Sailing Mallorca: a 7-day itinerary from Palma and Cabrera

A sailing week from Palma gives you two very different Mallorcas. To the west, the steep Tramuntana coast runs past the nature reserve of Sa Dragonera to the harbour of Sóller. To the south, you find long beaches at Es Trenc and the Cabrera archipelago, a national park where you spend the night on a booked buoy. Most legs are 10 to 25 nautical miles, with one longer day.

Where to charter a yacht for Mallorca?

Most charter yachts for this loop are based in Palma's marinas and in Can Pastilla, on the east side of the Bay of Palma. Compare charter yachts in Can Pastilla, boats in El Arenal, yachts in Andratx and in Cala d'Or on the south-east coast. The Mallorca page lists every base on the island, and you can book on Ship O'Hoi, bareboat or with a skipper. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday. To sail bareboat, the skipper needs a licence the charter company accepts: see our guides to the boat licence in Spain and the ICC certificate. If nobody on board has one, hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht.

A 7-day sailing itinerary from Palma

This loop starts and ends in the Bay of Palma. You take over the yacht on Saturday and return on Friday evening. Distances are rough estimates from the chart. Plan each day with charts, a pilot book and the morning forecast, and remember that the Cabrera buoy must be booked before you sail.

Day 1: Palma to Port d'Andratx via Puerto Portals

Approx. 18 nm. Leave the Bay of Palma heading west, past the marina of Puerto Portals in Calvià, a good place for a lunch stop or a last shopping trip. Then round the headland of Cap de Cala Figuera on the Calvià side and follow the coast north-west to Andratx. Palma is a major cruise port, so watch for ships as you leave. Overnight in Port d'Andratx. Ports IB runs the harbour, which has two basins: one behind the outer breakwater and an inner one enclosed by the sailing club's breakwater. Tip: call the harbour on VHF channel 8, and book transit berths online on the Ports IB platform in high season.

Day 2: Andratx round Sa Dragonera to Sóller

Approx. 25 nm, open coast all the way. Sa Dragonera, a natural park since 1995, lies across a strait only 800 to 1,500 metres wide. Boats must keep more than 50 metres from the shore of the island and its islets, except when heading straight into the coves where landing is allowed. To visit, land at the quay in Cala en Lledó, the only way in to the information centre and the walking trails. Opening hours are shorter in winter, and nobody may stay on the island after hours. Then sail north-east along the Tramuntana coast to Sóller. Overnight in Port de Sóller, a Ports IB harbour with 164 of its 465 berths set aside for transit boats. Tip: this coast faces north-west, so only do this leg on a settled forecast.

Day 3: Sóller back to Sant Elm or Andratx

Approx. 23 nm. Retrace the coast south-west, with the mountains on your left this time. Overnight on a booked buoy in the Sant Elm buoy field, opposite Dragonera, or back in Port d'Andratx. Ports IB runs the Sant Elm field to protect the posidonia seagrass. In the summer season you can book overnight buoys on reservas.portsib.es after registering yourself and your boat. Tip: book early for July and August, and have Andratx as a plan B.

Day 4: Sant Elm to Colònia de Sant Jordi

Approx. 35 nm, the long day, so leave early. Cross the mouth of the Bay of Palma to Cap Blanc, then follow the south coast east. Before Colònia de Sant Jordi you pass the Es Trenc-Salobrar de Campos natural park, a protected beach and dune coast with a marine area of more than 2,300 hectares. Its rules are simple: anchor on sand, never on posidonia or other seagrass. Overnight in the Ports IB harbour of Colònia de Sant Jordi, which has 37 transit berths and listens on VHF channel 8. Tip: this is the harbour closest to Cabrera, so check your park permit and buoy booking tonight.

Day 5: Colònia de Sant Jordi to Cabrera

Approx. 10 nm. The Cabrera archipelago is a maritime-terrestrial national park, created in 1991. It is made up of 19 islands and islets, and about 98.5 % of its area is sea. You need the free navigation permit plus a buoy reservation in the Port de Cabrera (see the rules below), and anchoring is prohibited. The overnight buoy is yours from 18:00, and daytime buoys at Es Burrí and sa Coveta Roja take boats up to 15 m. Overnight on your booked buoy. Tip: go ashore at the main quay and walk up to the castle, or join one of the free guided walks that run from Easter to late October.

