Sailing in Mallorca – Everything you need to know

With its uniqueness, Mallorca is one of the most popular holiday destinations, whether you are a fan of quality and luxury, the wonderful landscapes that stretch all around you or exciting adventures. If all of the above appeals to you, you are in the right place – sailing in Mallorca is the right choice for you.

What attracts people to sailing is that they can sail freely, discover many impressive places and hidden landscapes. The perfect location for that is Mallorca, where you can perfect your sailing skills on a calm, azure sea or relax in a luxury yacht with top quality wine in the open Mediterranean.

The best way to discover the magnificent beauty of one of the most famous Balearic Islands is to experience it first hand on the impressive water and shores of the Mediterranean, with sailing in Mallorca.

Discover the beauty of sailing in Mallorca

Whether you are a passionate sailor, a lover of luxury boat trips or are enchanted by the beautiful landscapes, sailing in Mallorca offers a great opportunity to experience unforgettable moments on the azure sea.

This largest Balearic island of special beauty is proud of its white beaches, wonderful mountain ranges, fantastic coves and bays, but also protected areas and rich history. As one of the ideal destinations for a dream trip, Mallorca boasts a wide range of fun and quality activities and superb accommodation.

Favorable winds throughout the year and pleasant waves offer the ideal opportunity to enjoy numerous marine activities, whether you are engaged in them professionally or want to indulge in some new adventure. One of them is sailing in Mallorca, which is favored by numerous equipped harbors nearby, places to moor the boat, weak sea currents, and water where you can sail safely.

H3 Book the best Mallorca boat trips

There is no need to give up the exciting experience of sailing in Mallorca if you do not have your own boat or sailboat. On the island of Mallorca, you can very easily rent a boat or book a short trip and visit a location in the immediate vicinity. Best of all, the yacht and boat rental options in Mallorca are very diverse, so depending on your needs, you can rent a sailboat with or without a skipper.

In addition, the ideal option to enjoy sailing in Mallorca is to book one of the many boat trips. Palma de Mallorca, the capital city on the west coast of the island, offers you the largest offer of boat rentals on Mallorca island. You also have the option of a Palma excursion, as well as numerous sea activities: diving, surfing, kayaking and many others.

H4 Experience a great yacht party on Mallorca island

In addition to classic excursions and tours of Mallorca and the Balearic Islands in the immediate vicinity, if you are a fan of good fun and socializing, sailing in Mallorca also offers numerous private parties on luxury yachts, ships and sailboats.

Private parties on sailboats are ideal for formal occasions and events such as birthdays or celebrations. In addition to enjoying the sun and the beautiful view of the open sea, private yacht parties are a great opportunity to discover Mallorca’s magnificent hidden beaches, coves and bays with friends or family.

 Where to sail in Mallorca?

You can experience the incredible beauty of the island of Mallorca first hand by sailing along its magnificent shores. Whether you decide for a one-day sailing or a multi-day trip, in whichever region of this Balearic island you sail, sailing in Mallorca is a unique and unforgettable experience.

What makes this island ideal are, apart from the impressive landscapes and views, great sailing opportunities for both beginners and experienced sailors. We will introduce you to several of the most popular regions of the island for the most complete sailing in Mallorca experience.

 Cala Figuera / Cala d‘Or / Portocolom

The east coast of Mallorca Island is the perfect choice for you if you want to indulge in relaxed sailing. Sailing in Mallorca in this part of the region offers numerous hidden bays where you can take a break from sailing for a relaxing swim in the azure water.

The numerous bays in the eastern part of the island can only be reached if you sail along the sea, which is also an incredible opportunity to enjoy the untouched natural beauty of the island’s landscape. The bays in the eastern part of Mallorca are excellent places to anchor, which are often cheaper than other regions. The only important thing is that when anchoring in very small coves, you keep a sufficient distance from sharp and rough cliffs.

What is characteristic of sailing in Mallorca in the eastern part of the region is the opportunity to experience an impressive view of the Serra Levant mountain, whose height reaches up to 500m.

