Being a combination of culture and nature, Mallorca will impress you with its historic towns filled with medieval churches, ancient castles and art museums, all surrounded by a welcoming, laid back vibe that encapsulates everything that’s great about this magical place.
Arriving in Mallorca
If you want to charter a boat in Mallorca, the easiest way to reach the island is by plane, so the initial destination should be Palma de Mallorca Airport.
Puerto de Palma is another option to reach Mallorca, this time by ferry. Depending on where you land, or point of departure, you can book a ferry from Barcelona or Valencia with destination Mallorca. If you want to go to Mallorca by ferry from Barcelona or Valencia, a good idea is to make a reservation for the crossing in advance, because during summer is very crowded. You can book the ferry from Ferriesonline.com for both Barcelona and Valencia.
In Palma de Mallorca there are multiple marinas where you can find good deals to rent a boat, from a dingy to super yachts, there is a good offer for everyone.
The marinas in Mallorca offer premium amenities and we recommend the following:
Weather in Mallorca
Mallorca has a pleasant climate all year round with very few raining days, giving you the opportunity to sail in good conditions almost anytime. January and February are the coldest months, with highs of 15 °C (59 °F) and summer moths with temperatures up to 30 °C (86 °F).
Speaking of wind, best months to sail in Mallorca are April to October, with N winds and forces between 7 and 16 knots. You should know that Mallorca is exposed to the Tramontana, a wind which originates in the French Central Massif and the Pyrenees and it could blow strong during certain times of the year, so you should constantly check the weather forecast since this NW wind can appear from nowhere on a sunny day.
Sailing in Mallorca
capetanos.comExplore Mallorca
Mallorca is an extremely popular sailing destination during summer, and although it gets crowded during summer, you can still find remote coves where you can drop the anchor, or exceptional marinas with great amenities, where you can moor and discover the island. There are many places to discover, and maybe one week will not be enough to discover everything, so we divided this sailing guide in 5 parts:
- Palma de Mallorca
- South of Mallorca
- East of Mallorca
- North of Mallorca
- West of Mallorca
1. Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the island’s capital and most probably will be your starting point for this sailing adventure. Independent of your next plans, you should give the city a couple of days to explore or even more, sailors coming to Palma prefer to spend even a week or so here.
One of the must visit places in Palma is Basilica de Santa Maria de Mallorca. The magnificent 14th century gothic cathedral known as La Seu, is the most emblematic building of Mallorca’s capital. Being one of Europe’s tallest gothic structures, it’s impossible to miss the imposing golden sandstone building. Going inside, you will understand why is also called the "Cathedral of Light". In total there are 61 stained-glass windows, the most spectacular one being the central rose window, which harnesses the morning sun, flooding the building with coloured beams of light.
- Timetable:
Tuesday to Thursday: 10:00 – 15:00 - Ticket:
4 EUR regular
8 EUR skip the line
A little further you can find the Castell de Bellver, so perfectly maintained that is hard to believe it was built more than 700 years ago. Three large towers surround a central courtyard, connected by an arch to a free-standing keep. The courtyard is built on two levels, the ground floor with semi-circular arches and a flat roof, the upper level with Gothic arches and rib-vaulting.
- Timetable:
April – September: Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 19:00; Sunday: 10:00 – 15:00
October – March: Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00; Sunday: 10:00 – 15:00 - Ticket:
4 EUR regular
2 EUR reduced
For culture lovers will be a pleasure to visit the Es Baluard Contemporary Art Museum and the Fundacion Juan March Museum. If you are into shopping, we recommend heading to the Borne parade, Unio street, Plaza Weyler and Jaume III street.
After a day of visiting the city, you should spend some time at the beach before heading back to your boat, take a dip on one of the city's beaches such as the famous Playa de Palma with its many shops, restaurants and clubs.
Basilica de Santa Maria de Mallorca
capetanos.com2. South of Mallorca
Raise the anchor and head south for Mallorca’s most tranquil spots, the best unspoilt sand beaches and good anchorages. After leaving Sa Rapita town, on your port side you will see Es Trenc Beach, one of the best sandy beaches in the southern part of Mallorca, making it a favourite spot for tourists.