Day 6: Cabrera back to Palma

Approx. 28 nm to Palma, or approx. 25 nm to Can Pastilla. Leave your buoy by 17:00, the end of the booking, but you will want to start earlier to be back on time. Sail north past Cap Blanc into the Bay of Palma. On warm days the embat, a thermal south-westerly sea breeze, usually builds in the bay during the day and gives you a good reach home. Most yachts must be back at base on Friday evening for Saturday check-out. Tip: refuel on the way in if your charter company asks for a full tank.

Variation: Cala Figuera and Cala d'Or instead of Sóller

If the forecast rules out the west coast, go only as far as Andratx and Sa Dragonera. After Cabrera, sail approx. 16 nm north-east to Cala Figuera in Santanyí. It is a small fishing port, and its nine transit berths are on the outside of the breakwater, open to winds from north-east to south-east. Cala d'Or lies approx. 4 nm further on. Its marina, which calls itself the most important on the island's east coast, listens on VHF channel 9. From Cala d'Or it is approx. 35 nm back to Palma, so leave early on the final day.

Rules and safety in Mallorca

• Cabrera National Park: a free navigation permit is required, valid for 12 months. An overnight stay also needs a buoy reservation. Both are booked online through the Balearic government. Anchoring is prohibited throughout the park. No more than 50 boats a day may use the buoys, and you can stay a maximum of two nights in July and August and seven nights the rest of the year (park rules). Sport fishing and drones are not allowed.
• Posidonia: under the Balearic Decree 25/2018, anchoring with anchor and chain on posidonia meadows is prohibited. The government's Posidonia Surveillance Service carries out checks. Anchor on sand, or use a low-impact buoy. Our guide to anchoring and posidonia in the Balearics explains the maps and apps.
• Buoy fields: Ports IB runs the Sant Elm and Cap Blanc–Cala Blava buoy fields in the south-west of Mallorca. Book them, and transit berths in its harbours, on reservas.portsib.es.
• Sa Dragonera: keep more than 50 m off the coast. Fishing is prohibited, and you may land only at Cala en Lledó, Cala Cucó and Cala Llebeig (natural park). The strait sees a lot of large-vessel traffic.
• Beaches: off beaches there is a 200 m protection band. Where it is not buoyed, the speed limit is 3 knots, and leisure boats may not enter buoyed bathing zones. In an emergency call 112 or use VHF channel 16 (Guardia Civil).
• Winds: according to AEMET, the tramuntana is a north wind that is dry, cold, violent and persistent, and it is typical of Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana. It is rare in summer and much more common in winter, spring and autumn. The embat is the thermal south-westerly in the Bay of Palma.
• Licence: from 1 October 2026, anyone driving a rented boat in Spain needs a licence. A bareboat yacht needs a licence that covers its size and sailing area and that Spain recognises, and the ICC is the safe choice. With a skipper or crew you need none. See boat licence in Spain.

Best time to sail Mallorca

The main sailing season around Mallorca runs from late spring to early autumn. The Ports IB buoy fields open on 1 June and run until 30 September, with a possible extension to mid-October if demand allows. Ports IB harbour offices such as Cala Figuera keep longer high-season hours from June to September, and Cabrera's stricter limit of two nights applies in July and August. In summer the tramuntana is rare, and on warm days the embat fills in across the Bay of Palma. Sailing Mallorca in October allows up to seven nights at Cabrera, but the buoy fields may be closed and the tramuntana becomes more likely, so plan the west coast with a fallback.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to sail to Cabrera?

Yes. Every private boat needs the free navigation permit, which is valid for 12 months. To stay overnight you also need a buoy booking in the Port de Cabrera. Both are booked online through the Balearic government, and anchoring is not allowed.

Can I anchor anywhere around Mallorca?

Only on sand or rock, never on posidonia. Anchoring on posidonia meadows with anchor and chain is prohibited in the Balearics, and the government's surveillance service checks. Where there is a buoy field, use it.

Is a week enough for Sóller and Cabrera?

Yes, if the weather plays along. You get one long day of about 35 nm between the west and south coasts. If a tramuntana is forecast, skip Sóller and take the Cala Figuera and Cala d'Or variation instead.

Is a catamaran a good choice for Mallorca?

Yes, the loop works just as well with a catamaran, and a stable boat is pleasant on a buoy at Cabrera. Buoys are booked by boat length, so enter the correct length and beam when you book buoys and transit berths.

Heading further north? Read our guide to sailing North Mallorca and Menorca, or cross to the Pitiusas with our Ibiza and Formentera sailing week.