Everything you ever wanted to know about Mallorca charter boat tours and coastal points of interest.
Thursday, March 31, 2016 Boat Tours by adminMallorca is a beautiful island very well known for its beaches, sheltered coves and caves.
The amazing Moorish and Roman architecture attracts tourist from all over the globe.
The name Mallorca or Majorca literally translates as “the big island” from latin.
So how big is it?
Having a total area of 3’640 km2 (2260 miles2) Mallorca is the biggest island in Balearics with many resorts and destinations.
And no matter where you stay you won’t regret spending a day at the sea.
You must be wondering…
… if the island is so big, there might be plenty of different charters available.
Thats true!
And thats why in this post I am going to explain how to get the best out of shared Mallorca charter boats and coastal excursion.
Nonetheless, If you have a special occasion to celebrate or travelling with a bigger group of people I suggest you get a private boat or a yacht charter. “Looking for a private boat or yacht charter on Mallorca? Look no further…” is the article for you.
So lets start by deciding/defining where you are staying.
Or in other words:
Mallorca charters run based on location and there are six main locations worth highlighting from the points of interest perspective.
Main Mallorca Boat Charter Availability Areas
Bay of Palma
Located to the South of Mallorca the bay has many towns situated on its shores including the islands capital Palma de Mallorca, as well as El’Arenal, Can Pastilla, Palmanova, Magaluf, Portals Vells.
Which means that if you are staying in one of the above towns you will most likely explore the southern part of the island.
But what is there to explore?
The area has numerous coves including Cala Major, Cala Vinyes, Cala Portals Vells, Cala en Sopa, Cala Figuera and Cap de Cala Figuera.
As you may have guessed “Cala” in Spanish means cove and “Cap” means point or cape.
If you aren’t staying in the capital (Palma de Mallorca) you will be able to find a boat charter that will take you there.
In Palma you should definitely explore the Cathedral and the central market and then take the boat back.
Lastly, you may decide to visit Marineland Mallorca – a big marine amusement park with dolphin and sea lion shows, as well as shark tanks.
Is it easy to get there?
Yes, it is!
Most of the towns have a boat charter to take you directly to the Marine Park and back and some offer a full day excursion at the park.
Sa Dragonera National Park and Southwest
If you are staying in the Southwestern part of Mallorca you should consider taking a boat to Sa Dragonare (on the map its a small island next to Camp de Mar).
You will be able to find a private yacht charter, shared excursion or simply a scheduled boat services in one of the following coastal towns: Port Andratx, Sant Elm, Sant Ponsa or Paguera.
Sa Dragonera is an amazing island and a national park located just of the west coast of Mallorca.
Some people believe that the islands silhouette resembles a dragon, hence its name.
It gets better:
There is a big amount of endemic lizards that live on this inhabitant island, so the dragon island has real dragons!
So what are you waiting for?
Catch a boat to Sa Dragonera and spend a day enjoying amazing sub-tropical flora and fauna of the Mediterranean.
Sa Dragonera lizards sun bathing on the islands rocks. This amazing photo was taken by Danyel André Photography.
Serra de Tramuntana, Port De Soller and the West of the Island
Serra de Tramuntana became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2011.
There are plenty of land activities available at this spectacular mountain range.
But don’t be tricked!
It can be even more amazing seen from a charter boat.
The main points of interest include Sa Foradada peninsula with its impressive 18m in diameter hole.
Sa Calobra beach and Torrent de Pareis canyon.
And of course:
Cala Tuenta beach from which the highest point Puig Major (1,445 m) of the Balearics is seen and Formentor cliff with its impressive light house.
Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa on the North of the Island
North of the island is famous for its dolphin watching tours and some amazing beaches.
Coll Baix is considered to be one of Mallorcas most spectacular beach scenery.
You might be wondering:
Will you be able to see Formentor cliff if you are staying in Alcudia.
Yes, and various boats will be happy to take you there.
I suggest you spend at least a day exploring the surrounding area.
Cala Ratjada and Calas de Mallorca on the East of the Island
The east of Mallorca is full of coves and mysteries!
Be sure to take a boat charter that actually allows you to stop and get off to do some exploring.
Most of the boat charters will make a stop at Cala Ratjada, Font de Sa Cala, Cala Bona, Cala Millora, Sa Coma, Porto Cristo (Located a little north from Sa Coma, Porto Cristo is the harbouring port for Caves of Drach, Caves Dels Hams and the Pirate Cave accessible from the sea), Cala Romatica and Cales de Mallorca.
