A Guide to Sailing in Mallorca

See all the Mallorca coast has to offer.

Beaches and coves stud Mallorca’s shore like jewels on a crown. On the edge of the capital Palma, S’Arenal is popular with locals – and has a waterpark behind. Go north for Sa Calobra, a village where the mountains meet the sea, with a beach set in a chasm that’s best reached by boat. Near the southern tip of Mallorca, Es Trenc is a postcard come to life, with limpid water, golden sand and tufty dunes.

For a break from the sea, head to the Serra de Tramuntana, a craggy mass of limestone cliffs and spires that follows the western shore. It has epic hiking routes and a wooden rail line, the Ferrocarril de Sóller, that’ll have you dreaming of lonely mountains.

Palma itself is a magical place, home to a towering cathedral, a Moorish palace and Joan Miró’s studio, now a fascinating gallery. Its alleys brim with bars, studios and restaurants, and its stone buildings glow with warmth at sunset. For a sightseeing day followed by a buzzing night, there’s nowhere better on the island.

Real Club Náutico de Palma hosts the island’s largest marina. There’s space for around 1,000 boats, with a maximum length of 35m (115ft). Boutique hotels and dockside restaurants dot the port area, and sights like the cathedral are a few minutes’ walk.

On the south and west coasts, you can drop anchor in the bright waters off Es Trenc, the broad, palm-lined cove of Cala de Santa Ponça and elegant, lush Cala Mondragó. To the north, try Bahia de Sóller, a lagoon-like bay – hike up from the resort village to the lighthouse for some of the best sunsets on the island.

Much of Mallorca’s food is unsurprisingly associated with sunshine and sea. Restaurante El Náutico sits slap-bang in Palma’s port, its floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto a forest of yacht masts. Baked monkfish tail, beef tenderloin and lobster are complemented by sharp nautical decor. Classy boutique hotel Can Bordoy also excels with its Botànic restaurant in the La Lonja quarter.

Mallorca has an excellent option for hearty mountain food, too. At Sa Torre, a 20-minute drive inland, you can dine on dishes like suckling pig, cod with beans or plum-stuffed chicken among wine casks and ancestral portraits in a vaulted cellar.

From the marina, pick up everyday necessities at the Eroski supermarket on Carrer de Felip Bauzà. For a bigger shop, there’s a chunky, well-stocked Carrefour in the FAN Mallorca shopping centre on Carrer del Cardenal Rossell, between the airport and Palma. There’s a Decathlon, too, in case you’re running low on swimsuits and snorkel gear.

Mallorca’s size and location mean events are plentiful. Real Club Náutico de Palma organises over 30 alone. Some are open to all – anyone over 12 can try their hand at the island’s leg of the Europa Cup ESP – while others are aimed squarely at the pros. The Princesa Sofia Regatta is one of the five selection events for the Olympics and can attract over a thousand competitors in popular years.

Mild temperatures, consistent winds and mostly calm seas make Mallorca a good yachting destination. The months of April, May, June and September all offer good sunshine and relative quiet, while July to August are hotter but busier. Storms sometimes hit in winter, when winds can be fierce and swells larger. Many businesses close in the off season, but you’ll have your pick of anchorages. Bad weather usually clears fast.

Most people arrive via Palma de Mallorca Airport, Spain’s third busiest, with flights from most European countries. Ferries from Valencia, Dénia and Barcelona on the Spanish mainland take six to eight hours, stopping at Ibiza en route.

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