Going further South, you can stop in Colonia de Sant Jordi, in the Port of Campos, or you can choose to drop the anchor in one of the many anchorages available in the area.
Some of the spots we recommend you are close to:
On the far south side of the island you should see on your port side the Cap de ses Salines lighthouse, which will signal you to change course to North.
Boats at anchor, South Mallorca
capetanos.com3. East of Mallorca
The East of Mallorca will just impress you with its magnificent landscapes, and one of them for sure is Es Pontas, a rock formation visible from the sea, which is a big, natural rock arch in the ocean, just off the coastline, and a very popular spot for watching the sunset.
One of the most popular spots for tourists is also the area of Porto Cristo, which is home to the famous Caves of Drach, an underground path that will lead you to the shores of one of the largest underground lakes in the world.
Sailing further, you can also visit the Caves of Artà, another cave that will just stun you with the greatness of nature. Head even more to North, to Capdepera city, where you can visit the Capdepera Castle, from where you can admire the amazing views over the city.
The most eastern point on the island is guarded by the Cala Ratjada Lighthouse, and you cannot miss it while sailing North. The lighthouse area offers impressive views and on clear days, there are good chances to see Minorca Island.
Good moorings and anchorages in this area:
Natural rock arch – Es Pontas, East Mallorca
capetanos.com4. North of Mallorca
Largest city on the Northern part of Mallorca is Alcudia, situated between two bays, and one of the most beautiful cities on the island. In Alcudia you can also find Alcudiamar Marina, in case you need to fill in the tanks or service the boat, the marina is offering top class amenities and facilities.
If you need to reprovision the boat, you can shop in Alcudia, and also you should take some time to explore the medieval city, being a pleasure to stroll around the walled old town where Moll, Xara and Palma gates still stand tall. Xara and Palma are distinguished by two massive towers connected by a gigantic stone arch.
Do not rush this visit, but allow yourself to stroll among the winding streets and narrow alleys, visiting and admiring the incredible architecture of this special town, steeped in history. Enjoy the beautiful blooming flowers and clay pots decorating the streets and allow yourself to be enchanted by the village houses with large Renaissance windows, their walls decorated with family coats of arms, garlands and other impressive decorative pieces.
Further north, you can find several coves for good anchorage and also one of the best spots to admire the sunset:
Alcudia Bay, North Mallorca
capetanos.com5. West of Mallorca
Sailing on the west side of the island will bring you to the fascinating Serra de Tramuntana mountain landscape, being the perfect place to be for hikers and cyclists. The mountain range runs for 100 kilometres, parallel to the coast from the Cape of Formentor the town of Andratx. In this area you will discover one of Majorca's greatest charms: how in the blink of an eye the landscape shifts from mountain to wide sandy beaches.
On the western part of the island, you can spend a couple of days or more to discover some of the most charming towns and villages on the island:
Valldemossa, where you can visit the Carthusian Monastery where Chopin and George Sand spent the winter in 1838.
- Address: Plaça Cartoixa, Valldemossa (Balearic Islands) 07170
- Ticket 9.5 EUR regular
Deia, with its amazing views from the gardens of Son Marroig, the former mansion of Archduke Luis Salvado.
Soller, located 3 km inland from the Port de Soller in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Biniaraix and Binibassi. Here you can visit the Sala Picasso y Sala Miro and Museu de Sóller.
Port de Soller, West Mallorca
capetanos.comIf you intend to visit Mallorca, we hope we run through many reasons for you to decide spending some quality time on the island, even if you rent a boat to visit the coastline or just spend some time in the amazing towns around the island.
Mallorca is ideal for those seeking a quiet and relaxing place, as well as for those seeking adventure, amazing landscapes and rich history and Mallorca has it all, one of a kind landscapes, amazing beaches and coves, city life, gastronomy and culture.
