered life jackets along with armbands and other floats for the kids. There were some elderly people who preferred to use the ladder to enter the water more slowly, but the kids happily jumped into the sea from the deck. A lifeguard was also present at all times, keeping an eye open for everyone's safety. Anyone who wanted to do some snorkel diving had everything ready and waiting (at no extra charge) to go off and enjoy the Tabarca Marine Reserve. Did you know that it was the first marine reserve in Spain? You can imagine then just how beautiful the sea bed is here, covered with sea grass and full of brightly coloured fish.

Also, there are games and other stuff on board to entertain the children. What's even more important is that there is a bathroom on board and a fresh water shower to get the salt off after swimming in the sea.

We returned to the port of Alicante sailing. They let us participate in hoisting the sails and taking the helm for a few minutes, which we all really enjoyed doing. While chatting to some of the crew members, they explained in more detail about how a few years ago they started with sustainable, eco-friendly sailing at Alicante Catamarán, which we appreciated very much and made us want to go back on board even more.

Alicante Catamarán also does shorter trips along the coast of Alicante province up to Cabo de la Huerta, passing near Albufereta and San Juan beach.

An unforgettable, out of the ordinary experience for all the family, and definitely one to be recommended.