October 1st, 2019
Since I started our business around 6 years ago, it has always been a challenge finding available free berths in Palma. I’m also acutely aware of how expensive it is here with demand far greater than supply. Mallorca is a lovely place to be and of course the ports capitalise on this. Prices have risen significantly in the last 24 months and we now seem to be in what appears to be a bidding war for berths. This is because of the shortage of berths as a result of the redevelopment of the Club de Mar as well as the continuing charm of the island. Prices have gone through the roof and this greatly concerns us.
Berthon Spain has a reasonable amount of sway with the ports here. We employ someone full time to find and book berths and yard periods for our clients and we are speaking with the ports daily. Our clients know that we will find them the best deal in order to keep costs down to the minimum possible level.
For this reason we are expanding our operation to the port of Valencia. A recent visit there left me in no doubt that Valencia is the perfect location for us to use to provide a great service to our clients. It is super close to Palma (just 140 nautical miles), which is no time at all on a flight, and by sea it is a passage of under 24 hours. It offers us the potential to provide both value for money and high quality service and refit to our clients. I have selected a very well protected marina with a shipyard that has spare capacity and half of the berths are empty. I have been quoted prices that could save Berthon clients as much as 80% on in-water storage! Not only are the prices friendly, but there is a Real Club Nàutic, a Marina Beach Club, sailing schools and lovely beaches nearby.
Aside from the marina, Valencia itself is a beautiful Spanish town, well worth getting to know. It has a rich history in silk trading dating back to the 8th century. Any historical tour should include ‘La Lonja de la Seda’, a group of 15th century gothic buildings once used for silk trading as well as the 14th century city gates ‘Torres de Serranos’ and the 13th century cathedral. However, if you enjoy Art Nouveau and a bit of shopping, Valencia’s Central Market building is the place to go for food and fresh produce. As well as the rich history and ancient architecture, Valencia is renowned for its state-of-the-art science and cultural park ‘Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias’.
All this is accessible from the marina in just 20 minutes via excellent bus and metro public transport links. The town has restaurants and bars in abundance. It is believed that the first ever Paella was cooked by Valencian farmers, so if you’re still on the hunt for true authenticity, this could be an exciting destination for your taste buds!
Of course Berthon Spain has its heart in Mallorca – and we are not changing that. We have a large and successful business here, and Palma has its many merits, particularly for yachts that are for sale. However, we are now able to offer the Berthon service in Valencia too, taking advantage of the pricing differential that the less expensive in-water storage costs brings.
Varadero Valencia, which is part of the IPM Group, is investing heavily in the infrastructure of both the shipyard and marinas, with a new 600 ton travel lift on the way. With several familiar names from Palma popping up over there, it’s very obvious that this is going to become another key location in The Mediterranean. When I was last there WALLY ONE was having a complete refit in Varadero Valencia’s shed; and that’s not a small project by any stretch of the imagination! This demonstrates what can be achieved in this new location.
We have already repositioned some of the Berthon Spain fleet in Valencia and over the coming weeks and months we will be building the correct infrastructure and support around these yachts and those that we hope will join them.
If you would like to have further information about the service that Berthon Spain offers in Valencia please do get in touch and I would be delighted to discuss this with you.
andrew.fairbrass@berthonspain.com
+34 674 461 405
+34 971 415 441