 Cabrera

Cabrera is one of the beautiful Balearic islands in the Mediterranean, which is only 5 km away from the southern coast of the island of Mallorca. This incredible sailing region used to be a military area, so today it is actually an uninhabited region. Cabrera is characterized by a great diversity of flora and fauna, which is why this area has been declared a National Park.

If you decide to experience your sailing in Mallorca in the Cabrera sailing region, you need to submit a special request for free sailing to the National Park administration. You should do this regulation in time, keeping in mind the limited number of only 50 sailboats that can sail around the coast of Cabrera at the same time.

Only two bays can be accessed within the Cabrera region:

• Bay Es Port
• Bay Cala Es Burri

Among other important regulations, we will mention the following:

• If you want to dive, you need a special permit
• Anchoring is not allowed
• Mooring is possible on buoys

In any case, if you follow all the rules, sailing around Cabrera can be a fantastic experience, which, in addition to the Mediterranean landscape, will complement the tour of the museum on the island and the old Castell castle.

 Bahia de Palma / Can Pastilla

What is characteristic of Bahia de Palma and Can Pastilla is that both ports are extremely noisy, due to the high number of visitors and tourists. It can be your choice if you prefer crowded and popular places for travel and vacation.

The large bay of Palma (Bahia de Palma) boasts the largest harbor on the island of Mallorca. Bahia de Palma is a great area for sailing in Mallorca, characterized by views of the Tramuntana mountains and a beautiful beach, as well as deep, azure waters where you can sail.

Regarding the mooring of the sailboat in the open Bahia de Palma, you need to make an appointment in advance in order to be able to secure your mooring spot in time.

This popular bay in the south of the island is an excellent starting point for your trip to the capital, Palma de Mallorca. You can anchor your sailboat directly in front of Palma’s most famous attraction, the must-see Gothic cathedral of La Seu.

Can Pastilla is one of the popular destinations for family trips, but also for your exciting sailing in Mallorca adventure. The port of San Pastilla can provide up to 500 places for mooring of sailboats and ships with a draft of up to 3 meters. If you need overnight accommodation, you can opt for some of the luxury accommodation nearby:

• B Q Àmfora Beach Hotel
• BQ Aguamarina Boutique Hotel
• Hotel Amic Gala
• Hotel Marbel
• Nautic Hotel & Spa
• Hotel Las Arenas

 Port d‘ Andratx

You will get the real experience of sailing in Mallorca in Port d’Andratx, which is a favorite place of many sailors on this Balearic island. This beautiful port is located on the south-west coast of Mallorca, and offers up to 500 places for mooring and anchoring sailboats and ships.

The popular Sierra de Tramuntana mountain extends right from Port d’Andratx, so during a break from sailing in this part of the Mediterranean, you can do a short hike.

What you will love about Port d’ Andratx is the magnificent scenery and the constant presence of wind, especially if you are a keen sailor and a lover of a good wind on the ocean. Best of all, you will be able to see top yachts and impressive ships that stand out for their beauty, as this is a location where many celebrities and professional sailors arrive with their luxury yachts.

Port de Sóller

The western side of the coast of the island of Mallorca is characterized by steep cliffs and the beautiful Tramuntana mountains that descend all the way to the Mediterranean Sea itself. This region offers fantastic sailing in Mallorca. What is important to remember when sailing is that Port de Sóller regularly experiences strong winds characteristic of Mallorca (Mistral, Tramontana).

Many sailors who venture out to explore the coast of Mallorca aim to do so within a week, however, the west coast of the island does not offer many places where you can moor a sailboat or a boat. The only safe place to anchor and moor a ship on the west coast is the safe harbor of Port de Sóller.

Apart from the fantastic experience of sailing in Mallorca in the west of the region, Port de Sóller offers you some other exciting activities during your trip:

• Luxury restaurants with Mediterranean specialties
• Numerous shops
• Historically significant tramcar for which the port is famous
• A railway line that you can walk around
• Excursion along the rims of the Tramuntana mountains

Port de Pollensa / Alcúdia

The northern coast of Mallorca is characterized by the long bay of Alcúdia. In this part of the region is Port de Pollensa, one of Mallorca’s largest ports. Sailing in Mallorca is an exciting and fun experience in the north of the island.

