Around Mallorca in a week: Cabrera, the east coast and Tramuntana
A full circuit of Mallorca in a week: Cabrera national park in the south, the calas and fishing harbours of the east coast, the Bay of Alcúdia in the north and the sheer wall of the Tramuntana mountains in the north-west, where for 25 miles there is no harbour except Sóller. The loop of about 170 nm runs clockwise from Palma: legs of three to five hours and two long days at the end — round Cap de Formentor and home along the Tramuntana. It suits a crew at ease with 30–40 nm legs, and it needs a Cabrera permit arranged in advance.
Day by day
Palma
- Palma39.565, 2.631
The airport is fifteen minutes from the Paseo Marítimo marinas. Boat handover, provisioning in town and a check of the Cabrera paperwork: without the permit and a buoy booking there is no night in the park tomorrow.
Palma → Cabrera
- Cabrera (Es Port)39.150, 2.932
- Colònia de Sant Jordimarina39.316, 2.998
South-east across the Bay of Palma past the Cap Blanc lighthouse, then open water to the archipelago, five to six hours. Night on a park buoy in Es Port, an enclosed natural harbour below a 14th-century castle; ashore, a short path leads to the castle and a small museum.
Cabrera → Portocolom
- Portocolom39.420, 3.263
- Cala d'Ormarina39.371, 3.222
Past Cap de ses Salines, Mallorca's southernmost point, and along the Migjorn coast of calas and the fishing village of Cala Figuera. Portocolom is one of the island's largest natural harbours, with fishermen's boathouses at the water's edge; night on a buoy in the bay or alongside.
Portocolom → Cala Ratjada
- Cala Ratjada39.710, 3.464
- Porto Cristomarina39.540, 3.335
North along the east coast past Porto Cristo, where the Caves of Drach with their underground lake are a short walk from the harbour. Cala Ratjada is a fishing port on the island's eastern cape, below the castle of Capdepera; visitor berths are few, and in settled weather you can anchor off Son Moll beach.
Cala Ratjada → Port d'Alcúdia
- Port d'Alcúdia39.837, 3.134
Round Cap de Capdepera and across the Bay of Alcúdia past long sandy beaches, about three hours. Night in the Alcudiamar marina; two kilometres away are the walled medieval old town and the ruins of the Roman city of Pollentia.
Alcúdia → Sóller
- Cap de Formentor39.962, 3.220
- Port de Sóller39.796, 2.693
Round Cap des Pinar and the Formentor lighthouse, then south-west along the Tramuntana cliffs — a UNESCO cultural landscape with no shelter until Sóller. Port de Sóller is the only safe harbour on the north-west coast; an old wooden tram runs from the quay to the town.
Sóller → Palma
- Palma39.565, 2.631
- Port d'Andratxmarina39.543, 2.386
The longest day: leave at first light, along the Tramuntana past the Sa Foradada rock, through the channel by Dragonera island and into the Bay of Palma, seven to eight hours. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Cabrera is a marine national park: anchoring is banned everywhere, and nights are on park buoys only. You need two documents, both online from the Balearic government: a navigation permit and a separate buoy booking for the night. The number of nights is limited in summer (two in July and August) and places are few, so book as soon as the window opens. Without a booking, spend the night in Colònia de Sant Jordi, ten miles north.
- Posidonia: anchoring on its meadows is banned by Balearic law and fined — drop the anchor on sand only. Several bays have summer buoy fields bookable online, and many east-coast calas are narrow and open to the east: in an easterly, a harbour is the better place for the night.
- Wind: in summer a sea breeze fills in by day, and the main hazard is the tramontana, a northerly that turns the Tramuntana coast into a dangerous lee shore. If it is forecast for the last two days, turn round at Alcúdia and return to Palma down the same east coast. The best months are May, June, September and October.
- Berths and fuel: Palma, Alcúdia and Sóller are marinas with fuel, while Cala Ratjada and Portocolom have few visitor berths — book ahead in summer. Allow for 40 nm on the last day: with a headwind, Port d'Andratx halfway is the lunch stop and the fallback for the night.
How to get to the marina
- Paseo Marítimo marinas, Palma de Mallorca
- Palma (PMI) — 12 km, 18 min by car
15–25 min · €22–35 per car
Taxi queue outside arrivals; about 12 km to the Paseo Marítimo marinas on the meter, airport supplement included.
15–25 min · €30–50 per car
Pre-booked transfer: the summer taxi queue can be long, while a booked driver waits in arrivals.
15–25 min · €20–50 per day
Rental desks in the terminal, cheap in autumn. Parking along Paseo Marítimo is tight, so return the car for the charter week.
30–50 min · €4–7 per person
EMT bus A1 every 15–20 minutes via Plaça d'Espanya to Passeig Mallorca near the seafront; then 10–20 minutes on foot or city bus L1 along Paseo Marítimo.
Ferries from Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia arrive at Palma's ferry terminal at the west end of Paseo Marítimo, 5–20 minutes by taxi from the marinas.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Spain
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Spain
All boats in Spain
How long is the Palma — Cabrera route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 167 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Palma. Overnight stops in order: Palma, Cabrera (Es Port), Portocolom, Cala Ratjada, Port d'Alcúdia, Port de Sóller. The longest leg is day 7, 40 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Palma — Cabrera route?
The route starts and finishes at Paseo Marítimo marinas, Palma de Mallorca. The nearest airport is Palma (PMI), 12 km away. Fastest: taxi, 15–25 min, €22–35 per car. Cheapest: bus, 30–50 min, €4–7 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Palma — Cabrera route?
In the Balearics the season runs May to October. July and August are the peak: marinas are expensive and full, so you anchor or pick up a buoy. June and September bring warm water and lower prices; May and October are the shoulder months. In winter people sail in the Canaries, a separate area. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of €260 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €300. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 45%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Spain for a week starts from €1,148 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Spain”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