Portopetro, Colonia de Saint Jordi and Cabrera National Park
Towns located on the Southeast of the island mostly offer connection charters and excursions to Cabrera National Park, which is located on to the North of Mallorca’s east coast.
The national park itself is an archipelago formed of 10 different islands.
Want to know best part?
This national park is considered one of the most well preserved coastal landscapes of Mediterranean Sea left unchanged through the centuries.
The archipelago is a restricted cruising destination and boats may only anchor in the islands natural harbour (Es Port).
Keen on diving in the area?
Make sure you get the diving authorisation, as you will require a specific one day diving permission from the municipality that can be organised by your dive centre.
So whats next?
Now that you know where you are staying, you may as well decide, which Mallorca charter activity you would like to do.
There are a few options: you could book a tourist activity, find a private yacht charter or simply find a taxi boat that will take you from point A to B.
Most charters and boat companies on Mallorca offer both, scheduled taxi services and different types of return excursions with stops and sightseeing.
Not a sharing type?
Not a problem! There are lots of private yacht charters available for hire for an entire day or even a week.
It gets better:
These private yacht hire companies allow you to create any itinerary you like including sleeping and eating on the boat throughout the booking.
To get back on track:
You may wish to do an excursion and if this is the case, the points of interests you visit will obviously depend on your location (Scroll up).
But not to worry!
No matter the part of the island the excursion types available won’t change.
4 Most Popular Mallorca Charters Available
Full/half day sailing and snorkeling boat charter
The usual length of sailing charters varies between 2 and 7 hours.
Most of the charters offer food and snorkeling equipment. Sometimes you will also be offered a kayak or a paddling board to explore the surrounding caves.
This is the most popular boat charter on Mallorca.
You can relax during the trip, enjoy the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear blue waters of Mediterranean Sea.
You will find dozens of providers for this type of boat trip in every port and town.
So how to choose which one to go with?
You can do a classic Mallorca boat charter from Puerto Pollensa with Gran Atalaya
Gran Atalaya offers both full day and half-day tours on their unique traditional Mallorca boat, which is quite impressive.
Still not convinced?
All right. You will also get a free unlimited supply of beer and wine included in the price of the journey!
Sounds good enough to me…
But what if you are staying in Palma?
Mallorca en Barco would be a good choice.
The boat is more of a yacht with a maximum of 11 passengers per trip.
What does that mean?
That means that, if you are looking for a romantic getaway – this is exactly what you need.
You can even hire a whole boat to yourself with a maximum of 6 people and start your own Mallorca sea journey.
Dolphin watching
An unforgettable journey to see the dolphins that live in the close-up waters of Mallorca.
The trip usually lasts for 2 hours and is available early in the morning.
If you are going on a dolphin watching boat charter make sure the boat you are going with has a glass bottom.
Dolphins do jump out of the water to breath;
Nonetheless, if you want to see many of them under the water at the same time, the bottom deck observatory is where you want to be.
So what dolphins species should you expect to see?
There are four dolphin species that are found around Mallorca and those are: common dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and white-sided dolphins.
One of the best dolphin tours and dolphin watching spots to our opinion are available in Camp de Mar with Cruceros Cormoran
Bottlenose dolphin swimming in crystal blue water of Mediterranean.
Mallorca Sunset Charters
This type of Mallorca boat charter will usually take 2 to 3 hours and start around 18:00-19:00 o’clock.
The best sunset boat tours will offer cocktails and live music.
The boat will also stop for an evening swim and after you will be offered a traditional Spanish dinner.
If you are staying anywhere near Palma I recommend VeleroRafael Verdera or from Pollensa Gran Atalaya.
Booze Boats
Now:
That’s what all the party people have been waiting for.
Booz Boats usually depart in the afternoon or closer to the evening.
And guess what?
Booz boats will always have lots of free booz aboard including beer and sangria.
That’s why they call them Booz boats of course!
You can play drinking games and dance the day away with a help of a live DJ.
Lastly, to sweeten the deal:
Most Booz boats make swim stops along the way for you to jump into refreshing water.
But be careful, if you had one too many its best not to go for a swim.
So yes, ultimate party people, booz boats are for you.
Already feel like going on a booze boat trip?
If so I strongly recommend booking with Barca Samba, as they definitely know how to get the party started!
This is it for my guide to Mallorca charter boat services and hopefully you are all set to go exploring!
Just a note, as you are probably going to ask anyway:
We are not compensated by the above suggested companies and I only write about them as I truly think they are doing an amazing job.
If you have anything to add or wish to contribute to our blog, please contact us through a contact form.
In my next blog post I will talk about exotic and unusual sea adventures available on Mallorca this summer.
Smile and do something amazing today!
Elina