Fantastic views of the foothills of the Tramuntana mountains, the distinctive peninsula and Cap de Formentor lighthouse in the Pollença area, clear and turquoise water, incredibly white, long beaches… All this makes sailing in the Bay of Alcúdia an unforgettable experience. The thing to remember is that there are very sudden winds and waves that can occasionally occur in this area.

Cala Ratjada

The extreme north of the island of Mallorca is enriched by one of the most important fishing ports, Cala Ratjada. The view that stretches along this part of the coast includes unique towers and lighthouses.

If you need to relax and take a break from sailing in Mallorca, you can do so at one of several places for anchoring and mooring a sailboat. Whether you swim or sail along this beautiful coastline, you will be amazed by the landscape of the cliffs of the Serra Levant.

Best mooring locations in Mallorca

If you embark on unforgettable sailing in Mallorca, it is useful to know where on the island there is a possibility to moor and anchor your vessel.

The north of the Mallorca coast offers you the possibility to anchor in Bahia de Sóller, a bay that resembles a lagoon, where you have the opportunity to experience the most beautiful sunsets in Mallorca.

When it comes to the west and south coast of the island of Mallorca, suitable locations for anchoring a sailboat are:

• Es Trenc
• Cala de Santa Ponça
• Cala Mondragó
• The Bay of Pollensa

The largest marina on the island

One of the best places to moor your boat or sailboat if you decide to go sailing in Mallorca is the Real Club Náutico de Palma, which has the largest marina on the island of Mallorca. Characteristic of this spacious marina is that it can provide up to 1000 berths for sailboats and ships whose length does not exceed 35m.

This great sailboat mooring spot also offers:

• Numerous restaurants in the pier serving top quality local specialties
• Boutique hotels and excellent accommodations
• Many attractions and sights such as the cathedral nearby

Sailing Qualifications in Mallorca

The island of Mallorca offers numerous charter yachts (yachts that you can rent for a certain period of time), but also the possibility of attending a multi-day or weekly sailing course.

If you are a beginner sailor, you can experience sailing in Mallorca precisely in the form of one of the available courses. By obtaining the necessary sailing qualification, you have a fantastic opportunity to later charter a yacht yourself or be part of a competent crew on board.

RYA Competent Crew sailing course

The five-day sailing course trains you to become part of a competent sailing crew. The RYA Competent Crew sailing course is the perfect training for a sailing beginner, especially if you want to learn more about sailing and gain the necessary experience to be part of a ship’s crew in the future.

This exciting practical course offers its participants the opportunity to learn some basic activities important to sailing:

• Mooring of the ship
• Sail control
• Dropping anchor, anchoring
• Basic activities of daily ship routine

Part of the course is a mandatory health and safety routine adapted to the marine environment and conditions. Apart from the mentioned more difficult part of the work related to learning to sail, you get the opportunity to explore the untouched and remote beaches of the Mallorca island, small villages of unique beauty, as well as to enjoy the whole experience of sailing in Mallorca.

RYA Day Skipper

If you want to further improve your skills as a beginner sailor, RYA Day Skipper is your next step.

If your dream is to sail freely in the most beautiful areas of the Mediterranean and to relax in fantastic water during the breaks, then this intensive sailing course is ideal for you, bearing in mind the fact that Mallorca has many places where you can moor your sailboat after sailing.

What distinguishes the Day Skipper course are the following necessary skills:

• Navigation skills
• Rudder management and control
• Safety of crew and passengers on board

The certificate you receive at the end of this course allows you to steer a sailboat as a skipper over a short distance, in passages along the coast itself. In addition, you can rent a boat independently so that you have complete freedom sailing in Mallorca.

 Conclusion

With numerous impressive harbors, many interesting attractions that are worth visiting, the incredible beauty of the sea, coast, mountains and beaches, you will surely enjoy the island of Mallorca. That’s why we strongly recommend you to surrender to the Mallorcan winds, sailing in the comfort of your luxury sailboat, and in this way experience the art of sailing with the unique sailing in Mallorca.