The impressive custom-built motor yacht Eileen, with a 50m LOA and 9.5m beam, departed recently from Puerto Calero after a six-month stay berthed on one of the marina’s comfortable superyacht pontoons.
Working in rotation, two captains shared responsibility for the yacht during the stay, attending separate owners on board. Prior to lockdown, they took the opportunity to cruise around most of the archipelago’s varied islands, conveying the owners’ genuine satisfaction with the local gastronomy, spectacular landscapes and excellent infrastructure.
Puerto Calero is part of the Calero Marinas group, an early adopter of facilities prepared especially for luxury yachts choosing to take advantage of the Canarian climate and Lanzarote’s world-class reputation for watersports. With well over three decades of experience, marina staff have responded to superyachts who have called ahead to set up itineraries that include cycling contests replete with race timing systems, photography tours or a few days of excellent kitesurfing.
In this event, two cruising programmes were designed around diving and gastronomy and then hiking and photography. Armed with Calero Marinas’ exclusive guide to the most highly rated restaurants, owners and crew were able to sample some coveted Canarian cuisine and award-winning wines. Marina staff also contracted local specialists to guide routes around the islands’ emblematic diving sites, nature rambles and viewpoints. In a biodiversity hotspot, with numerous national parks and protected natural monuments, the Canary Islands offer an extraordinary panorama for all manner of enthusiasts.
Despite the inconveniences of the lockdown period, the Canaries have emerged during the COVID-19 crisis as one of the least affected areas of Europe. Calero Marinas was quick to implement health and safety measures and has continued to provide services throughout the pandemic for the many international cruisers who elected to remain in the islands.
Managing Director José-Juan Calero expressed his satisfaction: It has been a great pleasure hosting Eileen’s captains and crew. We have always been mindful of how fortunate we are to be based in these extraordinary Biosphere Reserves, with such a wealth of prime outdoor activities. Our concierge teams work particularly hard to help visitors make the most of their stay and we continue to develop our shipyard services in order to offer the best possible range of assistance to visiting yachts.